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stack of power ice bars

School’s out for the summer, so that means playing in the afternoon sun and having freeze pops to cool off!

And no, this isn’t a flashback to when I was a kid (although I used to eat those freeze pops like crazy during summer vacation!) This is summer 2014, and Power Ice is here to save the day!

Their tag line is “frozen electrolytes hydration,” be we all know what it actually is – a freeze pop for adults! 🙂

Don’t act surprised – energy “chews” are just gummy candy with electrolytes, and Jelly Belly Sport Beans, c’mon, they aren’t fooling anybody. So it’s not like we don’t already have tons of energy foods that are just kids’ snacks in disguise!

These freeze pops, err… Power Ice bars, offer two main benefits:

  • Electrolytes
  • Cooling effect

The electrolytes help you replenish what you lost in sweat. And if you’re exercising during the summer, you need to stay hydrated as well as replenish your electrolytes! Plain water isn’t enough for serious endurance athletes.

Many electrolyte supplements exist, but I don’t know of any others that will help reduce your core temperature. These frozen bars cool you off, and studies show that keeping your core temp within a normal range will improve your athletic performance.

folded power ice

PowerIce Health and Nutrition

So, what’s in the bar?

Not much. And that’s a good thing! The bar is essentially water, sugar, and electrolytes (plus Vitamin C and the obligatory color and flavoring.)

There is no high fructose corn syrup or caffeine. The sugar content (from sucrose) is only 8 grams, responsible for the bar’s 30 calories.

On the flip side, there’s not much in the way of nutrition for recovery. Sure, the cooling effect is going to make you feel recovered, but it’s not a substitute for a recovery drink or a good meal with carbohydrates and protein.

And with only 8g carbs and 30 calories, the bars are not a realistic way to fuel any of your longer duration workouts (where you’ll want to consume roughly 200-250 calories per hour.)

The electrolytes, well, they only amount to 25mg of sodium and 20mg of potassium. That’s nothing compared to a true electrolyte-replacement product like Endurolytes or even Nuun.

This is really only a fun product to use in addition to basic nutrition and hydration products. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. It means you can add this in to your normal eating and drinking routine without really changing anything. You just get the added refreshment!

coach levi after power ice

Putting PowerIce To The Test

Finally, in May and June, we got some hot weather where it was worth testing these bars after my workouts!

I was excited, but you know what ruined that, real quick? The tops! They did NOT rip open neatly!

They have notched tear-off tabs, but I eventually gave up on those and just cut the top off each time. Why?

The deciding factor was one day I really wanted one, and couldn’t waste time opening the drawer for the scissors, so I ripped one side. Not quite there. No big deal, I ripped from the other side. Still no good. So, I tried to rip the very center with my fingers, only to drop it on the floor!!

The packaging was annoying, just like I remember as a kid! Fortunately, once cut open, they do squeeze up and out very easily.

And since I have to keep these in the freezer, I always have scissors nearby. It’s not like I’m out on a ride with a few of these stashed in my jersey pocket. That would be awesome if it was logistically possible, but the fact is, I’m either using these before or after a workout, not during.

Personally, I see the best use as post-workout recovery. The sooner your core temp returns to normal, the sooner you can recover. You could use them pre-workout, but I think that would be more mental than anything, since your core temp would be at a normal level which is perfect for top performance.

During workout would be best, but are you realistically going to get someone to hand you a frozen PowerIce in the feed zone?

Maybe if you are 5X Ironman Champion Heather Gollnick, who is using the product during her training. But for you and me, probably not.

power ice bar

My Power Ice Taste Test

I received three flavors to try. (I didn’t get any grape samples.)

Orange Blast

Tastes like most artificial orange flavors. Like orange Gatorade. Or maybe closer to orange Kool-Aid, much like I remember the orange freeze pops tasting like. It’s very, very sweet. I don’t recommend this flavor at all.

Lime Kicker

This one has a light lemon-lime flavor that’s very mild and enjoyable. Nothing like the orange flavor!! This one was actually refreshing since my taste buds weren’t overwhelmed with sweetness!

Pomegranate-Raspberry Rip

This was a good flavor that was sweeter than lime, but nowhere near as sweet as orange. It has a good amount of flavor without going overboard on the sweetness. I like it a lot!!

Grape Score

N/A

Overall, these are pretty good bars, but each one was drastically different.

Lime was the most refreshing, but pomegranate was the best tasting flavor. I’d actually probably go with lime though, if I was getting a big box of these.

Where Is The Value?

If you’ve been following along, you’ll see that we have a pretty good tasting product that will help you cool off after a hot workout. It’s a luxury… and it’s priced as such.

A box of 6 bars is $5.99, so these are basically $1 each.

That’s expensive!

Look at a GU gel for example. (And GU gel is something I consider expensive.) For $1, you’re getting a gel filled with 100 calories, 55mg sodium, and 35mg potassium. Not to mention the amino acids.

Power Ice makes energy gel look like a bargain!

From a cooling and refreshing perspective, I do give PowerIce the slight edge, but a half-frozen GU is actually really great as well.

The thing is, ice water is also great after a hot ride. And it’s practically free. I enjoy an ice-cold strawberry lemonade (which is maybe 10 cents to make) just about the same as one of these bars, so it’s really difficult for me to justify the cost.

power ice in freezer

My final verdict is…

Props to Power Ice for doing something different. They created a frozen bar that’s refreshing and tasty after a hot workout. I’d never say ‘no’ to one!

From a practical standpoint, they’re just not for me though. I’d rather have some ice water for a quick cool down, then take a few minutes to blend up a smoothie for a post-workout meal that’s both refreshing and nourishing.

Official website: www.PowerIce.com

Buy online: www.Amazon.com

Product Review Details
Company: Power Ice
Product: Power Ice Frozen Electrolyte Bars
Reviewed by: Coach Levi
My Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Date last updated: 2014-07-03
Obtained Product: Free sample from company.
CoachLevi.com Advertiser: No.

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