“What?! I thought a healthy diet included lots of fiber,” you say.
You are correct but a lesson I learned from famed dietician Dr. Krista Austin is that in the day or two (or three if you have a sensitive stomach) before a big workout or race, you should eat a low fiber diet.
Actually, Dr. Austin explains that it’s more than just low fiber. It’s “low residue.” The goal is to avoid foods that stress the GI system as you prepare for important workouts and, of course, your big race.
The tapering down of fiber (and high residue) foods is a simple way to be kind to your GI system and luckily, it’s super easy to do. Below is a list of swaps I make in the two days before a key workout and race.
| High Fiber / High Residue | > Low Fiber / Low Residue |
| Oatmeal | > Grits |
| Whole Grain Bread | > White Bread |
| Whole Wheat Pasta | > White Rice |
| Dried Fruits, nuts, seeds | > Watermelon, Grapes |
| Red meat | > Fish, Chicken |
Your list of foods will be different but the point is to avoid high fiber and GI stressful foods. Dr. Austin says to limit fiber to 10 grams per day so that is a good rule of thumb to use but experiment till you really get it dialed in.
Again, this is not a diet for the long-term. It’s a short-term strategy to avoid GI issues for workouts and races. And remember that it takes some experimentation to find exactly what works for you. I tried many, many combinations to find what works for my GI system, my preferred tastes and my energy levels.
Give a low fiber meal a try before your next workout and let me know what you think.
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Written By Greg McMillan
Called “one of the best and smartest distance running coaches in America” by Runner’s World’s Amby Burfoot, Greg McMillan is renowned for his ability to combine the science of endurance performance with the art of real-world coaching. While getting his graduate degree in Exercise Science he created the ever-popular McMillan Running Calculator – called “The Best Running Calculator” by Outside Magazine. A National Champion runner himself, Greg coaches runners from beginners to Boston Qualifiers (15,000+ and counting!) to Olympians.
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