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13 Is running good for weight loss: All a runner needs to know
We’ve chomped our way through dozens of protein snacks to find the best in the business
Tested by Callum Black and Angela Trofymova
Supplementing protein shouldn’t just be a priority for weightlifters; runners drink. Or just enjoy it as an afternoon snack when those sugar cravings kick in come 3pm.
During exercise, there's an increase in the breakdown of protein in the muscle, so it's important to include enough protein-rich foods in your diet to counteract any negative balance.
The vital macronutrient is responsible for a host of activities in the body. 'It plays a key role in everything from hormone production and brain function to a healthy immune system,' says qualified running coach and EvolveYou trainer Melissa Kendter. taste great, too.
Replacing the protein you break down during exercise helps the body build lean tissue and supports muscles repair, ensuring you recover adequately and are primed for your next training session.
While it's important to distribute your protein intake evenly across the day via regular meals, a protein bar is a great way to supplement your intake post run, kick-starting the recovery process while also ensuring you're getting enough in your diet.
The good news is that there are a plethora of bars, brownies and biscuits to help you get your fix. The best bit? Unlike the first ones to hit the shelves, many of them genuinely Per 75g bar: 270kcal, 19g protein, 37g carbs, 6.6g fat.
Per 75g bar: 270kcal, 19g protein, 37g carbs, 6.6g fat Runner’s World Lab put a range of market-leading products to the test. In a hurry? Here are the best protein bars for runners at a glance, but read on for our full reviews.
How much protein do runners need?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that the average adult consumes at least 0.8g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day.
best protein bars for runners to fuel your training and boost recovery OneTrack run coach Justin Reid-Simms. For optimal muscle repair and recovery, he recommends aiming for between 1.2 to 1.8g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day. But this depends on your training load.
'If your training load is particularly high, you may consider upping it to 2g of protein per kg, but don’t skimp on carbs to hit your protein target,' he says.
What are the best protein bars for runners?
The best protein bars contain sufficient ‘complete protein’ – protein containing all the essential amino acids that the body can’t make on its own.
Whey protein bars, which are cow’s milk-based, tick this box, but if you’re after a plant-based option, look for ones that draw from a variety of plant sources. Bars containing a blend of soy, pulses, grains, nuts and seeds are a good shout.
Those containing 20g of protein will provide a significant hit, but snacks with upwards of 10g are also handy for topping up your intake throughout the day.
Note that some products can be high in sugar and relatively low in protein, so always check the reverse of the wrapper before buying.
'Look for a bar made with simple, nutrient-dense ingredients that you can recognise,' says Kendter. 'Steer clear of those with lots of artificial sweeteners and preservatives, as these could aggravate the gut.'
Should I eat a protein bar before or after a run?
There's no wrong time to eat a protein bar, but you’ll reap the most rewards from munching post-run, especially if it’s also high in carbs.
'In the first 30 to 60 minutes after intense exercise, the body is primed to use protein and carbs for muscle recovery and rebuilding,' says Kendter.
Protein bars are also a handy on-the-go option, especially when it’s not possible to eat a protein-rich meal. Just remember that no supplement can replace a healthy diet.
How we test
For the Runner’s World Best for natural ingredients, we asked a panel of four leading sports nutritionists to evaluate a variety of popular protein bars. They judged them based on their nutritional make-up, quality of ingredients and formulation, and only the ones that impressed our experts were put forward for taste testing.
Sports Nutrition Awards RW Lab, our panel of editors, food testers and runners rated each product on flavour, aroma and texture. To avoid brand bias, packaging and other identifiable elements were removed.
Feedback from our nutritionists and in-house experts was then analysed and each bar was awarded an overall score. Our worthy winners are all marked with the Best for natural ingredients logo below.
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Best dairy protein bars
Sports Nutrition Awards
Loaded with 21g of muscle-building protein, plus a sufficient serving of carbs, our winner will help your battered body to rebuild and repair post-run. Crucially, it also triumphs on the flavour front, with a gooey caramel layer, crunchy pieces and a sweet white chocolate casing.
The texture isn’t dry or dense and there’s no dusty aftertaste either. Not a fan of white chocolate? There are 13 other flavours to try, including Fudge Brownie, Banoffee Pie and Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake.
Updated: 05 January 2024
If you’re embarking on an outdoors adventure, this hefty bar (twice the size and calories of your average protein snack) will provide enough recovery-boosting protein and carbs to replenish your fuel stores.
It comes in two handy 50g portions, which can be rationed as you go, and, as with all 33Fuel products, it’s made with natural ingredients – almonds, candied peel, egg white, brown rice protein, coconut sugar and spices. The packaging is fully recyclable, and a portion of the profits goes to One Tree Planted to help tackle deforestation.
Per 62g bar: 225kcal, 20g protein, 20g carbs, 8.1g fat
This salted caramel Bulk bar is sure to satisfy your sweet cravings. Think malty chocolate, chewy salted caramel and butterscotch pieces – a ‘heavenly combination’ in our testers’ eyes. The soft, squidgy texture also proved popular with panellists, who said they preferred it to the usual dense protein bar consistency.
Not only does it offer 20g of protein to kickstart your post-run recuperation, but it’s also low in sugar and delivers 6g of fibre to keep you going until your next meal.
It also plays a key role in cell repair
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you'll love this triple-layered peanut butter and jelly option from OG protein bar brand Grenade. Combining smooth milk chocolate, peanut butter nougat and strawberry caramel, it satisfied our panel's sugar cravings. Don’t worry, though; it contains less than 2g of the sweet stuff and packs a hearty 20g of protein to get your muscles on the road to recovery.
PB and J not your thing? Grenade offers a host of temping flavours. Lemon Cheesecake, Salted Caramel and White Chocolate Oreo are next on our list to try.
Is running good for weight loss
Granted, coconut and chocolate aren’t a winning combo in everyone’s eyes, but if you are a Bounty fan, you’ll love this ON protein bar. The blend of sweet, desiccated coconut and silky milk chocolate earned a big thumbs up from our testers, who were also impressed with the moist, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Flavour aside, you get a hefty 18g of protein for effective recuperation and it has a relatively high fat content to satisfy your appetite and keep you fuller for longer. What’s not to like?
PhD Protein Flapjack: Forest Berries
Per 75g bar: 270kcal, 19g protein, 37g carbs, 6.6g fat
Designed to speed up recovery after an intense workout, this fruity flapjack provides 19g of the muscle-building macronutrient along with a sizeable 37g of slow-release carbs. Our testers like that it resembled a classic flapjack – think chewy oats, freeze-fried fruit pieces and a creamy yogurt coating – and said it made a welcome change to the typical whey protein bars out there.
For optimal recovery, we’d recommend eating it within half an hour of exercise alongside a hydrating electrolyte Best high-protein option.
Best vegan protein bars
Per 55g bar: 211kcal, 15g protein, 21g carbs, 9.3g fat
Barebells has excelled itself with this plant-based offering, which wowed our panel thanks to its ‘indulgent’ chocolate bar-esque taste and texture. Combining sweet milk chocolate and crunchy, salty peanuts, they likened it to a Snickers bar and said they would happily chomp on it after exercise or as an evening treat.
It has less than 1g of sugar, however, and packs 15g of plant protein – a soy, rice and pea blend that constitutes a complete protein – to aid muscle recovery.
Science in Sport Protein 20 Bar: Salted Caramel
Per 64g bar: 265kcal, 20g protein, 18g carbs, 14g fat
With an impressive 20g of protein, this is the biggest hitter in our plant-based category and an excellent shout after a strength session. As well as bumping up your daily protein intake, its relatively high fat count and dense texture mean it will keep cravings at bay.
The salted caramel flavour, with hints of tiramisu and coffee, is subtle and not overly sweet, and it ticks the ‘complete protein’ box thanks to its soy, pea and pumpkin blend. As with all SiS products, it’s Informed Sport approved and suitable for drug tested athletes.
Per 70g bar: 278kcal, 10g protein, 41.6g carbs, 9.4g fat
If you don’t trust this plant-based snack to offer a wholesome post-run pick-me-up, think again. Its ingredients list boasts 100% natural ingredients – namely crunchy almonds, juicy apricots and hints of aniseed – and zero artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Better still, it provides a complete amino acid profile and a healthy dose of carbs to kickstart recovery.
Unlike some vegan bars that can taste powdery and dry, this was a big hit with our testers. They loved its marzipan-esque taste and squidgy texture, with satisfying crunch from the almonds in each bite.
Foodspring Vegan Protein Bar: Chocolate Almond
Updated: 05 January 2024
Here’s more proof that vegan protein bars needn’t taste chalky and unpleasant; Foodspring’s chocolate almond offering hit all the right notes with our panel and tided them over until dinner thanks to the high fibre content (a whopping 15g). They liked its fudgy texture and found the chocolate and nut butter flavour deliciously sweet but not sickly.
It has recent 18g of plant protein to aid recovery, as well as a complete amino acid profile to optimise protein synthesis and encourage muscle growth. It’s also soy and gluten-free, making it a great go-to for those with specific dietary requirements.
Per 60g bar: 206kcal, 15g protein, 25g carbs, 6.3g fat
Bursting with dark chocolate chips and topped with a cocoa-rich drizzle, this USN brownie is the dream for certified chocolate lovers. It scored highly for its moreish taste and fudgy texture, and it delivers a respectable 15g of protein to top up your daily intake.
Despite the sweet flavour, each brownie has just 0.6g of sugar, plus it’s relatively high in carbs and fibre (5.1g), so it will keep your tank full after lunch. In short, it’s a prime post-run pick-me-up.
Priyankaa is our senior health and wellness writer, specialising in expert-tested reviews and roundups on the latest health and fitness products. From walking boots to running machines, Priyankaa has written about hundreds of products and is passionate about providing in-depth, unbiased reviews. Plus, as an avid runner and gymgoer, she knows exactly what to look for when finding the right gymwear, fitness tracker or earphones.
Priyankaa has an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and over five years’ experience in health and fitness journalism. Priyankaa has written for Stylist’s Strong Women Training Club, where she regularly wrote about diversity in the fitness industry, nutrition tips, training advice and her experience completing various fitness challenges.
Is running good for weight loss, Glamour, Bustle, Metro, HuffPost UK, gal-dem and more.
Outside of work, Priyankaa can usually be found trying out a new gym class, seeking out London's best eats or watching a Spanish TV show in a bid to keep up her language skills.
Callum is our Chafing: How can runners prevent the rub and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.
Angela is our Is running good for weight loss managing all categories from Food & Drink to Homes. She has over 14 years’ food industry experience, helping companies such as Sainsbury’s, Pret, Nando’s and Leon achieve sustainable growth through innovative product development – and she’s even cooked for Heston Blumenthal! Her sensory evaluation training and finely honed taste buds means she knows exactly what’s worth spending money on. She led the food and drink testing team, who test more than 1,000 products each year, for seven years. Angela is WSET wine level 2 certified and has been a judge five years in a row for the British Sandwich Awards and the Pizza and Pasta Awards.
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Per 62g bar: 225kcal, 20g protein, 20g carbs, 8.1g fat?
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Per 70g bar: 278kcal, 10g protein, 41.6g carbs, 9.4g fat?
