So you’ve thought a lot about your maximum heart rateyour muscular endurance and your macro. But one thing you may not have given much thought to is your microbiome — specifically, how it can help or harm your athletic performance.
Simply put, your microbiota is the combination of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses that live on and inside your body. And the microbiome—the mix of flora found inside your colon, intestines, and stomach—may be responsible for more than just your digestion.
Although further research is needed, studies showed potential promising link between that of your body gut health and how well you can expect to perform.
“When your gut is healthy, you have more energy, your hormones work more easily, and your body is able to process the nutrients you eat,” explains Laura LondonCertified Health Advisor (AADP) and Fitness Specialist. “This, in turn, can give you more energy, stamina and focus.”
How does the microbiome affect fitness?
Here are some ways taking care of your gut can help you spend time under the bar, on the track, or in the gym.
1. Metabolic function
Gut microbes contribute to the absorption of essential nutrients that your body needs to function properly. When you exercise, the increased metabolic activity places a greater demand on your body, which means it needs more energy (from nutrients) to meet that demand.
A healthy gut with a good balance of microorganisms could help your body metabolize and absorb nutrients more efficiently and lead to better performance.
2. Restful sleep
Most athletes 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 these great energy thieves: insomnia and poor sleep quality.
While these two factors are important enough to make a huge difference for most active people, researchers are working hard to find connections to other systems and functions. Bottom line: If performance is important to you, you can’t afford to neglect your gut health.
How to improve gut health?
So how do you achieve a healthy gut? It may be helpful to start with what you don’t do it want – namely, an imbalance in the intestinal flora, such as an overgrowth of fungi or “bad” bacteria. These imbalances have been linked to poor digestion and absorption of nutrients, weakened immune function, reduced ability to recover after traininga drop in overall energy and even joint and bone pain.
Diets rich in sugar And processed foods and poor in minerals and healthy fats have been linked to messed up guts. Overprescribing antibiotics doesn’t help either: they tend to wipe out “good” bacteria along with the bad, leaving your intestines and colon susceptible to being overwhelmed by an imbalance of bad “bugs.”
1. Exercise
Yes, a healthier gut leads to better athletic performance, but the opposite is also true. Studies suggest that people who exercise may have healthier microbiomes, even those who have never had a sports routine.
Here’s the catch: exercise must be regular and continuous. Once participants stopped exercising, their gut health returned to its previous (less healthy) state.
2. Consider supplements
ProbioticsPrebiotics and digestive enzymes help improve your gut health by encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut (the role of prebiotics), placing them there (the role of probiotics), or helping your body break down food to allow better digestion. absorption of nutrients (the role of digestive enzymes.)
3. Improve your diet
Reduce processed and high-sugar foods while increase fiber intake and adding fermented foods Foods (like kimchi, sauerkraut, and yogurt) have been shown to improve the microbiome and create an environment in which healthy microorganisms can thrive.
If controlling your digestion or performance proves difficult with modest nutritional changes, you may want to consider a more restrictive diet like the Gut and Psychological Syndrome (GAPS) diet. The GAPS diet is based on the understanding that your gut can influence your physical and mental health. Consult and work with a qualified professional (gynecologist, dietitian) specialized in the GAPS diet.
Regardless of your fitness level, one thing is for sure: it’s always better to finish a workout feeling calm and energized rather than cramped and exhausted. The next time you think about how to cross a plateau or just go back out there, think about your gut health. Your colon and intestines will thank you and reward you.
4 week bowel protocol
If you want to enjoy the benefits of a healthier microbiome, The 4-week intestinal protocol is a comprehensive program with a three-pronged approach to help promote gut health:
- Nutrition: Over a period of four weeks, BODi Super Trainer Autumn Calabrese will help isolate the seven most common foods and ingredients that can cause stomach upset and harm your overall well-being.
- Supplementation: Two supplements are included in the program. Revitalize is a powerful combination of prebiotics and probiotics which supports the beneficial flora of the digestive tract. To optimise includes digestive enzymes to help support nutrient absorption and bioavailability.
- Exercise: Designed to be followed by the nutritional program, 4 weeks for each body is a low-impact program that makes consistency and results accessible to everyone. You’ll do a total of 16 workouts – four workouts per week for four weeks – all in under 30 minutes.
