I ate 50 protein bars in a week and what it did to my body scared me
Protein bars are said to help build muscle and are a healthy alternative to regular candy bars.
But Colin Murray, from Wisconsin, who tried to survive on these bars for a week, said the bars made his workouts “sad” and his body “weak.”
Consuming more than 50 of the highly processed bars in seven days left him constantly exhausted but unable to sleep, and caused some unusual changes in his toilet habits.
He also said the diet made him dizzy and caused such bloating that he lost the sharp definition of his six-pack abs.
Murray is now convinced they are no better than sugary chocolate bars and urges people to consume them in small quantities as a treat.
Colin Murray from Wisconsin took on the daring challenge hoping it would boost his muscle growth. He is pictured above with the first set of bars he consumed
Mr. Murray posted his diet experiment on his own YouTube channelwhere it has been viewed more than 215,000 times.
As a gymnastics enthusiast who follows a high-protein diet for muscle growth, he enjoyed about one protein bar per day after his workouts.
Of the experiment, he said, “I enjoy the convenience of protein bars, and they taste good, and I don’t feel as guilty eating them.”
Most bars contain between 15 and 25 grams of protein, which is about half the amount in a chicken breast.
They also contain less sugar than regular candy bars. One of the most popular, a 2.12 oz Quest bar, contains about nine grams of sugar, compared to 28 grams in a 1.86 oz Snickers.
But some health experts warn that many protein bars are high in calories, which can lead to weight gain over time.
For example, a 2.3 oz Clif Builders protein bar contains approximately 290 calories, compared to 250 calories in a Snickers and 218 calories in a 1.5 oz KitKat.
They also contain artificial sweeteners and sugars that do not digest well and instead ferment in the stomach, leading to problems such as bloating, gas and diarrhea.
But because they are seen as ‘healthy’, many people overeat them and don’t worry about any health risks.
People can also eat them and not feel full, causing a person to eat more than normal and then gain weight.
Mr Murray shared this in his video, showing what he looked like before the challenge (left) and after (right). He said the bloating it caused ruined his six-pack
Mr Murray is pictured above on the morning of day seven of the challenge. He said he had little energy and had trouble sleeping
On the first day of the challenge, Mr Murray thought it was “quite nice” because he didn’t have to spend a lot of time cooking.
He started at 10 a.m. with two protein bars with peanut butter for breakfast, and ate again around noon with two protein bars with chocolate chips and a Snickerdoodle protein cookie.
For dinner, he ate a protein bar with peanut butter and a protein cookie, but admitted that he was already starting to regret the meal plan.
“I think I’m pregnant, my stomach is broken.” he said. “I’m already getting tired of this food.”
The next day he started to worry about his bowel movements and told viewers: “I’ve been eating a lot of protein bars, but nothing has come out yet, so that’s a bit alarming.”
He added: ‘I haven’t pooped in three days. That’s a long time and, to be honest, it’s starting to scare me a bit.’
Protein bars contain very little fiber, often less than three grams, which is essential for keeping food moving through the digestive tract.
Without enough fiber, substances can linger and ferment in the intestines, leading to problems such as bloating.
Mr Murray is pictured above trying one of the protein bars while sitting in his car
Concerned about his body, Mr Murray broke the challenge on the evening of day three to eat blueberries and two apples – which quickly resolved the constipation and allowed him to go to the toilet.
However, by day four he had returned to the protein bar diet and said he started experiencing side effects.
“I’m tired all day and my stomach still makes that noise,” he said, “Normally I (also) always have a six-pack, but since I started this diet I’m always bloated. I smell too’.
‘But other than that I feel very good.’
On day four, he also noticed that he started eating several protein bars at a time, instead of occasionally eating two or three as a meal.
Describing how he felt on day five, he said: ‘I feel kind of restless but at the same time I’m also exhausted, I really don’t know how to explain it. I can’t sleep.’
On day six, he said he had “never been so bloated in my life” and was having trouble exercising.
He continued his gymnastics fitness routine while eating the bars, using his own body weight to build muscle in gymnastics.
“It was a sad training,” he said, “I felt very weak. Normally I’m a lot stronger. Could it be the protein bars? Probably, probably.’
Protein bars often contain fast-acting proteins. Without fiber to slow digestion, the nutrients are quickly absorbed by the body instead of the slow-release effect that occurs when you eat whole-food protein sources such as chicken and red meat.
On the last day of the challenge, he ate just one protein bar in the morning and then nothing for the rest of the day — until he could eat real food again.
Near the end, he said, “But the more I learn, the guiltier I feel. I feel like I’ve been poisoning myself for the past five years because I’ve been eating these a lot, especially this week.”
He added: ‘Processed food (like protein bars) really just kills your energy, that’s what I notice… eating processed food really kills you.
“For the past week I haven’t slept, I haven’t been able to do anything… It should be an occasional snack.”
During the challenge, he also kept up his calisthenics routine, a type of exercise that uses your body weight and gravity to strengthen muscles.
The video was published at the end of October last year, with viewers congratulating him on his efforts but saying they were unlikely to follow suit.
One said: ‘There’s no whey I could do this with!’, while a second said: ‘This made me so grateful for real food, thank you.’
Protein bars became a mainstay in the early 2000s, and there are now hundreds of varieties available — in a market that will be worth $4.03 billion by 2024 alone, according to estimates.