Food for ultra running has now become quite big business for the companies that produce it, and not just any old food that we might have shoved into our mouths in days of old. I remember when I first started running, I used to take sausage rolls, pepperoni and maybe some cheese and ham sarnies too. I had no real idea as to the level of calories I should have been eating when on these runs, so it really was a bit hit or miss. As a result, sometimes I’d eat too much, other times too little – but importantly not the right kind of food or balance of what the body really needed to get through runs of anywhere between 6 and 12 hours.
But as I started to get quicker (and maybe a little wiser too), I realised that what I was putting into my mouth was pretty important towards not just getting me through an ultra, but in an optimal manner too. I came across Hammer Bars simply because I was ordering Endurolytes, so thought I’d give them a crack. Plus, I also needed to know just how many calories I was putting into my mouth each hour too. For someone of my size, I should be whacking in our 350-400 calories per hour but I seem to have settled on around 250-350 per hour, which does me right. It does depend on your body mass, but 250-350 would be around the norm I would guess for most people.
The thing I love most about these bars is the fact that they’re 100% organic with no crap in them. For me, that’s quite important now that we’re getting increasingly conscious about what it is we’re putting into our mouths and passing through into our stomachs. They also completely vegan (almond raisin) and gluten-free too.
Depending on the flavor each Hammer Bar contains between 220-230 calories from 25-27 grams of carbohydrates (none from refined sugar), 5-10 grams of organic brown rice protein, and is fortified with 9-11 grams of healthy fats. For the stato’s amongst you, here’s the core ingredients: 70%-90% Raw, non GMO, 100% vegetarian, Gluten-Free, non dairy organic Belgian Dark Chocolate (Chocolate Chip flavor), rich in phyto-nutrients and enzymes, alkalizing protein, healthy carbs, high protein, high in essential fatty acids.
Although slightly limited in flavours, the three that Hammer produce are all pretty tasty in my book and these have now become one of the staple food resources for me on long runs. In the running order we have:
- Choc chip, cashew and coconut
- Almond and raisin
- Choc chip
The other huge plus they have is how moist they are, and on a nice warm summer’s day, these things will just melt into your mouth. That’s been an issue with some running food I’ve tried in the past, although nice has been quite difficult to consume. You can tell there’s been some thought put into these bars around the practicalities needed for food on the run, and a major one of these is the ability to be able to eat it easily. If you fancy a peak at them and want to give them a go, visit: http://www.hammernutrition.com.au/products/hammer-bars/
(As always we’d like to point out the caveat that Ultra168 is part of Hammer’s sponsored athletes team. This review has been done independently and off our own backsides! We review these products simply because we like them, we enjoy eating them and importantly, we buy them ourselves)
Love these bars Dan. They are genuinely great tasting. They don’t tear your mouth apart like other brands, you know who you are.
I always carry a couple of these bars and have a nibble along the way if my stomach feels like it’s getting sloshy. 5 minutes later – BANG – instant lift in energy.
Cannot recommend these bars highly enough.
I eat them even when not running as a healthy snack.
A lot of the guys at work into mountain biking are now converted as well, they get the whole bar down in one big mouthful and chew it while riding along.
Hammer have kicked a goal with these bars.