How gut health affects fitness

So you’ve put a lot of thought into it maximum heart rateyour 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, yours microbiome is a combination of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses that live on and inside your body. And the microbiome—the mix of flora found in your colon, intestines, and stomach—may be responsible for much more than just your digestion.

Although further research is needed, studies showed potential promising link between 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 smoothly, and your body is able to assimilate the nutrients you eat,” she says Laura Londoncertified health advisor (AADP) and fitness specialist. “This in turn can give you more energy, stamina, endurance and focus.”

How does the microbiome affect fitness?

Here are a few ways taking care of your gut can help your time under the bar, on the track or in the gym.

1. Metabolic function

Intestinal microbes aid absorption essential nutrients which your body needs to function properly. When you exercise, the increased metabolic activity puts more demands on your body, meaning it requires more energy (from nutrients) to meet that demand.

A healthy gut containing the right balance of microorganisms can help your body they metabolize and absorb nutrients more efficiently and lead to better performance.

2. Sound sleep

Most trainees know that a good sleep can significantly affect performance. And smart exercisers know that gut health is the first line of defense against these big energy robbers: insomnia and poor sleep quality.

While these two factors are important enough to make a huge difference for most active people, researchers are hard at work looking for 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 do you achieve a healthy gut? It can help you get started with what you have No want – namely 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, reduced immune function, and reduced ability recover after trainingoverall lower energy and even joint and bone pain.

High content diets sugar and processed foods and low mineral content and healthy fats were associated with dysfunctional viscera. Overprescribing antibiotics doesn’t help either – they tend to wipe out the “good” bacteria along with the bad, leaving your gut and colon vulnerable to being overtaken by an imbalance of the wrong “bugs.”

1. Exercise

Yes, a healthier gut leads to better athletic performance, but the reverse is also true. Studies suggest this people who exercise may exhibit healthier microbiomes, even those who have no previous sports routines.

Here’s the catch: exercise must be regular and ongoing. Once the participants stopped exercising, their gut health returned to its previous (less healthy) state.

2. Consider accessories

Probioticsprebiotics and digestive enzymes help improve your gut health by encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut (the role of prebiotics), actually putting them there (the role of probiotics), or helping your body break down food to allow nutrients to be absorbed (the role of digestive enzymes.)

3. Liven up your diet

At the same time, limit processed foods high in sugar increasing fiber intake and adding fermented foods (like kimchi, sauerkraut, and yogurt) have been shown to improve the microbiome and create an environment where healthy microorganisms can thrive.

If control of digestion or performance proves difficult with modest nutritional changes, you may want to consider a more restrictive regimen such as the Gut and Psychology 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.

Regardless of your fitness level, one thing is for sure: It’s always better to end a workout feeling relaxed and energized than cramped and exhausted. Next time you’ll be wondering how to do it break through the plateau or just go back there, consider your gut health. Your colon and intestines will thank you—and reward you.

4 week intestinal protocol

If you want to experience the benefits of a healthier microbiome, 4 week intestinal protocol is a comprehensive program with a three-pronged approach to help support gut health:

• Nutrition: Within four weeks, BODi Super Trainer Autumn Calabrese will help isolate the seven most common foods and ingredients that can cause stomach upset and undermine your overall well-being.
• Supplement: Two add-ons are included in the program. Revitalize is a powerful combination prebiotics and probiotics which supports beneficial flora in the digestive tract. Optimize contains digestive enzymes that help promote nutrient absorption and bioavailability.
• Exercises: Designed to follow a nutritional program, 4 weeks for each body is a low-impact program that makes results consistent and attainable for everyone. You’ll do a total of 16 workouts—four workouts a week for four weeks—all under 30 minutes.