by Eliza Sterling

When we talk about fitness, probably the last thing that springs to your mind is optimizing your gut bacteria. Yet this could be the game-changer in your overall performance. Whether you’re a fitness newbie or returning to the sweat game after a hiatus, nurturing your gut health might be crucial in leveling up your performance.

The Intricacies of the Gut Microbiome

Now, what exactly is the gut microbiome? Picture a vast, vibrant ecosystem teeming with trillions of bacteria and microbes inhabiting your gut. This network, hosting thousands of different species, takes responsibility for essential functions such as producing vitamins, enzymes, serotonin, etc.

Harmony Between Exercise and Gut Health

Regular exercise serves as a catalyst to modify this gut microbic community, leading to the flourishing of beneficial bacteria. Experiencing excess gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort? Adjusting your exercise could help alleviate these symptoms.

Potential Setbacks of Intensive Exercises

However, like any good thing, overdose could prove counter-effective. Intense and prolonged exercises could trigger unpleasant gut symptoms, thanks to decreased blood flow to the gut. For instance, runners might find the urgency to empty their bowels stimulated by the bodily stress response and repeated jostling, while upper gut symptoms could plague cyclists. Yoga and Pilates, on the other hand, might work magic to keep your gut happy, leading you from tension to tranquility.

Steps to Bolster Gut Health for Better Fitness

Those small tweaks in your lifestyle, like including more than 30 plant foods in your weekly meal plans, could foster your gut microbes. In addition, drinking enough fluids and consuming carbohydrates at regular intervals during extended workouts can help maintain performance, thanks to our guts playing courier to deliver these nutrients to the needy muscles.

This is where the concept of ‘gut training’ comes in, which suggests that over time the gut can be accustomed to high intake of carbohydrates and fluid during workouts, bringing down the incidents of gut discomfort.

Regular physical activity might just be the answer to a happier, healthier gut. Athletes are found to house more health-promoting bacterial species and witness an increase in bacterial richness. Incorporating exercises in your routine can contribute to weight management and workout stamina, apart from supporting mental well-being and emotional clarity.

Easing the Path Through Gut-Focused Supplements

Prebiotics, the gut-friendly bacteria’s food, is prevalent in plant-based diets and comes highly recommended. One such supplement, catering to these requirements, is finding its way increasingly into fitness enthusiasts’ gym kits across the world. Consuming 20g of these supplements can enhance the ‘good guy’ bacteria in the gut, recognized for their role in offering a variety of beneficial effects on human health.

Probably worth noting that high-protein diets might not necessarily boost gut bacterial diversity, instead possibly working against the beneficial bacteria in the gut. But that’s where these well-researched supplements come in. Easy to use, these supplements make a convenient addition to workouts, aiding gut bacteria levels to multiply effectively.

So, get booked on that trial and tune in to your gut health. It’s never too late to start listening to your gut – you might even uncover the secret to optimal performance!

gut health, fitness, gut microbiome, prebiotics, gut training, exercises, bacterial richness, inflammation, nutrition, supplements, healthy lifestyle