Perfect 10 Bars – Energizing the Athlete**

The following are recommendations for Perfect 10 Bars and athletic activity. Please note these are general recommendations. Everyone’s body has different requirements and responds in different ways to nutrition.

One can consume many types of nutrition from natural and artificial sources around a workout. If you match the basic (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) breakdown, each will basically have a similar effect on that particular workout. What athletes need to focus on is long-term health. Do they want to be filling their body with artificial ingredients, or high-quality nutrition with documented health benefits? Do they just want to get through an event/season, or do they want to build a strong, healthy body for long-term stamina? Perfect 10 Bars do not contain any artificial ingredients and the type of nourishment one gets from these bars far surpasses that of other “energy bars” with man-made, fake ingredients.

BEFORE ACTIVITY:

An athlete should never enter a workout “running on fumes”. For this reason it is recommended that athletes consume energy/calories at least 4 hours before working out. Generally speaking, the closer one gets to the workout time, the more digestible (less fat/fiber) the meal should contain. (Keep in mind that everyone’s body acts differently so what is well tolerated by some – in terms of quantity and composition – may not be for others.) What is most important is that athletes get in quality carbohydrates 1-4 hours before working out, 100 calories for every hour before the workout (e.g. 100 calories 1 hour out, 400 calories 4 hours out).

Perfect 10 Bars have 164-215 calories and an average of 25 grams of carbohydrates per bar, “perfect” for consumption at least one hour before a workout to allow time for digestion of the healthy fats and quality protein in each bar.

DURING ACTIVITY:

During the first 45-90 minutes of physical activities the body primarily uses carbohydrates from muscles and the liver, where carbohydrates are stored as glycogen. Everyone burns glycogen at a different rate but it is accepted that most glycogen is depleted after moderate to high-intensity activities lasting anywhere from 45 (high intensity) to 90 (moderate intensity) minutes.

If the athlete plans to continue activity at this point, the body no longer has an abundance of glycogen in the muscles and liver so it begins to rely on dietary fuel and/or it will turn to its protein (muscle!) and fat stores. While it sounds great to burn more fat, the body cannot burn fat without carbohydrates being present and no athlete wants their muscles broken down to fuel their body when they’re trying to maintain or even build muscle! The body can last only so long while running on protein and fat alone, and then… it bonks!

During the first few hours of activity the body primarily relies on carbohydrates and electrolytes for endurance. Most of the body’s blood is feeding the muscles so any nutrition other than simple-to-breakdown carbohydrates (i.e. single, paired, or grouped sugar molecules called “dextrins”) may be hard to tolerate as the body is concentrating on moving, not digesting. For this reason, Perfect 10 Bars, made of natural sugars but also complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats, may not be the best source of fuel for an athlete working out at a moderate to high intensity less than three hours or so. Then again, many of our customers find Perfect 10 Bars work great during a workout of this length so you never know what your body prefers until you test a product out.

Again, in general, the body often can’t tolerate certain types of foods (i.e. fiber, fat, and certain types of fruits) during shorter athletic events due to intensity and the body’s preferred fuel sources. It’s during these events that an athlete needs to think long term. There are many “energy bars” out there made of syrups, artificial ingredients, fillers and colorings. During workouts less than 3 hours or so, rather than packing the body full of the artificial ingredients many “energy bars” contain, it is better to consume more natural, nourishing products like honey, low-fiber starches (potatoes, bagels, bread, crackers, etc.), dried fruit (as tolerated), and/or sugar water which may also contain electrolytes, vitamins and minerals that could aid in performance.

After about 3 hours, the body starts to be able to use dietary protein and fats for fuel. Often fats, proteins, and more complex carbohydrates are a necessity at this point in order to endure long events when an athletes needs to have more sustenance. This is why skiers, endurance cyclists, ultra-endurance runners, adventure racers, tri-athletes, hikers, NASA astronauts, climbers, and the like choose Perfect 10 Bars during their activities.

Science has shown 3 hours into an endurance event, small amounts of protein at a ratio of one gram for every 4-8 grams of carbohydrates may enhance physical performance. Studies have not shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that protein makes an athlete faster or that it increases time-to-exhaustion during activity longer than 3 hours, but it has shown that it does not hurt and may actually boost performance.

On average, an athlete’s goal is to consume 100-300 calories of a carbohydrate per hour during a moderate-intensity endurance event, the wide range accounting for size, intensity and fitness level. It important to pay attention to the recommended ratio of protein to carbohydrates when incorporating protein into a nutrition plan for an endurance workout/event. Notice science has shown not a lot of protein is needed (one gram for every 4-8 grams of carbohydrates) for that potential enhancement of performance so there is no need for “high-protein” sports nutrition products. “High protein” products at this point will only confuse your system and make your body work harder to get the nutrition it needs. Perfect 10 Natural Energy bars and Perfect 10 Bliss are 164-215 calories and 1 gram of protein for every 4-7 grams of carbohydrates. Perfect 10 Cranberry has 164 calories with a 1:4 ratio of protein to carbohydrates; Perfect 10 Apple Cinnamon is 208 calories with a 1:7 ratio of protein to carbohydrates.

AFTER ACTIVITY:

Science has defined a “window of opportunity” after glycogen-depleting activities when the body is in its prime to repair injured muscles and replenish fuel stores. This “window” is 60 minutes after finishing a glycogen-depleting workout, with the most effective time being within 15-30 minutes.

The ideal post-workout nutrition during the “window” is, on average, 100-250 calories of the same carbohydrate-protein mix as during exercise (4-8 grams of carbohydrates for every one gram of protein). Remember, Perfect 10 Natural Energy bars and Perfect 10 Bliss are 164-215 calories and 1:4-7 of protein to carbohydrates. Depending on the calorie needs of the individual athlete, Perfect 10 Bars are an excellent source of post-workout nutrition – a bar by itself, or paired with additional nutrition to provide adequate calories and the ideal ratio of protein to carbohydrates.

** It is important to note that Perfect 10 Bars do contain unsaturated fat and fiber. While both are excellent components of a healthy diet, these foods have the potential to cause gastrointestinal (GI) distress during and after physical activity as it takes some time for blood to move from muscles to the GI system for digestion. Remember to adequately hydrate before, during and after activity. Nutrition can only do so much without hydration. Changes in sports nutrition routines should be gradual to allow the body to adjust to changes. Experimentation with sports nutrition products should always be done during training; no products should be tried for the first time on Race Day. For help on a personalized nutrition plan to meet personal hydration and nutritional needs, consult a Registered Dietitian trained in sports nutrition.