The composition of the daily gain of pigs previously fed a high-fibre diet (HF) was investigated in 60 pigs growing from 25 to 105 kg body weight (BW) using a comparative slaughter technique. From 25 kg body weight (BW), the pigs were fed the HF diet up to 50 (group HF50) or 80 (group HF80) kg BW, followed by feeding with the conventional low-fibre diet (LF). The pigs of groups LF105 and HF105 were continuously fed diet LF or HF, respectively. When the HF diet was fed, the daily empty body gain of the HF50 and HF80 pigs was lower (P<0.05) compared with the LF105 animals. Similarly, the daily protein (P<0.01) and fat deposition (difference not significant) of the HF50 pigs was lower than in the LF group. The pigs of the HF80 group tended (P=0.09) to deposit less protein daily, and their daily fat deposition was lower (P<0.01) than in the LF105 animals. During the first stage of realimentation (50 to 80 kg BW), pigs from group HF50 grew faster and deposited more (P<0.01) protein daily (169 g) compared with the LF105 (132 g) and HF105 animals (139 g). Nonetheless, the pigs of groups HF50 and LF105 deposited similar amounts of fat (291 and 296 g, respectively), whereas those of group HF105, considerably less (208 g; P<0.05). During subsequent realimentation (80-105 kg BW) the empty body gain of pigs did not differ significantly among groups (on average 916 g). Despite the absence of differences in growth rates, daily protein accretion in the pigs from groups HF80 and HF105 tended (P<0.07) to be higher (by 14 g) compared with those from group LF105. During this period, pigs from groups HF50 and HF80 deposited more fat daily (on average by 110 g; P<0.01) than those of groups LF105 and HF105. These results prove that the compensatory response is closely associated with higher protein deposition and with better protein utilization for growth.