Jerry Brainum breaks down the straight facts about bodybuilding diets, dietary fiber, and the health consequences of missing this vital nutrient.
It’s often said that bodybuilding is a lifestyle, not just a sport or a hobby. This is made abundantly clear when looking at the extreme detail that goes into a bodybuilding diet. Every single thing put into the body is monitored and adjusted for optimal results in building a perfect physique. However, sometimes a diet perfect for a masterful body is in contrast for what is best in regards to long term health. This is especially true when it comes to fiber – though many don’t often know this. In our latest episode of Straight Facts, Jerry Brainum details the importance of dietary fiber and the health consequences of missing this vital nutrient in the long run.
Dietary fiber is often an overlooked nutrient by the population at large. The most that individuals usually know is that it helps fight constipation and helps with bowel movements. This is certainly true – but there is so much more to dietary fiber than just making your bathroom visits more pleasant. In fact, it has a massive effect on your intestinal microbiome in ways that can have a major impact on your overall health in the long term.
Jerry Brainum knows about this first hand, as he’s faced a medical emergency in his past tied directly to dietary fiber (or lack thereof). Not only that – but as a passionate fan of bodybuilding, he is extremely aware of how little fiber usually exists in bodybuilding diets. This worries him. Which is why this week he goes into extreme detail on how to help boost fiber and the effects it can have. Let’s jump into it.
What does dietary fiber do?
In the most basic terms, dietary fiber helps food and waste move through your system more smoothly. By doing so, it essentially helps cleanse your intestinal microbiome. Your intestinal microbiome is a massive series of organisms that exist in your stomach and intestines. They are directly responsible for how you absorb nutrients and also how you dispose of waste from your body.
Most importantly, recent studies have found that a healthy intestinal microbiome is much more vital to human health than previously thought. It appears that the microbiome is in direct “communication” with your immune system. An unhealthy microbiome seems to lead directly to a weaker immune system.
Unhealthy microbiomes have also shown to increase risk of colon cancer and various other intestinal diseases.
How much dietary fiber should you take?
The CDC recommends that individuals take approximately 14 grams of dietary fiber per 1000 calories consumed. So if you were to consume generally 2000 calories per day – you should eat around 28-30 grams of dietary fiber.
In an era of processed foods – this goal is much harder to reach for most Americans. But beyond the general public, Jerry Brainum explains that typical and popular bodybuilding diets leave much less room for dietary fiber.
Why do bodybuilders have low dietary fiber?
In modern bodybuilding, diets such as carnivore diets, ketogenic diets, and other low-carb diets have become very popular. These diets often do not provide the daily dietary fiber needed for a healthy intestinal microbiome.
This does not mean these diets are inherently bad. In fact, these diets are designed to only be used in the short term. Jerry Brainum explains that being one one of these diets for one month, three months, or even six months will likely do little damage to your overall health. But if you stick longer than six months – and push a low-carb diet into a permanent eating lifestyle – you may be in for some serious health risks in the long term.
As mentioned, low fiber can contribute to an increased risk of colon cancer and can also weaken your overall immune system. Leaving bodybuilders (and any individual low in dietary fiber) open to getting seriously sick more often.
In addition to this, Jerry Brainum cites some studies that show high-fiber diets have shown increased heart health, lower blood pressure, and (as stated previously) an improved immune system.
Supplementing your diet with fiber
So what is a bodybuilder to do if he or she wants to build better health but stay on track for optimizing their physique? Jerry Brainum suggests dietary fiber supplements taken with water. They are relatively tasteless and easy to add to a meal or simply with a glass of water.
Jerry Brainum also suggests starting off slow. If you jump in with 30+ grams of dietary fiber in a supplement, you’ll get extremely gassy and bloated. It’s uncomfortable and might entice you to stop supplementing with fiber. Instead, start small and slowly build up so your microbiome adjusts to the dietary change.
Wrap Up
Dietary fiber is not an exciting or often discussed nutrient when talking about healthy diets. But it’s extremely important and can be a contributing factor to various ailments. Since bodybuilders are often lacking in dietary fiber – it’s important to take this information and these suggestions seriously. Just get used to going to the bathroom a bit more often as part of your daily schedule.
You can watch Jerry Brainum go into complete detail about dietary fiber and bodybuidling in our latest episode of Straight Facts above. Make sure to stop by each Wednesday for new episodes every week!
