PERFORMANCE ENHANCING MICROBES
Image from @bostonmarathon
We have known for a while now that a healthy gut microbiome can influence your sporting performance, but have not yet had a good understanding of how…until now.
New research has identified a specific type of bacteria found in the microbes of endurance athletes that contributes to the improved capacity to exercise. Endurance exercise includes cardiovascular exercise performed for an extended period of time such as running, cross-country skiing, cycling, or swimming.
This recent study focused on a group of 15 Boston marathon runners and found unique features of the microbiome in endurance athletes but not in that of sedentary individuals.
They found there to be higher levels of the bacterial strain ‘Veillonella atypica’ in the endurance runners. What made this strain so beneficial was its enhanced ability to break down lactic acid into propionate, a beneficial short chain fatty acid which has the ability to improve the capacity to exercise. When this bacterial strain was transferred into mice models, it increased their performance of the mice on a laboratory treadmill by a massive 13%. This is a huge improvement in endurance performance.
Although this is a preliminary study with a small sample size it does provide some promising results. We will have to wait for follow up clinical trials to confirm a causal link before racing out to get our hands on a probiotic supplement containing this Veillonella strain. Watch this space!
For access to the full study click here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0485-4
