As a golfer, I have tried various snacks, energy drinks, and energy bars to try to maintain a consistent level of performance throughout the round. I usually eat a healthy breakfast before playing, and then quickly eat some kind of snack between the ninth and tenth holes. I also drink Gatorade during the round, especially in the summer.
One item I tried recently is the EAS Myoplex Deluxe Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bar. Soon afterward, I realized that this was not the proper use of this type of supplement. First of all, this bar is huge in comparison to a candy bar. It weighs 3.17 oz. (90g) and contains 340 calories. By the time I finished it, which took a couple of holes, I felt stuffed. It sat in my stomach like lead. Instead of feeling energetic, I now felt lethargic and dull. Lesson learned: this is not a quick energy bar. It's not to be consumed during periods of high physical activity, but after them.
What this bar is:
This bar is a nutritional supplement for use as a meal or snack replacement or as a post-workout muscle recovery product. I didn't realize it when I bought it, but the EAS web site states that this bar is formulated to support those striving to achieve maximum size and strength. I don't think I fit that category, since I'd actually like to be a few pounds smaller. Stronger would be nice, though.
Nutritionally, it has 30g of protein, 9g of total fat, 35g of carbohydrates, and a long list of vitamins and minerals: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pyridoxine (B6), Folic Acid, Cyanocobalamin (B12), Biotin, Panthothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Chromium, and Molybdenum.
Ingredients:
The main ingredients are Whey protein isolate, calcium caseinate, milk protein isolate, milk protein concentrate, high fructose corn syrup, hydrolyzed geletin, glycerine, maltitol, cocoa (processed with alkali), fractionated palm kernal oil, high maltose corn syrup, sorbitol, and water.
It also has a bunch of other ingredients that make up less than two percent of the total: Fructooligosaccharides, coca, natural and artificial flavors, sugar, vitamin and mineral blend, glutamine peptide from hydrolyzed wheat protein, L-glutamine, unsweetened chocolate, soy and/or canola oil, mono- and diglycerides, carmel color, soy lecithin, high oleic safflower oil, salt, corn maltodextrin, cocoa butter, sucralose, tocopherols, and ascorbic palmitate.
Warning: This product is manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs.
How it tastes:
As I said earlier, I bought this bar to eat at the turn on the golf course, and that turned out to be a bad idea. I bought a second one recently so that I could describe the taste and texture for this review. The first bite tasted pretty good. It is supposed to be chocolate peanut butter, but it tastes more like a giant Milk Dud to me. It was extremely chewy and stuck to my teeth, again, much like a Milk Dud, although it had a slightly gritty feel. It also tasted somewhat salty. After several bites, I began to notice a fairly strong acidic aftertaste that wasn't very pleasant.
Inside, the bar looks like it has two layers covered by chocolate. The bottom layer appears to be a caramel-like substance, and the top layer looks like a peanut butter-like substance. I tried to taste the top layer by itself, but kept getting chocolate as well. In any case, I didn't taste peanut butter. Even though I kept the bar in the wrapper as I ate, the chocolate coating on the outside seemed to melt and get messy.
Overall, the taste was good at first, but began to turn a bit sour as I continued to eat. It isn't something I would recommend as a treat, but then, it isn't supposed to be.
Conclusion:
I could see using this bar in place of a protein powder mix after a workout for better muscle recovery, although I think the powder mixes would sit better with me after a hard workout. I definitely don't recommend using it the way I did, hoping for sustained energy DURING physical activity. I also think this bar could be useful as a meal replacement, since it appears to be nutritious and definitely makes one feel full after eating it.