Gut Health: why is it important?

WHAT IS A HEALTHY GUT?

The gut is home to an abundant and diverse microbial community that gathers over 100 trillion microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast and viruses. This community of microorganisms is referred to as the gut microbiome. A healthy gut refers to a well-functioning digestive system that supports the breakdown of food, optimal absorption of nutrients and the maintenance of a diverse microbiome. 

HOW DOES THE GUT MICROBIOME INFLUENCE OUR HEALTH?

The gut microbiome plays a key role in supporting our health, predominantly by supporting the development of a robust immune system, prevention of infections, modulating inflammation levels and ensuring optimal nutrient absorption ¹.  

Growing scientific research also indicates a potential role played by the microbiome in contributing to the functionality of our brain and nervous system, as well as in influencing our mood ¹. 

It is also worth noting that a ‘disrupted’ microbiome is associated with numerous diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and asthma ².

WHY DO ATHLETES NEED GOOD GUT HEALTH?

Regardless if you are a professional athlete or an individual that regularly engages in training and wants to maximise performance, maintaining a healthy gut should represent a key priority. Heavy training and periods with congested athletic competitions increase the stress placed on our immune system and make us more susceptible to infections.  

Improving gut health through probiotics supplementation was shown to support athletes’ immunity by reducing the risk and severity of infections ³. Optimal absorption of carbohydrates during exercise is also key particularly for endurance athletes, and the gut microbiome was also shown to play an important role here ⁴. The gut microbiome can also influence protein absorption and therefore may impact muscle mass and body composition ⁵.

WHAT ARE GUT FRIENDLY CULTURES?

To date over 1000 species of gut bacteria have been identified. Out of these, some key species that were found to play important roles in key physiological processes include; 

• Bifidobacteria – involved in breaking down complex carbohydrates in short-chain fatty acids, nutrients that have anti-inflammatory properties and support gut health ².  

• Lactobacilli – known for their role in fermenting lactose into lactic acid. These bacteria help maintain an acidic environment in the gut, which inhibits the growth of harmful pathogens⁶.  

• Lactobacilli – contributes to immune system regulation ⁶.   

• Bacteroides – received recent scientific attention given their role played in the digestion and metabolism of complex carbohydrates and supplying nutrients to other microbial residents of the gut ⁷.  

A healthy microbiome is characterised by a diverse range of bacteria, including, but not limited to the ones just mentioned. 

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR GUT HEALTH THROUGH YOUR DIET?

Our gut microbiome, and therefore our gut health, is heavily influenced by our diet. Consuming a diet rich in fibre (>30g per day) can beneficially affect our microbiome and increase the species of bacteria associated with a well-functioning gut ⁸.  

Consuming polyphenols, a type of nutrients found predominantly in fruits like blueberries, tart cherry, pomegranate, also plays an important role by ‘feeding’ the bacteria in our gut and lead to a range of positive effects, including a reduction in systemic inflammation ⁹.  

Sufficient fibre and polyphenols can be consumed by; 

• Eating a predominant plant-based diet, where fruits, vegetables or whole grains are consumed at every meal/snack.  

• Fermented yoghurt, like kefir and skyr. 

• Fermented vegetables should also be regularly included in your diet as they are a rich source of probiotics, contributing to a healthy microbiome and a range of beneficial effects.  

• Foods rich in omega-3’s, such as salmon, also leads to an increase in butyrate-producing bacteria and anti-inflammatory effects ⁸. 

HOW CAN SUPPLEMENTS HELP WITH IMPROVING YOUR GUT HEALTH?

Apart from including the foods we just discussed in your diet, an easy way to improve your gut health is by taking a probiotic supplement daily. These supplements contain live bacteria cultures that after consumption are added to your microbiome and can produce a range of health benefits. As briefly alluded to before, chronic supplementation with probiotics over a period of multiple weeks reduces the risk and severity of infections in athletes from a range of sports ³.

The Biotic complex is a convenient capsule supplement, with a powerful dose of 42 billion gut friendly cultures. A great supplement to add to your daily routine, alongside a healthy diet to support your lifestyle and fitness goals.  

REFERENCES:

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2. Lloyd-Price, J., Abu-Ali, G. and Huttenhower, C., 2016. The healthy human microbiome. Genome Medicine, 8, pp.1-11. 

3. Di Dio et al (2022). Effects of Probiotics Supplementation on Risk and Severity of Infections in Athletes: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health.19(18):11534. 

4. Pugh et al. (2020). Probiotic supplementation increases carbohydrate metabolism in trained male cyclists: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 318(4):E504-E513. 

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