Fiber intake goes up with exercise?

msarro
msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
Just curious - today I ran 6.2 miles over lunch. I popped the numbers into the exercise tracker on here, and then went back to my food intake. Not only have fat, carbs, and calories gone up - but fiber has too. I don't remember it doing this in the past., and I don't think that fiber intake needs to increase with exercise because it isn't really digested. Can anyone explain the logic behind this?

Replies

  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
    I think its based on the fact that you can eat more, and if you eat those extra calories you will need more fiber.
  • JesaGrace
    JesaGrace Posts: 799 Member
    Holy Running!! That's amazing...over 6 miles....I wouldn't be worth anything after lunch if I ran that long....yikes....Great Job!!
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Several nutrient goals increase when cals are increased for exercise. The cals have to come from somewhere. The only ones that do not increase are those that have a specific recommended maximum intake, such as sodium.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    Just curious - today I ran 6.2 miles over lunch. I popped the numbers into the exercise tracker on here, and then went back to my food intake. Not only have fat, carbs, and calories gone up - but fiber has too. I don't remember it doing this in the past., and I don't think that fiber intake needs to increase with exercise because it isn't really digested. Can anyone explain the logic behind this?

    I don't quite understand that either. I strive for my 25-30 grams and leave it at that. The others do go up since you get to eat your exercise calories. I just recently read that the high 20s to low 30s is plenty.
  • mark50674
    mark50674 Posts: 6
    You need to be careful how much fiber you eat if you are running long distances. Fiber will aggrevate your GI when you are in BFE!
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
    You need to be careful how much fiber you eat if you are running long distances. Fiber will aggrevate your GI when you are in BFE!

    Haha, believe me I know :) I have had more than a few rocket propelled runs in the past :laugh:

    The reason I'm really curious is while everything else provides calories, fibers job is to be inert. Its indigestable filler material that helps "clean you out," both your blood stream and your digestive tract. Exercise shouldn't make it go up. At least not if I understand it properly.

    I've been on here a few years, and I swear it didn't used to go up when logging exercise.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    you're right, a year ago it didn't, I noticed it a few months ago, not sure when it actually changed though.

    I look at it this way.... your carbs, fat , and protein HAVE TO go up, because those calories have to come from somewhere, so it goes up based on your ratios, right? Well, if you eat the same amount of fiber but MORE carbs, then you will be getting "naughty white carbs", I think it is meant to steer you towards the whole grain carbs for your extra carbs since those are obviously the better choice....
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    I eat somewhere between 45 and 60g of carbs a day and around 1600-2000 calories.... I don't have any GI problems at all, and am a runner. Just make sure that if you are going to increase your fiber, you do so slowly and in moderation.

    As for the numbers increasing with more food - makes sense! MFP wants you eating the right kinds of food and enough fiber to process that food adequately. A little extra fiber never hurt, anyway :wink:
  • LeelaLosing
    LeelaLosing Posts: 237 Member
    fiber intake always goes up with the rest when you add in exercise calories on MFP, you might not have noticed before. the idea is fiber would need to go up if you are eating more, because it's in the foods you eat.....fruits, vegetables, grains....if you eat natural grains like quinoa, buckwheat, barley, whole wheats, and generally more unprocessed carbs or the ones fortified (the sandwich thins, quaker high fiber oatmeal and Flatout brand flatbreads) or nuts. According to good nutrition sources, MFP is pretty low on their daily fiber goal, as a women I usually aim for 20-30g a day and I think based on my non-exercise 1200 cal, MFP only reccomends something like 12-14g a day.
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    by carbs - I meant fiber! i eat well over 200g of carbs a day :laugh:
  • shaunshaikh
    shaunshaikh Posts: 616 Member
    Just hit 38 a day and you'll be fine.
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