Our gut microbiome, which contains billions of bacteria, viruses, fungus, and other microbes, lives inside our intestines. Researchers claim that they are only beginning to comprehend the full range of effects that our biodiverse bowels have on our health. Evidence to far indicates that when diverse and healthy, the microbes in our gut may help with digestion, immune system regulation, illness prevention, and mood enhancement.
When we exercise, a lot of things happen: more oxygen is allowed to enter our bloodstream and brain, our core body temperature rises, and our blood flow is redistributed. Taylor Valentino, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where he studies the connection between muscle development and the microbiome, says researchers suspect these circumstances are ideal for the bacteria in our microbiomes to flourish, though the precise mechanisms are still unknown.
Dr. Valentino claims that exercise “causes critical modifications that assist gut microorganisms to blossom and convert, and, concurrently, we acquire molecules our bodies can utilise.”
That indicates a regular exercise regimen may maintain a healthy stomach, and additional study points to a possible correlation between a healthier gut and better performance.
Science Suggests That Exercise Promotes Gut Health
Simply put, the majority of the bacteria in our gut promote the health and growth of our bodies and the majority of these microorganisms have a symbiotic relationship with our bodies. They generate vitamins, fatty acids, and amino acids that are necessary for a variety of bodily processes, including the immune system, digestion, mood management, and more.
A growing collection of evidence also points to the fact that exercise does really support a diverse gut microbiota.
Dr. Allen’s team recruited 32 participants for the study, of whom half were obese and half were normal weight, and their findings were published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in 2018.
Both groups were given six weeks of structured exercise that increased in difficulty with time—from 30 minutes of brisk walking to an hour of spin class three times a week. (The researchers didn’t change the participants’ eating regimens or practises.) The following six weeks of no exercise were requested of both groups.
Measurements of aerobic fitness were taken at the beginning of the trial, after the six weeks of activity, and after the six weeks of no exercise, along with blood and faecal samples. After the six weeks of exercise, all participants had higher levels of short-chain fatty acids and the gut microorganisms that create them, which are essential for lowering inflammation in the body and controlling blood sugar levels. After the subsequent six weeks of inactivity, their stomachs took on the appearance they had at the beginning of the study.
According to Allen, the microbiome is constantly active and responding to your daily activities as well as the food you feed it. He notes that through this study, “we saw how exercise is changing that ecosystem, as well as the outcome of those changes” (meaning the increase or decrease in healthy short-chain fatty acid production).
Exercise also helped enhance the composition of the gut microbiota, according to a 2017 PLoS One study that tracked 40 women between the ages of 18 and 40. Over a seven-day period, half of the group worked out at least three hours; the other half worked out for no more than 1.5 hours. The DNA genetic sequencing of stool samples and the amounts of 11 different species of bacteria indicated significant variations.The women who exercised had higher levels of microorganisms that are good for your health (like Roseburia hominis and Akkermansia muciniphila).
Marc Cook, PhD, an assistant professor at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensville and a clinical exercise physiologist certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, and his team discovered in a mouse study published in Immunology and Cell Biology in 2016 that exercise may increase numbers of Lactobacillus (a bacteria linked to lowering cholesterol and one that helps with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and reduces diarrhoea and loose stools).
This could be one way that exercise improves health by reducing inflammation and strengthening gut barrier function, according to Dr. Cook.
Does a Healthier Gut Boost Exercise Performance?
Valentino cites a 2019 Nature Medicine study (PDF) that discovered Veillonella, a different type of bacteria, is more prevalent in the stool samples of marathon runners than in nonrunners. This microbe’s concentration was increased following workouts and significantly higher following a marathon.
Our bodies produce lactate during a strenuous workout, and Veillonella is a microbe that consumes this substance and converts it into propionate, a short-chain fatty acid that increases our energy. The researchers from Harvard Medical School hypothesise that physical activity causes the number of Veillonella microorganisms to rise in the gut, providing the extra energy boost required for endurance running.
How to Make Your Exercise Program Gut-Friendly in 5 Simple Steps
Do some forms of exercise benefit the digestive system? According to analysts,
- Prioritize cardio
Currently, research linking exercise to better gut health has a stronger emphasis on aerobic activity than on resistance training, such as weightlifting. The scientific community hasn’t looked into this yet, but Allen believes it doesn’t imply doing out won’t improve your gut health. - Be Reliable
You must continue working out and include it into your lifestyle if you want to maintain the growth of beneficial microorganisms in your digestive system. - Begin Small
If you’re just getting started and aren’t used to working out, Valentino advises beginning out slowly. He cautions, “Don’t go from couch to marathon.” To begin with, you don’t want any accidents, and you want to create a permanent habit. - Head outside
Our exposure to various environments and the germs that live in them increases while we go outside. According to Christopher Lowry, PhD, a behavioural neuroscientist and assistant professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder, whose research focuses on the gut microbiome and anxiety-related disorders, “If we’re outdoors, running in a park, or along the ocean, we’re breathing in very diverse communities of bacteria that are in the air.”
He cites a Finnish study that discovered that kids who played outside in the dirt, plants, and flowers had a more diverse and richer gut microbiota and a less inflammatory immune system than their friends who attended daycare centres in cities.
- Remember Your Nutrition
According to Cook, what you eat every day has an equal impact on your digestive health as your workout routine. Take note: The gut microbiota loves fermented foods, which are brimming with bacteria and yeast, before you go grocery shopping and meal planning.
Among the natural probiotics are:
Yogurt
Kombucha
Also thriving on plant diversity is your gut microbiome. That suggests that you should eat plenty of fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds.