Buckeye Sports Nutrition

Every time that you eat a carrot or crunch down on a piece of celery, you are consuming fiber, an indigestible form of carbohydrate. Not eating enough fiber in the diet is linked to numerous health problems, including: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, diverticulosis, and gallstones (1).

Total Fiber consists of "Functional" and "Dietary Fibers." Both forms are found primarily in plant-based foods.

Function

Functional Fiber or soluble fiber includes gums, mucilages, and pectin. This kind of fiber has been found to help regulate blood sugar and lower cholesterol. These fibers bind to bile acids (component of cholesterol) and help prevent cholesterol from recycling. Because high blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, consuming more Functional Fiber may reduce your risk for heart disease (2).

Dietary Fiber or water insoluble fiber speeds up the movement of food through the colon. Dietary Fiber includes; lignins, cellulose, and some hemicelluloses. This form of fiber may reduce the risk of colon cancer and other bowel disorders. This fiber also provides a feeling of satiety, an important component of weight control, and reduces constipation.

Importance for Athletes

Both men and women appear to benefit from fiber-rich foods, particularly cereal fibers (2). However, athletes can easily reach this goal with 60% carbohydrate intake per day. A good goal is to eat at least one serving of whole fruit and vegetables with each meal.

Excess fiber intake is not necessarily beneficial to the body. Some studies have shown excess fiber (more than 50 to 60 gm per day) to decrease the absorption of calcium, iron, zinc, and other minerals (3). Fiber supplements can also be dangerous. Large amounts consumed over a short time can form into a large mass that can get lodged in the GI tract (3).

NOTE: It is a good idea to limit high fiber foods the night before and day of an athletic event. Too much fiber can slow digestion and keep fuel from getting to the muscles as fast as you need on game day (1).

Recommended Intake

The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) of total fiber is 38 gm per day for men up ages 19-50, and 30 gm for over 50. DRI for 19-50 year-old women is 25 gm per day up, and 21 gm for over 50. Most American's only get 11 gm per day (3).

Best Food Sources

Good sources of Functional Fiber: dried beans, peas, oats, barley, most fruits and vegetables (apples, citrus fruits, carrots), and rice.

Good sources of Dietary fiber: whole-wheat products, wheat, oat, corn, bran, most vegetables (cauliflower, green beans, potatoes), skin of fruits, and dried beans.

Ways to Fiber Up Your Diet

• Eat a variety of foods in your diet.
• Increase intake of fruits and vegetables (leave skins on if possible).
• Breakfast is a great meal to incorporate high fiber foods; cereals, whole wheat breads, bran muffins, whole-wheat bagels, whole-wheat waffles, fruit.
• Choose whole grains more often then refined grains.
• Choose brown rice instead of white rice.
• Add more beans/legumes to your diet (2-3 meals per week).

  Resources:

  1. Kleiner, Susan, PhD, RD. High Performance Nutrition. John Wiley & Sons, 1996.

  2. Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), Institute of Medicine (IOM), Dietary Reference Intakes for energy, carbohydrates, and fiber. National Academies Press, 2002.

  3. Duyff, Roberta, MS, RD, FADA. ADA Complete Food And Nutrition Guide, 2^nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons, 2002.