I didn’t realize or have heard of this but my gym owner told me that protein without dietary fiber goes right through you and sometimes doesn’t stay in your body long enough to be absorbed. However protein with dietary fiber is considered food by your body and stays longer in your system
for digestion. It is almost always absorbed.
I’ve noticed that sometimes when I have protein drinks w/o dietary fiber, I’m usually hungry again within 45 minutes-1.5 hours. This seems to go hand in hand with what my gym owner told me. Does anyone else notice this or have info regarding this?
I’m considering to start using protein powders for protein drinks that have dietary fiber. It’s usually represented in the carb count.
“A gym owner told me” is almost as bad as “a personal trainer told me…”
While fiber may keep you satiated longer, a protein shake without fiber won’t “go right through you”. Does that mean yoru body can’t use a steak either? No fiber there. Chicken? No fiber there either.
A shake with fiber would be pretty nasty anyway. But if it really concerns you, you could add your own fiber. See the Stuff We Like article in the current issue of T-mag.
I might be completely wrong here, but I’ve never seen any protein drinks with substantial amounts dietary fiber in them, and I don’t even know if they exist. That’s the biggest problem with using protein shakes and MRPs as your mainstay for protein. No fiber in them so you get backed up easily. But a variety of foods not only adds to nutrition but also has substantial amounts of fiber if you eat properly, allowing for regular bowel movements.
Rick,
it depend on what type of shake it is to how fast it gets absorbed and whether you should add fibre(i doubt any will “go rite thru you”).
DONT add fibre to post workout drink!
if you are going to add fibre use an external source not a pre made pro/fibre combo. this way you control how much is added, what type is added and the ratios of each shake.
i usually use metamucil, and only when dieting and fibre intake is low.
I held back on responding to this because I knew TEK would jump on it. Good job man.
This gym owner is an idiot. So much for protein + fat meals if the body doesn’t absorb protein without fiber. Not that adding in fiber would be bad, but it will just slow digestion and cause more satiation. If you’re drinking a shake that has small amounts of carbs and fat then of course you’re hungry after an hour. Protein by itself doesn’t exactly keep you satiated.
The purpose of the PW shake is to drive protein to your muscles as fast as possible. Fiber slows digestion down, hence its not the best idea.
Whey isolate is the best source of protein for a pW shake precisely because it is so easily digested. Likewise, Dextrose/Maltodextrin is added simply because it stimulates production of insulin which drives protein to your muscles much faster as well. Do you really want to through this symbiotic process off by adding fiber?
If you wanted a meal after your workout there wouldnt be a big fuss about PW shakes. We’d just call them PW meals with fiber. Bottom line: save your fiber for your real meals, NOT to your pw shake.
diesel and Machine beat me to the punch on this one. I’ve heard so many people tell me that I need to add fiber to my PWO shakes that I want to jump off my desk at work. I want to recharge my muscle glycogen as quickly as possible after a workout and anything that sows this process down, like fiber or fat is off the menu.
While I certainly wouldn’t add fiber to my PW Surge (for the reasons given above), I do routinely add a bit to other protein shakes that I drink. Not to “increase absorbancy” or any BS like that, but simply because my diet doesn’t include as much fiber as it probably should, so why not take the opportunity to add a little more in?
Goldberg’s idea about adding in oatmeal works very well. And if you buy a regular fiber supp that is unflavored, a little bit in your shakes will go a long way towards keeping your plumbing unclogged. Of course, if you’re a vegan or something you probably don’t need this, but if you’re on the Anabolic Diet or some such, you probably do.