What are low carb protein (protein) bars for? When to use them?

[synchronicity]

Sorry, google is not really providing the answers I'm looking for.

When I started training like 20+ years ago, these weren't really a thing, it was all about carbohydrate replenishment...
Are these meant to be for post-ride recovery or something?

I've taken a lot of time off the bike, mainly due to a severe tendon injury / foot reconstruction. Slowly getting back into it.
Taking a look at all the vast array of nutrition stuff available today, it's kinda mind-boggling.

[Andrew69]

Low carb protein bars are a perfect weight weenie nutrition as they lighten your wallet...but not much else.
Post W/O nutrition hasnt changed that much in the last 20 years other than fast acting carbs arent required unless youre an elite athlete and need to train or perform to a high level soon after your last workout/event. Regular meals will do just as well for regular people.
If you must carb replenish after a W/O, go with chocolate milk. Proven to work, is cheap and tastes great.

[AJS914]

20 years ago it was carbs, carbs, carbs... The importance of protein has become better known thus they now make a bar. They make a bar for everything. As Andrew above says, most people don't need a bar - just a quality balanced diet.

[c60rider]

If you are looking to cut down body weight then there can be a problem whereby you don't consume enough protein as a result. Regardless of your calorie intake you need 2-2.5g of protein per kg of body weight especially over 40s. And that should be split up into around 20g doses through the day. So for a 70kg athlete that's 140g or 7 x 20g of protein. Eating more than that at that meal time and it will be wasted and converted to energy for the body to use. Less than that, alongside reducing calories for weight loss then the body will scavenge your existing muscle. You really don't want that. So protein drinks or a protein bar providing around 20g of near pure protein is ideal in between normal meal times. But they shouldn't start to become a total substitute for a healthy all round diet or you're going to start missing out on some of the nutrients and minerals that protein bars/drinks have had processed out.

[TheRich]

20 years ago it was carbs, carbs, carbs... The importance of protein has become better known thus they now make a bar. They make a bar for everything. As Andrew above says, most people don't need a bar - just a quality balanced diet.

They can be a convenient way to get calories in right after exercise...and are a source of additional protein, as noted above.

[synchronicity]

So they [the protein bars] are for before and/or after exercise, not during exercise?
So they're basically... like a quick snack... yes?

I'd honestly rather have normal food/meals throughout the day. Tastier! Healthier!
Based on the replies so far, I will stick with real food off the bike.

I am 43 and unfortunately I am overweight. I need to lose at least 20kg.

The only reason I would use high-carbohydrate energy bars is that they are more convenient servings for refueling on longer rides...
But I'm not even there yet.

[Singular]

For me, it is a way of supplementing a healthy and balanced diet for better recovery (which has a number of positive consequences). Recovery nutrition has made a great difference for me as a cyclist but also with the way I look and feel, and I'm superficial enough to find that pleasant. IIRC, there is about a half-hour window for taking in the important first food/drinks after training and if I manage to do that (especially proteins), I get significantly less peckish during the rest of the day (not rummaging pantries like Pac-Man in the evening) and feel a lot fresher.

Ending up at home, I usually have a snack (that's an understatement, as I'm one of those hungry ones...) after exercise before hitting the shower in order to have recovery and repair started as soon as possible. I tend to carry a protein/recovery bar in my pocket when riding/training with mates, just in case the ride ends up with trashtalking an hour or two over a hot or cold beverage (meaning I don't have to panic into pastries or peanuts...), which I wouldn't miss for the world.

For me, now closer to 40 than 30, this makes a ton of difference - I'm leaner, stronger, lighter and fresher (legs are awakening from the dead much sooner). I'm typically endomorph and would not have expected to be heading in this direction with age.

And as a backdrop; nopes, no diet of any sort. Just a little more of veggies and fats and a little less of beers and sweets than average. YMMV.

[synchronicity]

Right. Thanks for your reply. I'm starting to get it now.

[bikeboy1tr]

Actually I keep Protein bars in my vehicle for when I take my bike somewhere for a bigger ride with lots of climbing so when the ride is over I have the bar there ready to go as I change out of my gear and load my bike. For me Choc milk will give me a headache and I also have trouble digesting any quantity of milk right after a ride. The other thing is I dont know how long it will be before I get somewhere to have a proper meal after the ride as I am usually at least an hour away from home. Normally I will go to a restaurant with my riding buddies somewhere nearby but I am still looking at 30-40 min before we have food in front of us. So the protein bar is basically a bridge until we get real food into the belly. Otherwise I get hangry.

[synchronicity]

That helps. Thanks for your contribution.

[reedplayer]

.... So the protein bar is basically a bridge until we get real food into the belly. Otherwise I get hangry.

yes you can do so. consuming a protein bar after the workout.

as supply during long, hard workouts, to avoid hypoglycaemia, carbohydrate bar/gel is better choice.

so, carbohydrate bars/gels and protein bars have a different purpose.

[Singular]

.... So the protein bar is basically a bridge until we get real food into the belly. Otherwise I get hangry.

ok, but wouldn`t a carbohydrate bar/gel make much more sense for this purpose, delivering quickly available energy.

if i get it right, protein bars are intended for regeneration, after the effort. But, as said, here, "normal" food is the better option, so imo protein bars are completely pointless. recommendable only for overweight-, cellphone-addicted teenagers. or bodybuilders. but not for endurance-athletes like us.

No need to be condemning.

As I stated above, and just like bikeboy1tr says, a bar or a drink is great for recovery when there is not really a viable option or a significant amount of time between finishing the workout/race/ride and the option for refueling with "proper" foods. A bar is really convenient in its size, packaging and ability to stay fresh (well...) for quite some time. The number of times that I've had to resort to overpriced and underwhelming croissants when a morning smashfest ends up at a café...

(Sure, I could head out with a chunk of cheese, two hard-boiled eggs or a sausage in my back pocket too and it does indeed sound delicious, but...)

[reedplayer]

@singular: sorry, i did not read bikeboys post thoroughly enough, i reworded my post, please delete the quote in your post.

Thank you.

[reedplayer]

del.