So you’ve given a lot of thought to your maximum heart rate, your muscular endurance, and your macros. But one thing you may not have given much thought to is your microbiome—specifically, how it can help or hinder your athletic performance.
Simply put, your microbiome is the combination of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses that live on and inside your body. And the microbiome—the mix of flora that occurs within your colon, intestines, and stomach—may be responsible for much more than just your digestion.
While more research is needed, studies have shown a potentially promising link between the health of your gut and how well you can expect to perform.
“When your gut is healthy, you have more energy, your hormones work better, and your body is better able to assimilate the nutrients you eat,” says Laura London, board-certified health counselor (AADP) and fitness specialist. . “This, in turn, can give you more energy, stamina, endurance and focus.”
How does the microbiome affect fitness?
Here are some ways gut care can help you get through the grass, on the track or in the gym.
1. Metabolic function
Gut microbes help absorb the essential nutrients your body needs to function properly. When you exercise, the increased metabolic activity places more demand on your body, which means it requires more energy (from nutrients) to meet that demand.
A healthy gut that contains the right balance of microorganisms can help your body metabolize and absorb nutrients more efficiently and lead to better performance.
2. Sound sleep
Most exercisers know that a good night’s sleep can greatly affect performance. And smart exercisers know that gut health is the first line of defense against those big energy robbers: insomnia and poor sleep quality.
While these two factors are important enough to make a big difference for most active people, researchers are hard at work finding connections to other systems and functions. Bottom line: If performance is important to you, you can’t afford to overlook your gut health.
How do you improve gut health?
So how can a healthy gut be achieved? It may help to start with what you not cravings – that is, an imbalance of intestinal flora, such as an overgrowth of fungi or “bad” bacteria. These imbalances have been linked to poor digestion and absorption of nutrients, decreased immune function, a reduced ability to recover from exercise, less energy overall, and even joint and bone pain.
Diets high in sugar and processed foods and low in minerals and healthy fats are linked to damaged gut. Over-prescribing antibiotics doesn’t help either – they tend to wipe out the “good” bacteria along with the bad, leaving the intestines and colon vulnerable to being overtaken by an imbalance of the wrong “bacteria.”
1. Exercise
Yes, a healthier gut leads to better athletic performance, but the opposite is also true. Studies suggest that people who exercise may exhibit healthier microbiomes, even those with no previous athletic routine.
Here’s the catch: exercise must be regular and consistent. After the participants stopped exercising, their gut health returned to its previous (less healthy) state.
2. Consider supplements
Probiotics, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes help improve gut health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut (the role of prebiotics), actually putting them in place (the role of probiotics), or helping your body break down food to allowed greater absorption of nutrients (the role of digestive enzymes.)
3. Revamp your diet
Reducing processed, high-sugar foods while increasing fiber intake and adding fermented foods (like kimchi, sauerkraut, and yogurt) has been shown to improve the microbiome and create an environment where healthy microorganisms can thrive.
If controlling your digestion or performance proves difficult with modest nutritional changes, you may want to consider a more restrictive regimen such as the Gut and Psychological Syndrome (GAPS) diet. The GAPS diet is based on the understanding that your gut can affect your physical and mental health. Consult and work with a qualified professional (GI doctor, dietitian) who specializes in the GAPS diet.
No matter your fitness level, one thing’s for sure: It’s always better to finish a workout feeling relaxed and energized than tight and exhausted. The next time you’re thinking about how to break through a plateau or just get back out there, pay attention to your gut health. Your colon and intestines will thank you—and reward you.
4 week bowel protocol
If you want to experience the benefits of a healthier microbiome, the 4 Week Gut Protocol is a comprehensive program with a three-pronged approach to help promote gut health:
- Nutrition: Over the course of four weeks, BODi Super Trainer Autumn Calabrese will help isolate the seven most common foods and ingredients that can cause gastric distress and harm your overall well-being.
- Completion: Two supplements are included in the program. Revitalize is a powerful combination of prebiotics and probiotics that supports beneficial flora in the digestive tract. Optimize includes digestive enzymes to help support nutrient absorption and bioavailability.
- Exercise: Designed to follow along with the nutrition program, 4 Weeks for Every Body is a low-impact program that makes consistency and results attainable for anyone. You’ll do a total of 16 workouts – four workouts per week for four weeks – all under 30 minutes.
