Um, a new study has just found protein bars hardly actually give you any protein

If you’re into the gym and use protein bars to help your gains, I’ve got some bad news for you. A new study has found the supplements don’t actually give you anywhere near as much protein as it says on the packet.

Protein bars are often advertised as containing something like 30 grams of protein, which everyone automatically thinks is great for building muscle. However, that’s actually not the case.

The new research in Scientific Reports analysed 1,641 popular protein bars on the market and found that while 81% of them were labelled “high in protein,” the actual protein digestibility was as low as 47%.

Basically, the protein bar does contain the amount of protein it says on the packet, but the other ingredients, like carbohydrates, fats and fibers, stop the protein from being properly digested by your body. So, you don’t get anywhere near the amount that’s labelled.

“The low numbers are most probably due to application of lower-nutritional-quality proteins (such as collagen) and of other ingredients such as carbohydrates, fats and fibers, that might deteriorate the bioaccessibility of essential amino acids,” the study says.

Credit: Canva

It also analysed each individual type of protein to find out which one can be digested best, splitting them into plant only (pea and rice), animal only (milk proteins), and a mix of both animal and plant.

Researchers found that the bars with the most digestible protein were animal-based ones. Particularly, it was whey and milk protein bars that were the best, while vegan ones using only plant proteins were the worst.

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This is down to the fact that animal-based protein bars tend to have higher protein and fiber content, and less calories, fat, carbohydrate, and sugar, which is what stops the nutrient from being absorbed.

So, next time you’re choosing a protein supplement, it’s probably best to go for a shake instead.

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Featured image by: Canva