Exercise Your Gut

A team of researchers in Ireland has linked exercise and its positive impact on how your “gut” operates. The research found that exercise boosts the diversity of bacteria found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract,which is home to a large and complex community of bacteria referred to as the gut microbiota. These microbiota help your metabolism and your immune system. A non-functioning gut can cause conditions such as diabetes, GI diseases and obesity.

The researchers focused their study on a group of professional rugby players during their preseason training and analyzed fecal and blood samples from them in order to assess the range of their gut microbiota.

The results showed the athletes had a significantly wider range of gut microbiota than men in the control group with a high BMI. It is believed that because they were undergoing a rigorous training program, they had better metabolic profiles than the men with a high BMI and much higher proportions of Akkermansiaceae, a type of bacteria that is known to be linked with lower rates of obesity and associated metabolic disorders.

The athletes ate more of all of the food groups than the control participants. Protein accounted for more of their energy intake (22%) than the comparison groups (15-16%), and they also ate more fruits and vegetables and fewer snacks. This indicates that exercise is an important factor in the relationship between microbiota, host immunity and host metabolism, with diet playing an important role.

A gut out of whack can cause several problems, including:

·     Irritable bowel syndrome

·     Colorectal cancer

·     Obesity

·     Type 2 diabetes

It can’t be emphasized enough how important the combination of diet and exercise affect your overall health and well-being. Now that’s a real gut check.