Did you know the human gut does much more than digestion and absorption? Your gut is home to immune cells, can communicate with the brain via the vagus nerve, and can feed off nutrients such as fiber to produce other beneficial bacteria and metabolites known as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The body uses these SCFAs as an energy source.[1] If you’re an athlete or a gym-goer, you know how vital energy is for optimal performance! 

So, what exactly is the connection between gut health and exercise? Here’s what you need to know about the intersection of gut health and sports nutrition for your family. After all, we should all be moving daily to support whole-body health!

The Connection Between Gut Health & Sports Nutrition

Scientists have been making connections between this intersection of gut health and sports nutrition since the early 1980s. Recently, several scientific papers have even described the gut as an athletic organ thanks to its various roles in day-to-day health and exercise. For example, one of the gut’s primary functions is digestion and absorption of key nutrients that we need to deliver energy to our working muscles. Enter carbohydrates, a nutrient we need a lot of to serve as an energy source for our working muscles. Fiber is an indigestible form of carbohydrate that is unique because it serves as food for the bacteria that naturally reside in your gut. When these two meet and interact, this produces other beneficial bacteria and positive metabolites. These metabolites provide the gut and body with an additional energy source. And who doesn’t need more energy during exercise?[2-4]

From scientific literature and experience in sports nutrition practice, we also know that the type of exercise may influence gut health and the makeup of the microbiome in athletes.[3] For example, low to moderate exercise can help move food through the digestive tract efficiently and may even help promote more diverse microorganisms in your gut. (This is a good thing!) Exercise may also help increase the ratio of critical bacterial phyla like Bacteroidetes-Firmicutes, strengthen the intestinal barrier, and support GI immunity.[1-2] This is important because a gut containing various microbes and a healthy intestinal barrier and immune system may help support optimal sports performance.

How to Improve Your Gut Health for Better Athletic Performance

Whether you’re an athlete or not, chances are you could use a little extra gas in the tank when exercising or moving your body. I’m going to guess that microbiome health might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, the health of your gut is essential for avoiding GI distress and optimizing your energy levels. As a practicing sports dietitian, I’m constantly thinking about how to properly prepare the gut for exercise—and discovering novel nutrition strategies for moms and parents on the go is so key! 

The gut is largely impacted by diet and nutrition. This means it’s essential to properly nourish and support your microbiome to help optimize your athletic performance. The key? Fiber. And, more specifically, prebiotic fiber.

 

  • Fiber: During regular training, don’t be afraid to incorporate fiber into your diet. Foods high in fiber include vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. It can be part of a healthy exercise routine if you tolerate fibrous foods well and hydrate often. 
  • Prebiotic fiber: Prebiotics are a specific type of soluble fiber that can be naturally found in some food sources, such as oats, mushrooms, asparagus, and figs, as well as in some soluble fiber dietary supplements and packaged foods. Regular prebiotic consumption nourishes the good bacteria in your gut and may contribute to optimal sports performance (if tolerated well). 
  • Don’t forget probiotics: These live microorganisms or “friendly” bacteria and yeast help support a balanced gut microbiota. They’re also important for exercise performance because they help keep harmful bacteria at bay while supporting your body’s digestive and immune health, among other benefits. We still have more to discover about probiotics and postbiotics as they relate to sports performance, but much of the research I’ve looked at is promising. 

To help get your gut acclimated, consider gradually incorporating fiber and probiotics into your diet. And make sure you’re also staying hydrated! Taking it slow could boost your gut health for exercise without overdoing it. If you’re considering a prebiotic, probiotic, or postbiotic supplement, speak with an HCP/RDN before starting. Your doctor can help you find the specific strain, dose, and supplement that is effective for you. 

Gut Health & Exercise: The Bottom Line

The gut is an athletic organ, and nourishing it for optimal athletic performance is crucial. The key to a healthy gut is fiber, and more specifically, prebiotic fiber. These soluble fibers serve as food or substrate for the bacteria that naturally reside in your gut. Other “biotics,” such as probiotics and postbiotics, may be considered “new kids on the block.” But there’s still a lot of promising research out there on how they could help support your workout routine. A healthy gut brimming with good-for-you bacteria could help improve your athletic performance or, perhaps more importantly, keep you energized throughout your busy day. 

Just remember to check ingredient labels and work with an RDN to determine how these may fit into your diet. Understanding probiotics’ efficacious strain, dose, and specific benefit is especially important before adding any new probiotic supplement to your diet. Lastly, remember to work with a qualified HCP for help. 

 

This article was written by Renee Korczak, Ph.D., RDN, CSSD, LD. Dr. Korczak is an advanced practice registered dietitian nutritionist with expertise in digestive health.  Renee has her board specialty in sports dietetics and is an active voice in the sports nutrition and gut health space. Her research focuses on the intersection of gut health and sports nutrition. Outside of work, Renee enjoys time with her two children and husband. She enjoys travel, cooking, and fitness.

 

Sources

  1. Hughes RL, Holscher HD. Fueling Gut Microbes: A Review of the Interaction between Diet, Exercise and the Gut Microbiota in Athletes. Adv Nutr. 2021; 12(6):2190-2215. Doi:10.1093/advances/nmab077.
  2. Pugh JN, Lydon KM, O’Donovan CM, O’Sullivan O, Madigan SM. More than a gut feeling: What is the role of the GI tract in female athlete health? Eur J Sport Sci 2022; 22(5): 755-764. Doi: 10.1080/17461391.2021.1921853.
  3. Mohr AE, Jager R, Carpenter KC, et al. The athletic gut microbiota. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2020; 17(24).
  4. O’Brien MT, O’Sullivan O, Claesson MJ, Cotter PD. The Athlete Gut Microbiome and its Relevance to Health and Performance: A Review. Sports Med 2022; 52(S1): 119-128. Doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01785-x.