Nutrition for cyclists: Petrol station snacks put to the test - Sports nutrition: what snacks from the petrol station are good for

Every cyclist knows the situation: Suddenly you're starving, your jersey pocket is empty and there's nowhere to buy anything except the snack shelf at the nearest petrol station. Together with nutrition expert Dr Uwe Schröder from the German Institute for Sports Nutrition in Bad Nauheim, we took a closer look at the perennial favourites at the petrol station:

Knoppers
The milk hazelnut slice is a fat bomb par excellence: 56 per cent fat (55 per cent of which comes from saturated fatty acids) is offset by just 39 per cent carbohydrates - two thirds of which are sugar. Palm oil, a cheap industrial fat, is used for the creamy consistency of the chocolate mixture between the wafers. The additives declared on the packet may also put some people off eating them: Almonds, peanuts, nuts and egg.

Conclusion: Knoppers" is unsuitable for endurance athletes during the ride. Too much fat, too few carbohydrates.

Haribo Gold Bears
Clearly the best choice at the petrol station - provided the tour doesn't take too long. The "Goldbären" are high in carbohydrates (92 per cent) and low in fat (less than five per cent), making them an alternative to energy bars. The gummy bears provide quick and short-term energy. This makes them ideal as a snack before the last mountain or the last 20 kilometres.

Conclusion: The "Goldbären" provide more carbohydrates than any other tested petrol station snack. Ideal for the sprint finish or the final climb.

Bounty
The sweet coconut bar with a chocolate coating contains 50 per cent carbohydrates, as well as around 49 per cent fat and very little protein. The extremely high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids of 82 per cent is problematic. People already consume more of these than necessary through foods such as butter, cream, meat or sausage. A maximum of one third of fat from unsaturated fatty acids would be recommended. The same applies to chocolate bars such as "Snickers", "Twix" and "Balisto".

Conclusion: Not suitable for endurance athletes. Too few carbohydrates and proteins, too much fat.

Bifi
The thin sausage in aluminium packaging is considered a culinary faux-pas by some, but for others it is the classic salty snack. Bifi" contains virtually no carbohydrates (less than two per cent), but a good portion of fat (80 per cent). Together with the relatively high protein content (around 20 per cent), this makes the snack an acceptable companion for fat metabolism training. But: Test whether you can actually tolerate such a fatty snack during sport!

Conclusion: For long, low-intensity sessions that are designed to improve fat metabolism, you can use "Bifi". Otherwise: stay away from too much fat.