Fiber's impact on protein absorption

[Rock Steady]

Well I did a quick search for answers and found this thread. (http://wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=94964&highlight=fiber) I would have posted in there but it was getting a bit ugly already. There was one post in there that gets at what I'm thinking but nobody directly replied to it:


Real post. I have been thinking about this for a while. Would adding a fiber sup to shakes aid the slowing of the digestion process with protein, more obsorbtion? Is this something many of you do? It just makes sence to me but I havn't heard of anybody doing it.

My question is similar. I'm currently getting about 20g of fiber a day and while I'm not having any digestive problems, I would like to increase the amount I'm getting for general health reasons. I have a container of psyllium husk and was adding it to my morning whey/blueberry shake. I've since stopped that due to concerns of the fiber blocking much of the protein from entering my system.

I am fairly certain that at least some of the protein is being blocked by the fiber. I'll spare you the details, but about 5-7 hours later there are visual cues on days, and only on days, I consume psyllium husk in the morning. The blueberries certainly help make it more clear.

Ideally, I would like to consume the psyllium husk mid-afternoon with some water such that it's not near a protein meal. The problem is that without a protein shake buffer I just can't get the stuff down! With the shake I barely notice it's in there.

Would I be better off taking the psyllium husk at night with a casein/olive oil shake?

Anyone else over-analyze this ***** as much as I do? :)

Thanks for any thoughts or experiences.

[Mr. D]

Per Lyle McDonald:
I should mention that very high fiber intakes can increase the amount of nutrients being lost to excretion. For example, higher fiber intakes may reduce fat absorption by about 3 percent, protein by maybe 5%. It’s been estimated that increasing fiber intake from 18 to 36 g/day would increase caloric losses by about 100 cal/day or so. Essentially, the fiber prevents the enzymes from being able to reach the nutrients, and they simply pass through unabsorbed. This is another reason that high-fiber intakes can be useful while dieting: decreased caloric absorption. Of course, no athlete or bodybuilder wants decreased protein absorption so its sort of a mixed blessing.

He also later goes on to say, that 100-150g a day would be his upper limit of fiber a day.

I currently get about 50-60g fibre a day and I have visual clues many times a day.

[Rock Steady]

Wow just 5%!? I can live with that! Thanks for the great response.