Prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics. These words can conjure images of dreadlocked hippies with hemp sandals concocting jars of "homebrew" in their closets. These days, however, science has shown probiotics to be useful for more than opening your third eye. Research suggests that there is a positive probiotic impact on endurance performance.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but in reality, a child IS a village. As human beings, you are not just one single organism; you are a colony of microorganisms. Your gut biome is a perfect example of this. Comprised of over one thousand types of bacteria, viruses, archaea, and fungi, a healthy microbiota is a key to having a healthy body and mind.
Taking prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics can all help to support a healthy gut biome:
- Prebiotics help to feed the good bacteria in your stomach.
- Probiotics are live bacteria that are beneficial to the human microbiota.
- Postbiotics are the byproduct of the bacteria in your gut fermenting fiber.
But What Is The Probiotic Impact On Endurance Performance?
A thriving gut biome is associated with more efficient energy uptake, decreased illness, increased recovery time, reduced inflammation, and improved mental acuity. So go ahead and buy that kombucha at the health food store; you might even like how it tastes.
The Gut Biome is Responsible for Energy Uptake
Proper digestion ensures that you absorb the most nutrition possible from your food, providing maximum energy during activity and the most effective recovery. Probiotics help maintain gastrointestinal health, which, in turn, creates the most efficient fueling. Thus, the probiotic impact on endurance performance is critical. A healthy gut biome is imperative to success when every calorie and electrolyte counts.
Veillonella and the Probiotic Impact on Endurance Performance
Veillonella, a bacteria in the intestinal flora, plays a vital role in endurance performance. According to data reported by Scheiman, Veillonella aids in populating the intestinal tract with lactate metabolizing organisms. These organisms help convert lactate into propionate and, as a result, are thought to increase endurance performance by thirteen percent! Consuming probiotics to increase Veillonella populations in the GI tract and consuming pre and probiotics to maintain the health of this microorganism will help keep these advantages during activity.
Decreased Illness Susceptibility and Recovery Time
It's a simple equation, the less time you spend being sick, the more time you can devote to ripping trails. You don't need a peer-reviewed medical journal to tell you that. Staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a healthy gut biome are the most important factors for not getting sick and having a speedy recovery. When feeling hearty and robust, your body has a lot easier time recovering from activity.
This is perhaps one of the most practical examples of the probiotic impact on endurance performance. A diet equipped with or supplemented by pro, pre, and post-biotics gives you a much better chance at being generally healthy. Being in good health keeps you out of the doctor's office and on the trails.
Endurance Activities Can Put Oxidative Stress on the Gut Biome
We've all experienced stress; it's no fun at all. Have a little sympathy for your gut biome. All of that extended aerobic activity is totally stressing it out, man. That five-hour enduro ride might have been a non-stop joyride for you, but it was tough on your intestinal tract. Many intestinal organisms died during that ride; you lost a lot of good men out there.
Supplementing your diet with probiotics calls in the reinforcements. Prebiotics dim the lights, put on some smooth jazz, and draw a nice bubble bath for your gut flora. Ahh, finally, peace and relaxation.
Reduced Inflammation And The Probiotic Impact On Endurance Performance
Inflammation, stiffness, sore muscles, and joints- are all things that can keep you stuck on your couch and off of the trails. A healthy gut biome has been found to reduce post-exercise inflammation and suggests a strong probiotic impact on endurance performance. Plus, as you get older, that inflammation will get much worse, so trust me, you'll need all the help you can get.
Mental Clarity/ Focus
The mind and the body are one. When your body is healthy and performing its best, the mind can be much more at ease. According to research, your gut and brain are highly connected, referred to as the gut-brain axis.
An example is having an upset stomach in times of stress or feeling depressed when you are nauseous.By maintaining a thriving gut biome, you help ensure that your brain is functioning at a high level.
TLDR - Want To Be Better, Eat Rotten Foods!
Just kidding (kind of). It’s actually really hard to draw the line between fermentation and rotting, it has more to do with whether we like the outcome of microorganisms breaking down food and either destroying it for our tastes/health (rotten) or making it better (fermented / probiotic). But the correlation of healthy gut biome and better endurance performance is clear!
In addition to supplementing your diet with pre, pro, and postbiotics, you can help your endurance performance with our products PREPARE+ and SUSTAIN. We designed our products to be data-driven, simple sports nutrition supplements tailored for the MOTO & MTB riders out there. Plus, they taste downright delicious.
So get out there and shred, but don't forget to take us along for the ride!
