Is your stomach giving you trouble on race day? Is it a struggle to get down a simple bar and electrolytes between motos? If so, fiber may be the secret ingredient you’re missing that will protect your gut, satisfy your cravings, and even boost immunity! Below we will explain why you need to pay attention to fiber and how you can intelligently incorporate it into your diet.

Fiber Defined:

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is found in plant foods that cannot be broken down into sugars. In general, there are three types of fiber that we consume: insoluble, soluble, and resistant.

Insoluble Fiber does not dissolve in water and is responsible for adding bulk to food and helps with satiety, it also aids in bowel movements. In general, this type of fiber is found in veggie skins, fruit skins, and hulls of whole grains or seeds.

Soluble Fiber dissolves in water and is responsible for regulating blood sugar, regulating cholesterol, and softening the stool. Typically this type of fiber is found in the internal portions of veggies and fruits as well as the internal part of legumes and whole grains.

Resistant Fiber is really helpful for gut biome health, which is gaining a ton of recognition for overall health including mental health and in turn, recovery. This type of fiber is unique in that it requires a non-traditional preparation. For instance, oats and green/under ripe bananas are two easy sources along with cooked and cooled rice or potatoes. The process of quickly cooling changes the conformation of starches, resulting in starches that are resistant to our digestion but great for microbes in our gut

Fiber Facts:

Boosting fiber is something that can be really beneficial to overall health and can aid in recovery. It is also something that most people should be consuming more of. You might be asking, why? To name a few reasons, studies have linked fiber intake to lower rates of heart disease, colon cancer, improved blood sugar management and weight management (1). At a baseline, USDA recommends a daily intake of 25 g of fiber for women and 38 g of fiber for men. Most people who are following a traditional western diet are well under these numbers. In fact, only 5% of Americans are getting the recommended daily intake of fiber (2). This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it is safe to say that there are benefits and it is probably something worth thinking about when you make food choices.

What does this mean for you?

In general, veggies and fruits are a great place to start in amping up your fiber intake. Adding seeds, whole grains, oats, and beans to your diet whenever possible will also give your gut the boost it needs to keep the queasiness at bay. When choosing cereals or pasta products, look for products that have at least a 1 to 10 ratio of grams of fiber to grams carbohydrate. Even better or when possible look for products that have a 1 to 5 ratio of grams of fiber to grams of carbohydrate.

Troll Training top 5 high fiber foods:

Cooked and cooled rice
Cooked and cooled potatoes
Oats
Under ripe bananas
Fruits and vegetables (Honeycrisp apples- sooo good!)

How do I find this ratio?

Find the Nutrition Facts of your product.
Find “Dietary Fiber”- how many grams per serving?
Take this number and multiply it by 10.
Look at “Total Carbohydrate” grams
Is this number the same or less than your number from step 3? If so, it is a good source of fiber. If not- look for other options.

Example:

2. Dietary Fiber- 2g

3. 2x10= 20

4. Total Carbohydrate: 42g.

5. Total carbohydrates should be 20g or less to be considered a good source of fiber. **This particular item would NOT be considered a good source of fiber.**

We should note that while fiber is an important part of the diet, and has many benefits for athletes, high fiber foods should be consumed a minimum of two hours before training so as ensure proper digestion pre workout.

Stay tuned to Troll Training social media as we are excited to be launching a nutrition package coming very soon in April!

Thanks for reading!

Dr Kenneth Smith

References

Fiber & the motocross athlete

protein! A deep dive into why it’s so important for athletes

Blood testing for motocross athletes