Originally Posted by
MoAlpha
As others have noted, protein and fat are metabolically useless during exercise and protein actually requires calories and some excess blood flow to the gut to digest. They may taste good, but rarely do so in bar form. Stop for a nice sandwich or a slice of pizza if that's what you want.
Electrolytes are also pointless on the bike, except for sodium in the presence of multi-liter fluid loss and replacement on long, hot rides, but I don't expect anyone to believe that.
During long events/races, I find my body craving for something more substantial than gels and carb-loaded drinks around lunchtime. A protein bar has worked well for me to satisfy that craving. These aren't events where a sandwich/pizza stop is realistic. If not a protein bar, what else might be a good choice in a fairly compact format?
I've been paying attention to your comments (along with other sources echoing the same thing) over the years about the uselessness of electrolyte drinks during exercise, which is part of the reason I opt for a high-carb mix, instead.