It's 7:00 a.m., and you're hungry. The only issue? You're late for work, so there's no time to boil eggs. So, you go to the pantry for a protein bar or a convenience store for a coffee and one of the dozen or so protein bars on the shelf. There's no shame in choosing a ready-to-eat alternative over a prepared one—those bars are filling! They give you the impression of being an athlete. They have a pleasant flavor. Even though you'd rather eat a doughnut, a protein bar makes you feel better. Maybe you do it daily.
It appears to be a sensible habit; after all, protein is a healthy thing, right? Protein seems to be connected with good health these days, but that doesn't mean that all protein bars are beneficial for you. Read on to discover the science-backed adverse effects of consuming protein bars.
1. Protein bars may help you save your muscle mass.
If you don't do something about it, you'll lose muscle mass and strength as you get older. Sarcopenia is the medical word for this age-related muscle loss. However, many studies have shown that boosting your protein intake in conjunction with resistance training will help you maintain muscle mass. According to a study published in Nutrition in Clinical Practice, protein supplements, such as protein bars, may help prevent sarcopenia, and whey protein is the best, increasing muscle protein synthesis more than casein or soy proteins. Maintaining muscle mass as you get older offers numerous advantages, including improved metabolism and weight management, blood sugar control, more significant activity, fall avoidance, reduced inflammation, and enhanced heart health.
2. You might gain weight.
Many protein bars have calorie counts that are comparable to or even higher than candy bars. For example, MET-Rx Super Cookie Crunch has 410 calories and 14 grams of fat. That's the same amount of fat as a regular Snickers bar and 130 calories more. A protein bar makes sense if you're attempting to gain weight because it's high in calories, but it'll work against you if you're trying to lose weight.
3. It may increase your hunger.
While many protein bars are free of added sugars, some contain the worst kind: high fructose corn syrup, a cheap sweetener that, according to studies published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, is more effective than regular sugar at creating obesity and increases appetite. Some of these nutrition bars are confectionery bars disguised as nutrition bars. Nutra Grain Cereal Bars come in strawberry, raspberry, and other fruit tastes, but they're essentially fructose, sugar, corn syrup, modified food starch, and wheat gluten puree, not actual fruit. A single bar has 12 grams of added sugars, which is the same as a serving of Fruity Pebbles cereal.
4. You could suffer from metabolic problems.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eating too many meals high in added sugars can lead to various metabolic illnesses such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes, pastries, and protein bars are the most common sources. Don't be fooled by the word "protein" on the package; instead, look at the Nutrition Facts section on the back.
Protein bars are renowned for putting much sugar in them to make them taste better. Some bars may contain 20 grams of sugar—roughly the same as two Tootsie Roll Pop lollipops. "As a general guideline, the amount of sugar in a healthy protein bar should not surpass the amount of protein," explains Balance One Supplements registered dietitian Trista Best, RD.