Keep your energy level up with these portable products.
In order to keep your energy level high for matches, you need to consume the proper amounts of carbohydrates and protein. But if what you’re eating doesn’t taste good, then why would you force it down? We tried some of the latest in energy foods. Here’s our take on the good, the bad, and the gross.
CHEWS AND GELS
Clif Shot
If you need a jolt, just rip open a packet of this and suck the gooey substance down. The gels have 100 calories and 25 grams of carbs. Clif Shots taste good, but you need to drink tons of water to cut through the incredibly concentrated, sugary flavor.
Accel Gel
Accel Gel is a little runnier than the Clif Shot—be careful when opening the package so it doesn’t end up all over your hands. In addition to the 20 grams of carbs in this gel, there are also 5 grams of protein to help you recover faster after matches. If you like the orange drink Tang, you’ll like the Citrus Orange flavor, but Strawberry Kiwi is the best.
PowerBar Gel
These gels are very runny, but they get the job done. The Double Latte flavor, with 50 milligrams of caffeine, isn’t that appetizing. The other flavor tested is called Plain Energy—it’s a clear, whitish substance that tastes like liquid sugar.
Honey Stinger
These are the best-tasting energy gels by far. The other gels have processed, fake tastes that take getting used to. These taste the most natural—like honey. The Banana and Ginsting flavors are OK, but Chocolate and Gold (which tastes like plain honey) taste great.
BEST
Clif Shot Bloks
These organic cubes are like dense gummy bears. Make sure to eat them with plenty of water, because they’re so loaded with carbs (almost 50 grams per package) that they might give you a stomachache. Black Cherry is the best flavor by far, while Lemon-Lime got the worst reviews. Three flavors, Black Cherry, Cola, and Orange, are available with caffeine.
SPORTS DRINKS
Accelerade
This “All-Natural Protein” drink comes in powder form that you mix with water. The strangest thing about it is that the powders are all the same dull color, but once they hit the water, they explode into the hot pink or electric yellow color of the drink. The taste is good overall, though both the Fruit Punch and Lemonade flavors have a chalky taste that might leave you putting in slightly less than the recommended dose of powder. The Lemonade flavor is the best.
Clif Shot
The Clif Shot electrolyte-replacement drink is good. The Lemonade flavor tastes like weak lemonade. The taste isn’t overpowering like some energy products, but you can tell it’s a powder because of the slight graininess.
Endurox R4
A serving of this recovery drink is packed with 13 grams of protein to help you recover more quickly after matches. The Tangy Orange flavor is actually quite good, with no similarities to the fake orange of Tang.
BEST
Gatorade
A perennial favorite among sports drinks, Gatorade has great flavors. Just make sure you don’t drink them along with high-carb chews or gels, because too many carbs can upset your stomach. Gatorade Rain, a drink that’s a little lighter on the flavor than regular Gatorade, got great reviews, especially the Berry flavor.
ENERGY BARS
Clif Bar
These bars have a great texture—they’re chewy, but not too chewy, and there’s some crunch in them. They will run you 230–250 calories and they have about 45 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein. If you don’t burn the carbs right after eating one, you might get energized for a while. But then the sugar high can drop you, leaving you tired. The bars are tasty and the flavors that got the best response are Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch and Oatmeal Raisin Walnut. Some didn’t like the Chocolate Brownie, perhaps because it looks like a big hunk of mud.
PowerBar Performance
These malleable, sticky bars taste pretty good. They have about 45 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein to get you going. The best flavors are Chocolate Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter—they’re the best at masking the nutrient-rich flavor.
Honey Stinger Energy Bars
The Honey Stinger energy bars come in four flavors, the best of which are Peanut Butter ’n Honey and Rocket Chocolate, which has a good dark chocolate taste. They are made up of more than 30 percent honey.
BEST
Clif Z Bar
Of all the bars we tested, these received the most praise. The baked, whole-grain bars come in three flavors, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Brownie, and—our personal favorite—Peanut Butter. They are lighter than the other bars we tested at 120–140 calories, probably because they’re made specifically for children. Still, they’re a good way for both kids and adults to get a tasty snack while avoiding things like trans fats and high fructose corn syrup.
PROTEIN BARS
Clif Builder’s Bar
These bars have 270 calories that will stay with you longer than a high-carb energy bar, and that’s most likely why they don’t taste nearly as good. The Builder’s Bar is heavy, dry, almost chalky, and dense. Some are better than others—Peanut Butter and Cookies ’n Cream got favorable reviews, but testers said the Chocolate one tasted like alcohol—not the most appetizing thing right after a match.
Honey Stinger Protein Bar
The packaging says that if you’re going on a “bull ride” or plan to “split wood,” this protein bar is for you. With 20 grams of protein, and lots of honey, this bar will keep you going. Peanut Butta Pro, the only flavor, tastes good. One taste-tester said it was like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup on steroids, which he said wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—just take small bites.
BEST
PowerBar ProteinPlus
These bars are dense and the texture is a dead giveaway that they’re chock-full of protein—they have that powdery texture that makes you feel like you just covered up your vitamins with layers of flavor. But they actually taste good, though they have a slightly strange aftertaste. They’re chewy and filling, so take small bites. Flavors include Vanilla Yogurt, Chocolate Crisp, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and—the best—Cookies and Cream.
OTHER ENERGY FOODS
Horizon Organic Milk
While energy products like bars, drinks, and gels can give you a boost during a match, there are other things you can keep in your racquet bag that can keep you going during a tournament. Horizon Organic milk, cheese, and yogurt products are especially good because they’re portable. The flavored single-serve milk comes in small cartons. The milk comes in plain, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla flavors. The best flavor, of course, is chocolate. The other flavors are very sweet and sugary, and when they’re cold they taste like milkshakes.
Horizon Organic Cheese and Yogurt
Horizon Organic’s Mozzarella string cheese and Colby cheese sticks are great. They’re a nice snack to get some protein and help you recover. The yogurts are marketed specifically to kids, but adults can enjoy them as well, as long as they don’t have a problem ripping open a tube and sucking the yogurt out—no need for a spoon. The strawberry flavor is the best.