I was frustrated with manufacturered bars, they are dry and uninspiring. Why would you eat such a thing just because you are riding a bike, running or swimming.
If I was to ride 30, 50 or 100 miles I found myself eating the same type of bar but putting my body under very different stresses. There are no energy bars that I know of that suit different types of endurance distances whether it be riding, running, swimming or any other type of endurance sport.
I wanted an energy bar that would give me more nutrition on a long bike ride, something that was easy to digest, full of calories, sugar and carbohydrates. Let's not be scared of eating what our body needs......
I started to think about what I needed to replenish my energy levels over a long period of riding and then tried to match that in an energy bar.
For me 3 hours at an endurance pace burns:
1800 calories
150 g carbohydrates
One granola NooMinds energy bars gives:
262 calories
32 g carbohydrates
18g sugars
The big difference is NooMinds energy bars are made from real quality ingredients and only made twice per week which provides a fresh bar every time.
It took a lot of attempts to balance texture, taste and nutrition. One year on and I think I've improved the bars to a level that I enjoy and I'm happy with. It was a battle to keep the moisture in the bars but I've finally mastered it.
The biggest test was my Majorca 312 challenge in April. 312km and 5000m of elevation was going to be a big test for me and the energy bars 😂
My fuelling couldn't rely solely on energy bars but I knew I had to put 50-60 grams on carbs into me every hour while riding. So I planned out my fuelling with the below but with a twist.......
I needed something even more specific for the time and distance I was attempting so experimented with a bigger bar. It took quite a few attempts to get the balance right for a bigger bar, I needed more substance for the demands of the day. I managed to get the same texture and consistency of a 55g bar in a 80g bar. This is 1.5 times bigger 💪 and 48g carbs, 27g sugar and a whopping 393 calories!
In my jersey pocket was......
High 5 electrolyte carb drink = 40g
High 5 Aqua energy gels = 23g
NooMinds 80g Granola bar = 48g
I planned to drink one 500ml bottle per hour and consume a gel or a bar each hour. That would balance out at around 60 carbs per hour. I had three feed stations to stop at to so needed to balance my intake accordingly.
It's important not to over eat as your body cannot digest more than around 60g of carbs per hour. One of the reasons I opted for carb drinks and gels is that they are very quick to digest so reducing the risk of bloating.
I completed the 312km in 13.5 hours of riding!
I totally believe that there is a requirement for a more specific approach to fuelling endurance activities and energy bars are a staple go to for the majority of us.
Fuelling to your distance and time correctly is very important and we deserve better than a dried energy bar made 6 moths ago.
I want NooMinds to be the go to endurance specialist for nutrition and hydration........a specialist in our sector!
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