Are You Sugar Coating Your Workout?

NEW YORK, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven out of 10 personal trainers believe that eating less sugar is the most difficult habit for their clients to practice, so it's no wonder that more than half of them (53 percent) rate sugar as the most important item for clients to look for on nutrition labels. However, even fitness professionals don't realize that nutrition bars are not all created equal and that some leading brands are packed with sugars. This was according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 fitness professionals covering nutrition and workout topics commissioned by Atkins Advantage(R) nutrition bars and shakes and conducted by Kelton Research.

Most personal trainers surveyed (65 percent) said their clients are fueling their workouts with nutrition bars or shakes. However, both personal trainers and consumers are unaware of the wide range of nutrition content found in popular nutrition bars. When asked which in a list of food items has the most sugar, more than one in three personal trainers incorrectly identified a Krispy Kreme(R) glazed doughnut as having more sugar than many popular nutrition bars. In an October 2006 consumer survey, half of American adults surveyed made the same mistake in response to the same question.

In reality, a PowerBar Performance top-selling* Chocolate bar (18g of sugars) and Clif Bar's top-selling* Crunchy Peanut Butter (18g of sugars) tip the sugar scale more than a Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut (10g of sugars). Conversely, all the Atkins Advantage(R) nutrition bars are lower in sugar, each having 3g or less of sugar.

"Sugar in products that are marketed as nutritious can stump all of us, even the experts," said Colette Heimowitz, Vice President, Nutrition Communication & Education of the Atkins Advantage nutrition brand. "Nutrition bars are a good example because they are not created equally; personal trainers and their clients can make the better choice by weighing activity levels and lifestyle needs against the wide variety of nutritional content available in popular bars. It is important for people to read labels and be aware of what they are putting into their bodies."

Workout Sabotage

According to personal trainers surveyed, the top three most common "nutrition mistakes" made by clients are skipping meals, not drinking enough water, and eating too many high sugary foods. The trainers feel that clients are negatively impacting their workouts by skimping on water (58 percent), loading up on sugar (44 percent) and not eating two hours before a workout (30 percent).

Time and knowledge are the two biggest challenges their clients face in eating well. Almost half of the personal trainers (48 percent) responding to the survey reveal that their clients' biggest challenge in eating healthfully is not having enough time to prepare healthy foods. Additionally, close to a quarter (23 percent) said their clients don't know how to eat healthfully.

"Today's lifestyle is more on-the-go than ever, and nutritious, portable food is fast becoming a lifestyle necessity -- along with your credit cards, keys and cell phone," said Heimowitz. "Getting the proper workout fuel -- whether that is water or nutrients from food -- is key to feeling healthy and building a stronger body. Personal trainers can help consumers cut through the hype of nutrition claims to find the better choices."

Workout Power

For consumers that need food to maintain their energy levels throughout the day or to fuel before or after a workout, personal trainers point to protein as the powerhouse and foods with a low-glycemic impact as the stabilizer. One in two personal trainers said they would recommend protein, and close to half (42 percent) would recommend foods with low-glycemic impact to maintain energy levels throughout the day. Half said they would recommend protein and a third would recommend foods with a low-glycemic impact to fuel workouts. Post workout, the majority of the trainers (83 percent) said they would recommend protein.

"Research shows that people who exercise and eat a higher protein diet gain more muscle and lose more body fat. Protein also helps boost metabolism, helping to make you a 'better burner,' " said Heimowitz. "And eating protein after a workout aids in rebuilding and repairing muscles so that you can emerge stronger."

Atkins Advantage Nutrition Challenge

Atkins Advantage is challenging consumers to compare the nutrition content and taste of its nutrition bars to other nutrition bars by taking the Atkins Advantage Nutrition Challenge. Atkins Advantage nutrition bars have more protein, more fiber, and less sugar than most leading nutrition bars. Plus, they have 19 vitamins and minerals, no trans fats, and have a low glycemic impact. For a limited time, Atkins Advantage is offering a free bar to consumers who visit http://www.atkins.com/.

About the Survey

The survey was conducted between Jan. 22, 2007, and Jan. 30, 2007, by Kelton Research, a leading full-service firm, on behalf of Atkins Nutritionals. The online survey received responses from 1,014 personal trainers and health professionals via an e-mail invitation to the membership of IDEA, the world's leading organization of health and fitness professionals, with more than 19,000 members in more than 80 countries. The survey has a margin of error plus or minus 3.1 at a 95 percent confidence level.

About Atkins Advantage Nutrition Bars and Shakes

Atkins Advantage offers great-tasting bars and shakes that have a nutrition advantage -- high protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, low sugar and no trans fats. Atkins Advantage nutrition bars and shakes appeal to the broad audience of healthy, active men and women who choose foods wisely to enhance their health and well-being and are available for purchase in top retailers throughout North America. To see how Atkins Advantage is staking its claim as the new look of nutrition, visit http://www.atkins.com/.

  * ACNielsen, FDMx; 2006

  Contact:  Lisa Strickland Harris
            CRT/tanaka
            212-229-0500
            lstrickland@crt-tanaka.com