Can Borrowing Athletes’ Gut Bacteria Make You More Athletic?
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Researchers have identified a strain of bacteria that enhances the performance of endurance athletes.[1]
The scientists collected and analyzed stool samples from Boston Marathon runners the week leading up to the race and the week following the event. After the race, researchers measured a substantial increase in a particular bacteria genus called Veillonella.
Veillonella breaks down lactic acid, which is a compound that your muscles produce during exercise. The most noticeable indication that you have lactic acid buildup is that your muscles feel sore and tired. The bacteria converts lactic acid into propionate, a short-chain fatty acid that increases exercise capacity.
Imagine having a bug that gobbles up your muscle soreness as it builds, then turns it into energy — that’s essentially what Veillonella does in athletes’ bodies. It’s self-perpetuating. The more you exercise, the more lactic acid your muscles produce for Veillonella to feed on. If you set out the buffet for them, they’ll reproduce, and more bacteria will be available to break down your lactic acid faster.
The researchers took it a step further and wanted to know whether they could increase the endurance of mice by giving them a poop transplant. As expected, it increased the rodents’ treadmill run time.
Poop transplant? Before you gag… Doctors have already been using fecal transplants in humans as an effective treatment for a dangerous overgrowth of bacteria called clostridium difficile[2][3] and it is being investigated for other conditions. This particular research group intends to use this information to develop probiotic supplements targeted to athletes.
Each person’s gut microbiome, the colonies of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that help you break down food and fight off disease, is more unique than your fingerprint and it changes every day — every meal, for that matter.
Your gut bacteria have a lot of say in how you show up in the world. You’re the boss of your gut, though. Here’s how to get your gut in balance so they can work for you, not against you.
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One of the best ways to influence your gut microbiome is to decide what you want to be, then become that:
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Can Borrowing Athletes’ Gut Bacteria Make You More Athletic?
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