New research links hard training to better gut health, digestion, recovery and performance – Muscle & Fitness

High-intensity workouts can add more than just muscle to the list of physical benefits that come from sweating. A new study shows that hard training can also positively impact the balance of your gut bacteria, leading to a better digestive system and greater potential for hitting a PR. The latest science certainly adds new meaning to the term “gut control!”

Regular exercise is already encouraged for muscle mass gains and mental health benefits, but these new findings arising from research at Edith Cowan University in Australia suggest that the intensity of our training could hold even more promise and influence the configuration of our gut microbiome. “Based on previous research, it appears that athletes have a different gut microbiota compared to the general population,” explains Ph.D. out. candidate Bronwen Charlessonwho served as the main character on the paper. “This includes greater concentrations of total short-chain fatty acids, alpha diversity, and increased abundance of some bacteria and lower abundance of others.”

Scientists at ECU wanted to discover the specific effects of exercise, so they designed separate training volume loads and compared them with other gut health factors, such as diet, to see if training-related scenarios such as oxygen intake could influence the results.

How was the research conducted?

Twenty-three highly trained national-level rowing athletes (11 men, 12 women) were studied over two three-day periods separated by one month. The first period included approximately 5 hours of rowing, cycling and cross-training over 3 days, while the high intensity required the same training, but over seven hours over three days, resulting in greater intensity as recorded by heart monitors.

What the study found

The higher training load was linked to a shift in multiple markers of gut health:

• Larger short chain fatty acids For colon health, better metabolism and less inflammation.
• Better bacterial composition Improving digestion and nutrient breakdown

“Another observation made during the study was the significant slowing of intestinal transit times in athletes during low training loads,” says Charlesson. Although both groups ate the same amount of carbohydrates and fiber, they often chose less healthy foods during the low-intensity training phase, which may have further affected the results. “This decrease was related to the increase in processed fast food, the decrease in fresh fruit and vegetables and a moderate increase in alcohol intake,” she explains. “These changes affected the composition of the gut microbiome.”

Can intense workouts improve gut health?

In terms of the gut health benefits associated with hitting our PRs, scientists have a working theory that the intestines can develop a superior ability to process lactate and balance pH levels. Both benefits are known to improve an athlete’s performance and recovery. While the study didn’t provide a good guideline for how many hours you should exercise, or how many hours per week you should exercise in total, there could be gains in gut health by increasing the intensity of your own sessions and avoiding processed foods.