Rhett Bruner directly attributes his win at the Mr. Natural Iowa contest to his use of protein supplement products and meal replacement shakes.

Many other students use energy or protein products as quick and easy snacks during their busy days or to get a little extra energy during their workouts.

Extra calories in the diet can be gained from protein supplements in the form of bars or shakes. The energy bars provide calories used for exercise, while the protein bars help build muscle mass.

For Bruner, sophomore in exercise and sport science, it’s a convenient way to get the calories he needs, and in turn, build his muscles.

“If I had someone making me food all the time, I wouldn’t need the protein shakes,” Bruner said.

He said when he is trying to gain muscle mass, he eats six or seven meals a day totaling around 4,000 total calories.

It would take a lot of cardiovascular and weight training to counteract eating that many calories, said Trish Vennink, a personal trainer at the Lied Recreation Center.

“Muscles use protein to break down and build up,” Vennink said. “It builds up your muscle structures.”

Head strength coach for football Matt McGettigan said he can provide athletes some types of protein bars, and does to some of his athletes.

He declined to estimate the percentage of his athletes that use the bars.

“We don’t provide them to everyone,” McGettigan said. “We can’t provide any amino acids. We can provide a bar that is 30 percent protein or less.”

However, he said he doesn’t recommend them to his athletes because it’s a necessity that the athletes are eating correctly.

“Whatever supplement they take, it’s not going to help them if they don’t eat three square meals a day,” McGettigan said.

As a trainer at the rec, Vennink is not allowed to recommend any supplement products to her clients, but she consumes them on a regular basis.

“I eat those all the time, but only as a snack,” Vennink said.

However, some have a nasty aftertaste, she said. The bars that do taste good are full of sugars and carbohydrates, which is counterproductive, Vennink said.

Despite the advantages he’s received, Bruner warned that the bars and shakes aren’t miracle products.

“If you eat your regular junk food and then drink a protein shake, it’s not going to work,” Bruner said. “You’ve got to add that into a good diet.”

Rick Sharp, professor of health and human performance, agrees with Bruner and McGettigan.

He said people run into problems when they rely on only the supplements. A balanced diet is the key to nutrition.

“The bars are a food source for the macronutrients we use every day for exercise,” Sharp said. “One or two bars won’t hurt.”

Some are packed with vitamins and minerals, Sharp said, but most are just extra calories that are marketed for different consumer interests.

Bruner recommends people stay away from products containing Ephedra. Ephedra is similar to amphetamines and caffeine. It has some adverse side effects, especially if someone has previous health problems.

The results do come with a cost. A bar can be about $3. Bruner said pure protein shakes can cost from $35 to $40 for two weeks. People have their own preference about the amount of protein wanted in the shakes, he said.

Vennink said she has found little difference between bars when comparing expensive and inexpensive ones.

Putting all these supplements into the body may seem like people are just buying their way to good bodies, but Bruner does not feel that way.

“They’re just like eating meals – only easier,” he said.

– additional reporting by Jeff Raasch