To Your Health
April, 2023 (Vol. 17, Issue 04) |
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Exercise Your Microbiome
By Editorial Staff
OK, not literally, although physical activity does seem to play a key role in microbiome health. Let's see why the gut microbiome (the collection of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses, that live in the digestive tract) is so important and how exercise can help optimize its potential.
First, a quick word about the microbiome, which you may think based on the above description, can't possibly be a good thing. While it's true that not all of the microorganisms in the GI microbiome (think: ecosystem) are technically "healthy," in and of themselves, they exist in harmony with the healthy microorganisms. The problem is when microbiome
dysbiosis occurs – an imbalance of healthy vs. unhealthy microorganisms, favoring the unhealthy ones. And unfortunately, these days dysbiosis is increasingly the norm due to a variety of factors, including poor diet, antibiotic overuse and more.
Now, on to the research, the latest of which supports the role of exercise in GI microbiome health. This study used non-athletes as the subject population, as high-level athletes (not people who perform physical activity in their day-to-day lives) are known to have different microbiome status due to strict diet, lean body mass, etc.
Among non-athletes, moderate physical activity (at least 150 minutes per week) increased the richness and diversity of gut microbiomes compared to fewer weekly minutes of exercise. Duration of exercise appeared to be more significant than exercise intensity in improving GI microbes. In other words, more is more important than less, regardless of how strenuous. Findings appear in FASEB (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology) Journal.
Interested in learning more about the GI microbiome and how important it is in your gut and overall health? Click here for a primer from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
