Scientists are discovering that the microbes living in your digestive system may hold the secrets to improving performance, which is why scientists are investigating just what鈥檚 inside athletes鈥 guts. Want to improve your own microbiotic health? Here鈥檚 how.
So I Just Take Probiotics, Right?
Er, sort of. For more than a century, scientists have been looking for a probiotic-enhanced substance鈥攕omething like yogurt, kefir, or kimchi that introduces new, live bacteria into your body鈥攖o cure what ails us. In the early 1900s, Russian immunologist 脡lie Metchnikoff sang the praises of Lactobacillus bulgaricus, a bacteria that gives yogurt its taste, claiming that it could ward off senility. (It can鈥檛.) Today scientists know that probiotics can indeed solve a few problems. Got diarrhea or an upset stomach from a course of antibiotics? Eat some yogurt that contains live cultures (or some unpasteurized fermented pickles or sauerkraut) for a little relief. Promising clinical trials also suggest that one day soon, probiotics may be prescribed to treat irritable bowel syndrome or even depression.
Does Your Gut Hold the Secret to Performance?
New science is set to revolutionize the way we eat, train, and live.But probiotics aren鈥檛 a panacea鈥攁nd they can鈥檛 prevent you from getting sick in the first place. 鈥淭he industry is predicated on maintaining wellness,鈥 says , of the University of Chicago, 鈥渂ut currently there鈥檚 no evidence that long-term, continued consumption of probiotics maintains wellness.鈥 The main bacteria in probiotics, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, do aid with GI issues and reduce diarrhea, but there鈥檚 mixed evidence of how effective they are in probiotic form.
The High Performance Secrets Inside Athletes' Guts
In the name of citizen science, we peered inside the bellies of 国产吃瓜黑料 staff鈥攁nd seven elite athletes.The science is still young, so for now researchers suggest supplementing probi颅otics with prebiotics, which feed the bacteria already in your body. You can buy prebiotic powders, but the best way to get them is with high-fiber foods such as beans and veggies. Your gut bugs break down the fiber into helpful things like anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids. At the end of the day, scientists say, the best way to maintain a healthy gut is to鈥攏o surprise here鈥攅at a varied diet filled with veggies, legumes, and fermented foods to get both pre- and probiotics. (Take a look at 鈥3 Recipes to Boost Your Microbiome鈥澛爁or a few ideas.)
Should I Get My Biome Tested?
The ideal healthy-gut diet for performance.Roughly half a dozen companies will analyze your microbiome for you, identifying which bacteria dominate your gut and comparing your results with other people鈥檚. Some will also provide everything from tailored dietary advice to customized probiotic 颅regimens. The largest company, 颅uBiome, offers physician-ordered tests that it claims can iden颅tify pathogens associated with some diseases. But a microbiome test alone, says Rob Knight, head of the , can鈥檛 diagnose anything. Still, knowing if your gut is dominated by, say, bugs in the Firmicutes phylum rather than Bacteroidetes鈥攚hich are associated with a leaner body profile鈥攃an help spur dietary changes. Maybe consider laying off the hamburgers and eating some plants instead. If you do want to use your results as a diagnostic tool, bring them to your doctor to rule out any egregious quantities of pathogenic bacteria.