Intestinal health for optimal performance in elite athletes: what we need to know

We are now aware of the impact that exercise elicits on the gut microbiota composition and functions. Athletes need to focus on their gut health for optimal performance due to the impact of the gut microbiota on the gastrointestinal barrier, immunity, and metabolic functions.

What to target for optimal performance?

1. Diet: it is the main tool in individualized performance development. Awareness of the importance of correct fuelling should start early, in young athletes, together with trainers and families. Excessive protein intake may have negative impact on the microbiota, while highly digestible carbohydrates are poor in fibers (ideal intake is 14.6 g/1000 kcal for adults). 

2. Gut dysbiosis: high amounts of monosaccharides and low amounts in fibers can exacerbate gut dysbiosis in athletes which, topped off with strenuous training and regular ischemia-reperfusion cycles end up with imbalanced microbial community and deficient release of SCFAs, polyamines, vitamins etc…

3. Immunity: ROS control is one of the main tasks of our gut biome. Some bacterial strains such as Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactococcus lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus may naturally increase the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. 

4. Gut barrier function: Bifidobacterium or Collinsella support intestinal epithelial function via an anti-inflammatory function. Beyond diet and training monitoring, probiotic supplementation elicits several benefits, working on the mucus layer, intestinal pH, and improved immune cell activity.

5. Cognition: in many sports, a high level of coordination, fast thinking, and decision-making, other than anxiety and stress management can exacerbate mental fatigue. Stress response is linked to the gut microbiota, across the gut-brain-axis [1].

6. Deficiencies: as a deficient mineral or vitamin is often associated with a less abundant bacteria strain promoting its absorption, a regular checkup is well recommended. A recent study on healthy individuals proved that the non-responder group to vitamin D suppl. had lower levels of Bacteroides acidifaciens, linking the gut microbial profile to vitamin absorption [2].

7. Female Health: both nutrition and training must be adapted to female physiology. Any fuelling strategy should be adjusted on the menstrual cycle to avoid any relapse in athletic performance. For example, a probiotic intervention with Lactobacillus plantarum 299v significantly increased intestinal iron absorption in female athletes [3]

Embracing a gut-centric approach as an alternative perspective on long-term health maintenance and optimal performance should be our responsibility as sport scientists and practitioners. Don't you agree?

Link to the paper: https://lnkd.in/dSAKPcAd

References

[1] Clark, A., & Mach, N. (2016). Exercise-induced stress behavior, gut-microbiota-brain axis and diet: a systematic review for athletes. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13, 1-21. https://lnkd.in/dYxnxGVi

[2] Singh, P., Rawat, A., Alwakeel, M., Sharif, E., & Al Khodor, S. (2020). The potential role of vitamin D supplementation as a gut microbiota modifier in healthy individuals. Scientific reports, 10(1), 21641. https://lnkd.in/dAvtqejf

[3] Li, Y., Cheng, M., Zha, Y., Yang, K., Tong, Y., Wang, S., ... & Ning, K. (2023). Gut microbiota and inflammation patterns for specialized athletes: a multi-cohort study across different types of sports. Msystems, 8(4), e00259-23. https://lnkd.in/dQvvJ_3R

[4] Nolte, S., Krüger, K., Lenz, C., & Zentgraf, K. (2023). Optimizing the Gut Microbiota for Individualized Performance Development in Elite Athletes. Biology, 12(12), 1491. https://lnkd.in/dSAKPcAd