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There’s an Arms Race for the Next Million-Dollar Protein Bar
The Top 5 前五名

There’s an Arms Race for the Next Million-Dollar Protein Bar
下一個百萬美元蛋白棒的武器競賽

Protein bar startups are in a weighty competition amid a growing market, but we have some clear favorites.
蛋白棒初創公司在不斷增長的市場中進行激烈競爭,但我們有一些明顯的最愛。

Art by Clark Miller 克拉克·米勒的藝術

The macro of the moment is protein, and it’s not much of a competition. Everyone is paying attention to their protein intake for one reason or another: The longevity movement’s practitioners are focusing on it for strength training. Anyone on a GLP-1 has likely gotten a doctor’s lecture on getting the right amount of protein. And then there are the ongoing debates about just how much you need.
眼下的宏觀議題是蛋白質,並沒有太多競爭。每個人出於某種原因都在關注自己的蛋白質攝入量:長壽運動的實踐者專注於強化訓練。任何正在使用 GLP-1 的人可能已經接受過醫生關於攝取正確蛋白質量的講座。此外,人們還在就你到底需要多少蛋白質進行持續辯論。

“It’s become very apparent: It’s for everyone, and it’s essential,” said Peter Rahal.
“這已經非常明顯:這是為每個人而設,而且是必不可少的,”Peter Rahal 說。

Rahal should know. He previously founded Rxbar, an OG protein bar, in 2013, and then sold it to Kellogg’s for $600 million. Now he’s muscling back into the burgeoning market with a brand-new protein bar startup, David, named after Michelangelo’s sculpture. David raised $10 million in seed funding in August, including an investment and a recommendation from Andrew Huberman, who calls the bar “absolutely delicious.”
Rahal 應該知道。他曾於 2013 年創立了 Rxbar,一家 OG 蛋白棒公司,後來將其以 6 億美元的價格出售給 Kellogg's。現在他正以一家全新的蛋白棒初創公司 David 重新進入蓬勃發展的市場,該公司以米開朗基羅的雕塑命名。David 在 8 月份籌集了 1000 萬美元的種子融資,其中包括 Andrew Huberman 的投資和推薦,他稱這款蛋白棒“絕對美味”。

“We’re competing [against] the banana,” Rahal tells me. “The 50-year-old woman who had a coffee and a banana at breakfast—we’re a way better substitute. I want to take that share, because it would provide so much value to her.”
「我們正在與香蕉競爭,」Rahal 告訴我。「那位 50 歲的女士早餐喝咖啡吃香蕉,我們是更好的替代品。我想佔據那一份市場份額,因為對她來說會提供很大價值。」

The market expected Rahal to return with “Rxbar 2.0,” as he told me, but that’s not what David is. While Rxbar touts a sparse, simple ingredient list (for instance, “3 egg whites, 6 almonds, 4 cashews, 2 dates, no BS”), David is more complex. The ingredients are separated into categories: Some are straightforward, like protein and fat; flavor, color and binding come from ingredients like allulose and polydextrose. The bar shows the calories from protein ratio (a very high 75%) and is the first bar to market its protein digestibility corrected amino acid score, which measures protein quality. A David bar has a PDCAAS of 1.0, the highest score.
市場預期 Rahal 將帶來“Rxbar 2.0”,正如他告訴我的那樣,但這不是 David。雖然 Rxbar 吹噓簡單的成分清單(例如“3 個蛋白,6 個杏仁,4 個腰果,2 個無添加物的日期”),但 David 更複雜。成分被分為不同類別:有些是直接的,如蛋白質和脂肪;風味、色素和黏合劑來自成分,如異醣和聚葡萄糖。這款能顯示蛋白質熱量比(非常高達 75%)的能量棒是市場上首款標榜其蛋白質可消化氨基酸得分的能量棒,這衡量了蛋白質的質量。David 能量棒的 PDCAAS 得分為 1.0,是最高分。

Protein bars are no longer considered a rectangle of sustenance only found in the bottom of a gym bag. There are official protein bars for Nascar (Built Bar), the Association of Pickleball Players tour (Fulfil), U.S. Speedskating (Rise), the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB (Gatorade), and USA Powerlifting (Muscle Up Bars), to name a few. The American protein bar market is over $4 billion, with high-protein products (those containing more than 15 grams) growing at the fastest rate. The market includes investors like Andrew Huberman, NFL quarterback Jameis Winston, and venture fund Semcap Food & Nutrition.
蛋白棒不再被視為只存在於健身袋底部的營養長方形。有官方蛋白棒供應 Nascar(Built Bar)、Pickleball Players 巡迴賽(Fulfil)、美國速滑協會(Rise)、NFL、NBA、NHL 和 MLB(Gatorade),以及美國力量舉重協會(Muscle Up Bars),等等。美國蛋白棒市場價值超過 40 億美元,高蛋白產品(含超過 15 克蛋白)增長速度最快。市場上有像 Andrew Huberman、NFL 四分衛 Jameis Winston 和風險基金 Semcap Food&Nutrition 等投資者。

An expanding market and plenty of investor appetite leaves a lot of room for more David rivals, which Rahal fully understands: “I think our biggest competition hasn’t started yet.”
市場不斷擴大,投資者的需求旺盛,為更多的大衛競爭對手留下了很大的空間,Rahal 充分理解這一點:“我認為我們最大的競爭對手還沒有出現。”

I went about sampling some of the most interesting protein bars and snacks, and I spoke to executives at several companies to understand just how swole the protein bar opportunity is. Whether you’re a professional gamer, a keto tech executive or a plant-based wellness enthusiast, there is a protein bar trying to market to you specifically.
我試著品嚐一些最有趣的蛋白棒和零食,並與幾家公司的高管交談,以了解蛋白棒市場的機會有多大。無論您是專業遊戲玩家、生酮科技高管還是植物營養愛好者,都有一款蛋白棒專門在市場上銷售給您。

(A cautionary note: Everybody is different, and that includes how they react to protein bars. Sugar alcohols, such as erythritol and maltitol, are often deployed as “textural help” in bars to bind the other ingredients. But in some people, maltitol causes digestive problems. I’d suggest taking a protein bar for a test run before buying it in bulk. In my extensive research, I didn’t experience any tummy trouble.)
(警告:每個人都是不同的,包括他們對蛋白棒的反應。糖醇,如赤藻糖醇和麥芽糖醇,通常被用作蛋白棒中的“質地助手”,以將其他成分粘合在一起。但對一些人來說,麥芽糖醇會引起消化問題。我建議在大量購買之前先試用一下蛋白棒。在我的廣泛研究中,我沒有遇到任何胃部問題。)


Barebells

Personally, these are my favorite protein bars of all I’ve ever had. When I purchased one earlier this year at a Brooklyn grocery store—they were on sale and came in attractive packaging—I realized how far protein bar innovation had come since I first picked up the tried-and-true Quest (also still a good bar).
就我個人而言,這些是我吃過的所有蛋白棒中最喜歡的。 今年早些時候在布魯克林一家雜貨店購買了一個,它們當時在特價並且包裝設計吸引人,我意識到自從我第一次選擇了經過驗證的 Quest(仍然是一款不錯的蛋白棒)以來,蛋白棒的創新已經取得了多大的進步。

For Barebells, the packaging, flavor and consistency is very similar to that of a chocolate-covered candy bar, and there is no aftertaste to indicate that these bars in fact contain 15 to 20 grams of protein.
對於 Barebells 來說,包裝、口味和口感非常類似於巧克力包裹的糖果棒,並且沒有任何餘味表明這些棒實際上含有 15 至 20 克的蛋白質。

The Cookies & Cream flavor reminds me of the Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Creme bar but less sweet and more satiating. The Salted Peanut Caramel bar tastes even more like a candy bar.
曲奇餅乳酪口味讓我想起 Hershey's Cookies 'N' Creme 巧克力,但甜味較淡,更令人滿足。鹽燒花生焦糖巧克力更像糖果棒。

(However, I have not and will not try Pumpkin Spice—I am basic enough to pick a very popular protein bar as my favorite, but not that level of basic.) I’ve heard some well-accommodated tech companies stock Barebells in their pantries, and my local GNC sales associate says it is the store’s most popular protein bar.
(然而,我從未嘗試過南瓜香料——我足夠基本,選擇了一款非常受歡迎的蛋白棒作為我的最愛,但沒有達到那種基本水平。)我聽說一些設施完善的科技公司在他們的食品櫥窗中備有 Barebells,而我當地的 GNC 銷售員說這是該店最受歡迎的蛋白棒。

$28.99 for a 12-pack at Barebells.com; also sold at Amazon, Target, GNC and Trader Joe’s.
$28.99 在 Barebells.com 上買一打;也在亞馬遜、Target、GNC 和 Trader Joe's 販售。


David 大衛

David wants to grab your attention: It has shiny gold packaging and a claim that it’s “the most effective portable protein on this planet.” The health-and-fitness podcast enthusiast will be excited to know that Dr. Peter Attia from “The Peter Attia Drive” podcast is David’s chief science officer.
大衛想吸引你的注意:它有閃亮的金色包裝,並聲稱它是“這個星球上最有效的便攜式蛋白質”。健康和健身播客愛好者將會興奮地得知,“The Peter Attia Drive”播客的彼得·阿蒂亞博士是大衛的首席科學官。

The bars come in four flavors—Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cake Batter, Double Fudge Brownie and Blueberry Pie—and they taste closer to a candy bar than a protein bar, like a Milky Way pulled off the conveyor belt before its chocolate dip. At 28 grams of protein per serving and just 150 calories, the Davids are the highest-protein bars I tested.
這些棒棒糖有四種口味——巧克力曲奇麵團、蛋糕麵糊、雙重巧克力布朗尼和藍莓派——口感更接近糖果棒而非蛋白棒,就像 Milky Way 在巧克力浸漬前從傳送帶上取下來一樣。每份含有 28 克蛋白質,僅 150 卡路里,這些 Davids 是我測試過的蛋白棒中蛋白質含量最高的。

“We’re using the Ferrari of every ingredient,” Rahal said. The company aimed to create a bar with “as much protein as possible without as much other stuff,” while also making something delicious with an appealing texture. I believe Rahal and co-founder Zach Ranen succeeded, and the result contains roughly 4.5 eggs worth of protein per bar.
“我們使用每一種成分的法拉利,”Rahal 說。公司的目標是創造一款“盡可能多蛋白質,但盡可能少其他成分”的能量棒,同時製作出美味且具有吸引力的口感。我相信 Rahal 和聯合創始人 Zach Ranen 取得了成功,結果是每條能量棒含有約 4.5 個雞蛋的蛋白質。

On its website, David compares itself with Built bars, Quest bars, Barebells bars and boiled cod. I have consumed all of these foods multiple times, except for boiled cod (which seems like a sad way to eat a sad-tasting fish). I would describe the taste and texture as somewhere between a Quest and a Barebells, with the added bonus of containing more protein. Unlike Barebells bars, the David bars are not “enrobed” in a chocolate layer (“enrobing” is a recurring popular term and style in the protein bar world), but they’re tasty and enjoyable without a coating.
在其網站上,David 將自己與 Built bars、Quest bars、Barebells bars 和煮過的鱈魚進行比較。我多次食用了所有這些食品,除了煮過的鱈魚(這似乎是一種悲傷的方式來吃一種味道悲傷的魚)。我會將口感和質地描述為介於 Quest 和 Barebells 之間,並額外加入更多蛋白質的獎勵。與 Barebells bars 不同,David bars 並沒有被巧克力層“包裹”(“包裹”是蛋白質棒世界中一個常見的流行術語和風格),但它們是美味且令人愉悅的,沒有塗層。

$39 for a 12-pack at Davidprotein.com.
在 Davidprotein.com 上 12 罐售價$39。


Aloha 阿羅哈

Initially founded in 2013 by Australian entrepreneur and kitesurfer Constantin Bisanz, Aloha was “refounded” in 2017 when current CEO Brad Charron (who brings experience from PepsiCo, Chobani, and Under Armour) and several “like-minded investors” took on a company that was deep in the red, as Charron told Foundr in 2019. It appears to have worked out: Impact investment firm SemCap put $68 million into the B Corp for a minority stake earlier this year, and the company has raised over $100 million overall.
最初由澳大利亞企業家和風箏衝浪者康斯坦丁·比桑茲(Constantin Bisanz)於 2013 年創立,Aloha 在 2017 年被現任 CEO 布拉德·查龍(Brad Charron,曾在百事可樂、Chobani 和安德瑪等公司擁有豐富經驗)和幾位“志同道合的投資者”重新啟動,當時公司處於嚴重虧損狀態,查龍在 2019 年告訴 Foundr。看來這一舉措取得了成功:影響投資公司 SemCap 今年早些時候向這家 B Corp 投資了 6800 萬美元,該公司總共籌集了超過 1 億美元。

The plant-based vegan bars clock in at 14 grams of protein and 220 to 260 calories, depending on the flavor. The bars come in 17 different flavors, including classics like Peanut Butter Cup and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, as well as more interesting varieties like Lemon Cashew, Raspberry White Chocolate and an Espresso Chocolate bar that also packs 85 milligrams of caffeine. These bars are chocolate-dipped and taste like an indulgence, not something to choke down to hit a macro goal.
這些以植物為基礎的純素棒含有 14 克蛋白質和 220 至 260 卡路里的熱量,取決於口味。這些棒有 17 種不同口味,包括經典口味如花生醬杯和巧克力曲奇麵團,還有更有趣的品種,如檸檬腰果、覆盆子白巧克力和還含有 85 毫克咖啡因的濃縮巧克力棒。這些棒沾有巧克力,口感像是一種享受,而不是為了達到宏觀目標而強迫吞下的東西。

$32.99 for a 12-pack at Aloha.com; also sold at Erewhon, Wegmans, Whole Foods and other grocery stores.
$32.99 在 Aloha.com 購買 12 包裝;也在 Erewhon、Wegmans、Whole Foods 和其他雜貨店出售。


Mezcla 混合

Mezcla’s founders started the company to offer a light snack that also packs “that protein punch,” said co-founder Griffin Spolansky, a former University of Virginia lacrosse player.
Mezcla 的創辦人開始公司是為了提供一種輕食,同時也提供“蛋白質衝擊”,共同創辦人格里芬·斯波蘭斯基(Griffin Spolansky)說,他是前弗吉尼亞大學的橄欖球運動員。

At 170 calories and a modest 10 grams of protein, the plant-based Mezcla bars can fill a small hunger gap between meals. Using pea crisp protein as a base, they offer a lighter experience (in both protein content and chewing) than the average protein bar, and they come in flavors like Matcha Vanilla, Maple Blueberry, and Pistachio. The vibe is more that of a calm, enjoyable snack than something you’d scarf down after a brutal dead-lift session.
在 170 卡路里和僅有 10 克蛋白質的植物基 Mezcla 能填補餐間的小餓感。以豌豆脆蛋白為基礎,它們提供比一般蛋白棒更輕盈的體驗(無論是蛋白質含量還是咀嚼),口味有抹茶香草、楓糖藍莓和開心果等。氛圍更像是一種平靜、愉悅的小吃,而不是你在激烈舉重後狼吞虎嚥的東西。

There’s an appetite for these bars: Mezcla has raised over $8 million dollars from investors such as Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston, Charlotte Hornets shooting guard Seth Curry, Shopify co-founder Daniel Weinand and BodyArmor CEO Federico Muyshondt. It’s a great snackable bar to eat if you’re tired of choking down dense blocks of protein, though it might be a bit shy in the macro department to become a staple for dedicated iron-chuckers.
這些能量棒受到矚目:Mezcla 已從投資者籌集了超過 800 萬美元,包括克里夫蘭棕衣軍四分衛傑米斯·溫斯頓、夏洛特黃蜂得分後衛賽斯·柯瑞、Shopify 聯合創始人丹尼爾·韋南德和 BodyArmor 首席執行官費德里科·穆伊雄特。這是一款絕佳的零食棒,如果你厭倦了吞下密集的蛋白質塊,它是一個不錯的選擇,儘管在宏觀營養方面可能有些不足,無法成為專注於鐵鍛煉者的主食。

$25 for an eight-pack at eatmezcla.com; also sold at Gelson’s, Erewhon, H-E-B, Whole Foods and other grocery stores.
在 eatmezcla.com 上的八包裝售價為$25;也在 Gelson’s、Erewhon、H-E-B、Whole Foods 和其他雜貨店有售。


Ctrl

Manhattan-based Ctrl first offered a meal replacement shake in 2019 that contained 23 grams of protein, plus 21 vitamins and minerals. But the focus wasn’t on fitness or bodybuilding demographics: Ctrl targeted gamers who wanted healthier meal options. “No one’s catering to these gamers,” Ctrl President Alex Matthysse said. It makes sense if you’ve paid attention to esports. Professional gamers now have trainers, coaches and sometimes in-house gyms, all to gain a mental edge on the competition.
位於曼哈頓的 Ctrl 於 2019 年首次推出了一款含有 23 克蛋白質、21 種維生素和礦物質的代餐奶昔。但焦點並非放在健身或健美人群上:Ctrl 的目標是想提供給想要更健康的餐食選擇的遊戲玩家。Ctrl 總裁亞歷克斯·馬西斯表示:“沒有人在迎合這些遊戲玩家。” 如果你留意電子競技的話,這是有道理的。現在職業遊戲玩家有教練、教練團隊,有時甚至有內部健身房,都是為了在競爭中獲得心理優勢。

In 2020, esports organization FaZe Clan took an ownership stake in Ctrl, but the brand is now looking to expand beyond gamers. Rapper and entrepreneur Rick Ross recently came on as a co-owner. And while the meal-replacement shakes are still its most popular products, the startup’s new protein cookie sales are quickly catching up, Matthysse said.
在 2020 年,電競組織 FaZe Clan 收購了 Ctrl 的所有權,但該品牌現在希望擴展到遊戲玩家以外。饒舌歌手兼企業家 Rick Ross 最近加入作為共同所有人。儘管代餐奶昔仍然是其最暢銷的產品,但該初創企業的新蛋白質餅乾銷售量迅速追趕上來,Matthysse 表示。

It’s a valiant effort to get the gamers their protein, and I imagine it could work in staving off a late-night DoorDash summoning of junk food, which is exactly what a Ctrl cookie is meant to do.
這是一個為遊戲玩家提供蛋白質的英勇努力,我想這可能有助於防止深夜叫外賣 junk food,這正是 Ctrl cookie 的目的。

The cookie comes in Peanut Butter Pieces and Chocolate Chunk flavors. Ctrl also offers a Black Ice Chocolate cookie, a collaboration with Rainbow Six and Ubisoft, as a nod to its gamer audience. It’s huge and it tastes what I imagine a cookie made with protein powder would taste like: It’s not going to be confused for a Crumbl confection any time soon. But the stats (15g protein, 4g collagen, 250 calories) make me more likely to pick up a Ctrl cookie again before heading to a bakery. Having a cookie-shaped protein treat after the gym was a pleasant novelty when I’m used to having a dense rectangle of food after a workout.
這款餅乾有花生醬塊和巧克力塊口味。Ctrl 還提供黑冰巧克力餅乾,這是與彩虹六號和育碧合作的產物,向其遊戲玩家觀眾致敬。它又大又味道猶如用蛋白粉製成的餅乾:不會讓人一下子誤認為是 Crumbl 的點心。但其營養成分(15 克蛋白質,4 克膠原蛋白,250 卡路里)讓我更有可能在前往烘焙坊之前再次選購 Ctrl 餅乾。在健身房後享用一個餅乾形狀的蛋白質點心是一種愉快的新奇體驗,因為我習慣在運動後吃一塊緊實的食物。

$39.99 for a 12-pack at drinkctrl.com; also sold at GNC stores.
在 drinkctrl.com 以 39.99 美元的價格買一打;也在 GNC 商店出售。

Conversation 對話

2 comments 2 則評論
WU CHENGJUI headshot
WU CHENGJUI 吳成瑞CO-FOUNDER, BERSS Holdings Inc
聯合創辦人,BERSS Holdings Inc
love the david bars! 喜歡大衛酒吧!
Can't say I'm in to the Huberman and Attia brand of science but David bars are just straight up delicious for the macros they offer. Probably my favorite protein bar ever.
不能說我對 Huberman 和 Attia 的科學品牌感興趣,但 David 能量棒的營養成分非常好,味道也很美味。可能是我最喜歡的蛋白棒。