Quiz
Fiber is a carbohydrate. How many calories of usable energy are there in 1 gram of fiber?
a) 0 calories
b) 4 calories
c) 9 calories
Answer
o calories
Explanation
1 gram of fat has 9 calories, 1 gram of protein has 4 calories and 1 gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories, so why isn’t the correct answer 4? Because the question was “usable energy”. Unlike other carbohydrates, fiber can not be broken down into usable energy (glucose molecules) and instead passes through the body undigested. Therefore, when you are researching sports nutrition products and doing your energy calculations, remember to look for fiber and subtract it from the total because it’s not going to help you at all. While fiber is an important part of your healthy diet, the other problem with using it DURING your training and competition is that it can cause gas and other types of unpleasant stomach distress.
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