Dietary Fiber in Sport: Implications for Performance and Body Composition Optimization.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic search or meta-analytic data
PubMed 41956455 · doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2025-0170
What was done
This narrative review synthesized literature on dietary fiber's physiological effects in athletes, examining mechanisms related to gastrointestinal health, microbiome stability, immune function, substrate utilization, and body composition optimization.
What was found
The abstract provides no numerical findings or effect sizes. It reports observational evidence that many athletes fail to meet general population fiber targets due to precompetition restrictions or gastrointestinal concerns. It describes associations between moderate, periodized fiber intake and enhanced immune function, attenuated exercise-induced inflammation, improved energy metabolism, and preserved skeletal muscle mass.
Why it matters
Sports nutrition guidelines currently lack fiber-specific recommendations. This paper outlines how periodizing fiber intake can help athletes balance long-term systemic health benefits against acute gastrointestinal tolerance needs during competition.
Limits
As a narrative review, it does not use a systematic review methodology, risk-of-bias grading, or quantitative pooling. The abstract lacks specific numerical intake thresholds or sample sizes, and direct experimental trials linking fiber strategies to athletic performance outcomes remain scarce.
Cited by
- context The human gut regulates bodily energy levels, recovery, and nutrient absorption, with dietary fiber being the key nutrient maintaining this function.