The gut in sport - Part 1

If you want to be successful in sports, you should not only train a lot, but you also need the right bacteria in your gut. Because your microbiome significantly influences your performance.

What does that mean for me?

A healthy gut and an intact microbiome are the basis of athletic performance, especially for ambitious amateur athletes. Because when your gut isn't working properly, every aspect of your overall health can be affected, from your immune system to your hormonal balance to mental health.

Eating the right foods helps keep your gut microbiome healthy – which is vital to your overall health.

The microbiome

Your gut microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms - both friendly and unfriendly and is as individual as a fingerprint.

The balance between friendly and unfriendly bacteria in your gut is crucial for keeping digestion intact, reducing inflammation, decreasing anxiety, and improving brain function and mood. Your metabolism also depends on the composition of your bacteria; Food cravings are just as related to your microbiome as your weight.

But often there is an imbalance and thus different symptoms that are not always immediately associated with the intestines. The causes are also varied and can often go back years. Symptoms such as flatulence, indefinable abdominal pain, sudden intolerances, allergies, skin diseases, recurring infections, bladder infections, depressive moods, headaches, sleep problems and much more can be related to your intestines and its bacterial colonization.

So what can I do?

Your intestines are a real miracle and can withstand a lot, but at some point it and its inhabitants give in to the load. Then the list of foods that give you energy and make you fit and strong becomes shorter and shorter. But the “no-go” list is getting longer and longer? Even though you are supposedly doing everything right, perhaps now eating a vegan, gluten-, lactose- or fructose-free diet, buying expensive nutritional supplements and almost completely avoiding sweets?

Key takeaway

In the coming articles, we want to use our years of know-how to help you develop a better understanding of your intestines and their common inhabitants and thus give you further assistance in personally developing your individual and unique intestinal fitness program; Because just as your training is tailored to you, the same should apply to your diet.