Tip #1 – The Protein Bar Should Have At Least 20 Grams of Protein

Quantity > 20 grams

Anything with > 20 grams is a bona fide protein bar. It has protein added for the sole purpose of increasing the protein content. In other words, the ingredients in a candy bar will never accidentally amount to over 20 grams protein.

According to the research, 20 grams will give your muscles a little burst of protein synthesis.

Moore & colleagues tested what the response of muscle protein synthesis was to increasing doses of egg protein in healthy young men after a bout of resistance exercise. 1 They show that muscle protein synthesis increases with doses up to 20 grams, but with not much improvement thereafter.

However, a study in healthy middle-aged men shows that muscle protein synthesis is maximal with 170 grams of beef, which amounts to 36 grams of protein. 2

This shows us that higher protein levels are more satiating, with the cutoff seemingly around 20 grams.

In a study comparing people’s hunger when they ate a yogurt snack with either a 0, 5, 14, or 24 grams of protein, those who consumed the highest dose felt less hungry, more full, and that they could hold out longer until they wanted dinner. 3

Lastly, another study comparing participant’s fullness after eating a custard with either 37 grams of casein protein or 15 grams shows that those who ate the 37 grams felt modestly fuller. 4 For more on protein, see my article Do High Protein Diets Help You Lose Weight?

Unfortunately, not many protein bars fall into this category, and so many saturate the market making numerous health claims that it becomes confusing to decide whether any are actually good for you.