Can Exercise Boost My Gut Health?

Our gut microbiome is home to many microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Researchers are only beginning to discover how our gut’s biodiversity impacts our health. Evidence suggests that when our microorganisms are diverse and healthy, they can help digestion, regulate the immune system, protect against certain diseases, and boost our mood.

Data suggests that exercise is also essential.

When we exercise, we increase the amount of oxygen reaching our brain and bloodstream. We also heat our core body temperature and redistribute our blood flow. The researchers suspect these conditions will allow the bacteria to thrive in our microbiomes. Still, the exact mechanisms remain unknown. Taylor Valentino, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. He studies the relationship between muscle development and microbiome.

Dr. Valentino explains that exercise causes changes in the gut microbes that cause them to grow and convert. We also get molecules that our bodies can use.

A regular exercise regimen may support a healthy digestive system. Further research indicates that a more beneficial intestinal system may also be linked to improved performance.

Can a healthier gut help boost your workouts?

Valentino cites a report published in 2019 by Nature Medicine that showed marathon runners had higher levels of a different bacteria called Veillonella than non-runners. This microbe’s concentration was increased after workouts, and it was even higher after finishing a marathon.

Veillonella is a microbe that eats lactate (which our bodies produce when we exercise hard) and converts it into propionate. Propionate is a short-chain fatty acid that increases our energy. Scientists at Harvard Medical School suggest that exercise triggers Microbes Veillonella to grow in the stomach for an extra energy boost for endurance running.

How to make your exercise routine a gut-friendly one

Can specific exercises be good for your gut? What experts have to say

Focus on Cardio

Currently, research on exercise and gut health is focused more on aerobic exercise than strength training, such as weightlifting. Allen says this doesn’t mean weightlifting won’t improve your gut health. It’s just the scientific community still needs to look into it.

Allen instructed participants to do aerobic or cardio exercises thrice a week for 30-60 minutes. The target heart rate was 60 percent of the maximum heart rate. Cook says that at 60 percent, you should be able to speak comfortably and breathe normally, while 75 is considered “vigorous” exercise, where you might be sweating, and your breathing may speed up.

Cook suggests you can also get in your cardio by doing other exercises like swimming, rowing, or skipping.

Be Consistent

Exercise is essential to maintaining the good bacteria in your gut. It should be a part of your lifestyle.

Cook says that consistency is critical because you could lose the benefits if you stop exercising. In Allen’s study, participants’ gut microbiomes changed after six weeks but returned to normal within six more weeks when they stopped exercising.

Cook warns that you will lose stamina by stopping to run for a couple of weeks and lose the good bacteria in your gut microbiome if you stop working out.

Start Small

Valentino advises that if you are new to exercise and have never done it before, you should start slowly. He warns, “Don’t jump from the couch to the marathon.” You don’t want to get injured, and you also want to develop a habit that will last.

He says the goal is to fuel your microbiome through exercise.

Get Outdoors

Nature increases our exposure. If we are outdoors, running along the beach or in a park, we breathe in diverse communities of bacteria.

He cites a Finnish Study that found that children who played outside in the forest, dirt, and with plants and flowers had a more diverse gut microbiome and a healthier immune system than their peers in urban daycare.

Don’t Forget Nutrition

Cook says that what you eat daily has as much of an impact on your gut as your exercise regimen. Be aware that the gut microbiome is fond of fermented foods. They are full of bacteria and yeast.

Probiotics are natural.

• Yogurt
• Kefir
• Kombucha
• Miso
• Sauerkraut
• Kimchi