Physical Activity Can Benefit You and Your Microbes

· by · in Athletes, Awareness, summer, Uncategorized. ·

by Pratiksha Pawar

Pratiksha is a 4th-year Masters Student in Biotechnology, from Pune, India, and a CEED Summer Research Fellow 2021

There’s nothing as refreshing as a good workout! We all know the health benefits of exercising from increasing cardiovascular strength to getting that daily dose of endorphins. Of course, too much exercise can be a trap for people who are vulnerable to eating disorders. But for the purposes of this blog, let’s talk about healthy non-obsessive exercise. It turns out, the microbes in our gut love a great session of physical activity too! Our gut is home to a plethora of microbes that not only influence digestion, but also impact our brain health. Gut microbes are the bacteria that live in our gut and help break down food for nourishment. They also influence the energy balance in our body and are essential contributors to immune function. Those tiny folks in our gut do way more than they get credit for! The risk for chronic diseases, obesity, diabetes, autism, and even cancer can be dependent on our gut microbiota. Being involved in so many important functions, they naturally play a key role in our overall health. Keeping them happy is vital for our well-being and studies have shown how we might be able to do just that. 

Healthy non-obsessive activity can make our microbes happy Photo:unsplash.com

It is a well-known fact that our diet impacts our gut microbial diversity. But recently, there has been increased interest in understanding the role that exercise may play in the same. Studies in athletes have shown that physical activity can give rise to higher microbial diversity, which is an essential indicator of strong gut florae. A study by Durk and colleagues in 2019 showed that exercise training had a positive effect on the gut microbial composition in young adults. Growth in the number of butyrate producing bacteria as well as Clostridales is noted due to physical training. In another study, Bressa and team found that several genera of microbes were observed to differ between sedentary and active women. Various studies are now focusing on identifying the link between gastrointestinal microbiota and physical activity as interest builds around understanding the mechanisms that govern the relationship between the two.

Such results give rise to interesting questions such as “Can athletic performance be enhanced by modifications in the gut microbiome?” and “Is individual athletic ability influenced by gut microbes?” Finding answers to these questions could help improve not only sports nutrition, but also provide insights into diseases caused or exacerbated by altered gut microbiota. These results also provide insight into the possible treatment options and novel alternatives to tackle behavioral and metabolic disorders.

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