Protein Shakes & Energy Bars

A snowHead

Hi

I'm hoping to get some feedback from some of you.

I'm a 44 year old, advanced intermediate skier. I'm quite fit and also a Type 2 diabetic who has reasonable control over his blood sugars.

After a gym or mountain bike session I take 2 scoops of natural whey protein with no additives + H2O. I was thinking of doing the same after skiing to help repair my thigh and leg muscles and I find it helps to stave off my insatiable appetite after any sport. Preferring the healthier options over cakes and biscuits. I thought it may also be an idea to add a couple of scoops to my porridge in the morning.

Does anyone else use Whey Protein before and after skiing. It's not necessary to be a diabetic.

Also, I'm off to Val D'Isere for two weeks next Sunday and although I tend to eat well at lunchtime when skiing (spaghetti bolognese is my norm), I'd like to take some slow release energy foods/bars with me to keep me going if required. Are there any diabetics out there that do this, if so what do you eat. I was thinking of flapjacks or fig rolls as some of the commercial energy bars and bars of chocolate are just too sweet for me.

Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks

Paul

A snowHead

beer . . . wink

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

An interesting one, and hope I can add something (vaguely!) useful....!

I use bars and powders when working really hard (Bikes or skis) and they seem to work. For me, at least. Could be a placebo, who knows.

FWIW, the best I have come across so far are as follows;
Bars;
http://www.mulebar.com/fuel/bars.html - UK made, by some great people, with a great attitude to what they do. And, more importantly, they taste brilliant! Apple Strudel is the pick for me. Mule use lots of real, natural ingredients, and are largely organic. I would imagine that their stuff would be excellent for diabetics, as I'd hope that the "healthier" option of proper ingredients is better than a choccie bar, or chemical infused energy bar. Top tip, if eating on the go, keep in your inside pocket, as a frozen energy bar is awful.

Recovery;
http://www.maxishop.com/maxifuel/recovery/protrient - nice mix of whey protein and again, tastes good. Also, FWIW, this appears to be the perfect pre-booze preparation to avoid hangovers. Don't ask me how I know, but I do. It works. Happy

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Carlos the Slackal the lowest sugar content on any Mule Bars is 35% where Soreen Malt Loaf is under 20%. I fear the Mule Bar may be too high in sugar for me. I'll need to make some comparisons with other brands.

Nice to know that the whey protein is good for hangovers!

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Ah, wasn't sure of the percentages! I believe Mule are lower than most, as they're not pumped full of simple sugars. More about the mix of natural sugars and then slower breakdown from nuts/oats etc.

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cyberil, I am not diabetic, but was always on the lookout for cereal bars which were plain, lowish calorie, not too sweet and free from E numbers. This is my favourite (I've tried a few others from the Nature Valley range, but I prefer this one) and I've now stopped looking at the rows and rows of other sticky concoctions!:
http://www.ocado.com/product/39197011?name=Nature_Valley_Maple_Syrup_Granola_Bars_&source=PLA&gclid=CJzDt-bN97QCFYLHtAodj3oA_A
However, even this is 25% sugar, so may not be what you're looking for.

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Paul,

I am a type 1 diabetic and like yourself rather active with a good blood sugar control (last HbA1C = 6.8 ). I find that skiing does not affect my blood sugars any where near as much as more standard exercise (rugby, gym, spinning, cycling) however, I do still need to fuel up when skiing and for the past couple of years I have been taking CNP professional pro flapjacks with me on holiday. They taste pretty decent and contain almost a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein (with a low amount of the carbs coming from sugar). They do the job for me and I tend to stock up on them from Discount Supplements (free postage) when they get discounted to about 60-65p per bar (about £15 for a box of 24). I have only tried the chocolate orange, so I can't comment on any of the other flavours.

Here's the link:
Discount Supplements

Also, as if by magic, SportPursuit have them on offer at the moment for £15.90 per box but, they will not reach you for your holiday.

After all it is free

Andybag the CNP Flapjacks seem ideal. I love Flapjacks!!!!

However I've checked their website http://www.cnpprofessional.co.uk/products/90/pro-flapjacks and I'm having trouble deciphering the amount of sugars in the carbs due to a third entry in the nutritional data. EG the Chocolate/Orange Flapjack shows per 100g either 6.04g or 13.9g. Andy would you mind double checking on one of the bars if you've got one handy - please!!!! BTW I'm not off for another week, so theres plenty of time to order.

How many of these do you consume a day when skiing. I ski about 6 to 7 hours a day. Do you also take protein?

Pedantica I don't really like the Nature Valley bars I always find they're missing something...more of a snack bar than an energy bar...thanks for your suggestion though

As above, I am a type 1. I tend to use High 5 and Powerbar gels for low blood sugars, keep the odd protein bar in my rucksack for missing the odd lunch, and use standard cereal bars for general energy. However, I did previously train a fair bit and found that the protein taken shortly after exercise did seem to lessen recovery time a little, as did creatine for strength training. I often take a protein drink for the first couple of days especially if I won't be eating tea until a few hours after finishing (got to have a few beers for re-hydration) Laughing

A tuna butty would be more palatable though.

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I've just found the Reflex Flapjacks are really low in sugar - only 1.6g. I use their Whey Protein and find it great. I may have just answered my own question. Anyway here's the link http://www.reflex-nutrition.com/high-protein-flapjack.html

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Cyberil, have you had a look at myprotein.com and their 'unflavoured' impact whey protein ? It might be what you're looking for. Good value in my opinion.

http://www.myprotein.com/uk/products/impact_whey_protein

9 bar are very good - a seed bar, about 10g of sugars, about 200kcal a bar.
Very tasty, filling, and I like to use them post-workout to refuel and repair.
That, or a pack of chicken breast fillets Wink

You know it makes sense.

Paul,

The info on the back of the pack says

I normally eat half a bar at a time so have them for my mid morning and mid afternoon snack. I am a bit OCD regarding my blood sugars though as I tend to do about 8-10 blood tests a day so I tend to eat as and when I need it. I have taken protein on holiday with me in the past (have plenty at home from rugby training) but I have found no massive effect on recovery (or my appetite) from skiing between taking it and not taking it. Obviously this works for me and may be different for you.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

adamantis, I looked 9 Bar up, the lowest sugar content is the peanut one at about 17%, most of the others are around the 25 mark or higher!

A snowHead

I wouldn't dare to say how protein shakes work for diabetes but for normal gym a couple of recent studies found that they were essentially expensive milk shakes and that they can cause more harm than good.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18863293 " the size of the effect is often minuscule and it certainly doesn't apply to the population at large who are buying these products. "
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/19449377 "often doing more harm than good"

I seem to remember that the Horizon TV programme about it suggested that milk was as good as a exercise recovery drink

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I use beer a lot for mountain biking. Although 4 pints of real ale in 40 mins did lead to a wobbly second leg Laughing

I'd say extra protein is only required if you have pushed to the point where you will have aching muscles the next day. I also used to take much less than the recommended amount. Just a third of a helping after the session and perhaps a teaspoon of whey in water later in the evening.

As with most things, a sensible balance is all that is required. Unless you have a huge muscle laden bulk most of the protein will be excreted.

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And even better, a nice big meal of salmon with with some long acting carbs Toofy Grin

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I'm always fascinated by these threads and now living in the States where 'supplemental nutrition' is a Billion Dollar industry it's even more of an interest. I'll not make any comment on the OP, diabetics have a very good awareness of their nutrition regime (I've a Type 1 nephew who habitually abuses his Insulin and a type 2 Father with Alzheimer's) so I won't offer any thoughts there but for the rest of us I'm quite intrigued.

I was married to a nutritionist and I've a 'lay' interest myself and I'm truly nonplussed by healthy people who think they need to top up their system every two or three hours or immediately post moderate exertion with refined carbohydrates, sugar and fat . . . let alone the industrial waste so prevalent in 'energy' drinks

Us big monkeys perform at our best in calorie deficit . . . chasing down whatever fish, fowl, or fur we want to gnaw on . . . and our body systems are still tuned for that as current research continues to support a limited calorie diet to avoid many of our common ailments.

So why do you lot feel the need to incessantly nibble on extraordinarily over-priced and oversold junk food when all you need is nothing more than mixed tablespoon of raisins and walnuts to support your entire day's efforts?

I don't include the tourers and x-country folks in this as their output is on a vastly different level to us piste bunnies.

touch paper lit

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sidlittle, It's a grand place to post from, the view's wonderful . . . though you might add some erudition to your observation Toofy Grin

Masque, I'll sling in a cereal bar as part of my picnic if I'm walking all day. When skiing, there might be one in my pocket, quite often it comes back uneaten or only half-eaten. Not too heinous, I think, particularly since I don't drink beer, or sticky alpine liqueurs, or any kind of drink with whipped cream, or (save the occasional lapse) huge starchy lunches. I certainly don't eat such things for 'energy' or 'muscle recovery' or anything like that. I wouldn't dream of touching any of those revolting-looking energy drinks. And, finally, I don't actually like raisins or walnuts. wink

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For once I not only understood what Masque was saying but actually agreed with it.

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musher, I agree with it too. People don't actually need these things.

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Pedantica, There's this promoted trend that's been developing for a decade or more that we need this constant hydration and electrolyte replenishment when we exert ourselves and 99.99% of it is utter shite. Just in the last few months Coca Cola's lawyers defended in Court their 'VitaminWater' having been proven to be of no beneficial value whatsoever said

musher, DAM! failed again . . .

You know it makes sense.

There's a difference between quality supplements and aspartame-filled global 'energy drinks' for goodness sake

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I use all that crap when training/racing, not when skiing, but I also use bananas and normal cereal bars too - whatever is handy at the time. No idea if it makes much difference to performance.

A snowHead

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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sidlittle, And I'm old and lazy . . . with great chagrin . . . however I have known (and may still do) some 'small and little' who could whip your arѕe to a pink plasma froth. She's sixty next year and still teaching Krav Maga.

The reason is 'ignorance' and 'short cut' . . . thinking that being

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Masque,

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adamantis,

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Pedantica, well yes but I'm just counting calorific value . . . you could carry 5 pounds of raw Calabrese broccoli in your pack as an equivalent. I doubt that your cereal bar is significantly healthier than a Mars bar . . lots happening in Courts about this very subject.

sidlittle, Fook man, I was here(metaphorical) and part of when it started!

Cynicism is the least of my vices . . . but I don't do hyperbole . . . so you may want to think about content to your rebuttal . . . otherwise you just display steroid induced scrotal shrinkage. Go fer it big mun wink

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Masque, gimme a break, I can read the ingredients on a wrapper, you know, including the relative calorific values of my preferred cereal bar and a Mars bar.

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Protein Shakes & Energy Bars

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