Your gut needs some exercise

The closest thing to a silver bullet for wellness is exercise. Want to keep your mind sharp? Exercise. Want to fend away type 2 diabetes and heart disease? Move more. Feeling down? Try working out.

How does physical activity achieve all that? Exercise strengthens the heart and improves blood circulation, it releases endorphins, it reduces inflammation, it increases muscle strength and endurance, builds stronger bones, and can improve sleep – yet another keystone of wellness.

But there’s another mechanism connecting physical activity and our physiology: our gut inhabitants. Each of us is a universe of microorganisms: We host trillions of microbes. Bacterial cells outnumber our cells 9 to 1, their genetic material outweighing ours 150 to 1. 

A healthy microbiome is essential for maintaining overall health and well-being. The gut microbiome plays an essential role in digestion, nutrient absorption, immune system function, and even mental health. Our gut bacteria also produce beneficial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids that can improve gut health, reduce inflammation, and even affect brain function. 

Fitness shapes the gut

We already know that athletes have unique microbiomes. But athletes lead unique lifestyles, are often lean and adhere to strict nutrition regimens. Would exercise by itself affect the microbiome in non-athletes?

A new study in the FASEB Journal looked at how duration and intensity of physical activity and muscle strength (as measured by a dynamometer which assesses hand grip) affects the gut microbiome in 350 people aged 40 and 65 years with normal and overweight BMI. 

And the results: Physical activity increases the richness and diversity of those in the study that exercised more. Exercise has more of an effect on the gut microbiome in normal-weight people than overweight people. Also, people with normal weight who had stronger grip strength had more of a certain type of beneficial gut bacteria.

How much exercise does it take? Moderate physical activity for more than 150 minutes a week was enough to positively affect the gut microbiome.

Exercise will likely improve your gut microbiome, and don’t forget the most important behavior linked with a healthy microbiome: eat whole plant foods, lots of fiber, and reduce refined and highly processed foods. Focus on vegetables and fruits, and foods high in fiber. Dietary fiber, including non-digestible carbohydrates “roughage” provide food for intestinal bacteria. In consuming these dietary nutrients, the bacteria produce their own byproducts, which make their way into our bloodstreams and affect our metabolism in a beneficial way.

Dr. Ayala