Man engaging in physical activity to improve the gut microbiota

The Link Between Gut Health and Physical Activity

Zack Abbott
Zack Abbott
PhD, The University of Michigan

Key Takeaways

  • A diverse gut microbiome can enhance athletic performance, recovery, and motivation to exercise.
  • Physical activity increases beneficial gut bacteria, supporting digestion, reducing inflammation, and boosting overall health.
  • Your gut and exercise influence each other—better gut health supports better performance, and vice versa.

We’ve previously written about how the gut microbiome influences everything from digestion to immune response, so it may not be a surprise to learn that there is also a relationship between the gut microbiome and physical activity. Our microscopic inhabitants play a pivotal role in synthesizing essential nutrients, regulating immune function, and maintaining the integrity of the gut barrier. Supporting these functions has a significant impact on our physical health.

Conversely, many of the daily choices we make contribute to the landscape of our microbiome, such as the food we eat, where we live, the medications we take, and our level of physical activity. While there is a large body of research demonstrating how exercise can affect the gut microbiome, it’s also becoming clearer that the gut microbiome can in turn affect our athletic performance and even our motivation to exercise. And since many of our customers are athletes, we wanted to shed some light on the science behind how the gut microbiome shapes and is shaped by physical activity.

Gut Microbes Enhance Athletic Performance

One facet of gut microbiome research is its connection to athletic performance and recovery. Studies show that athletes often have distinct microbiome profiles compared to non-athletes, which can influence their overall health.

Here are some key findings on how the microbiome can alter physical activity:

  • Athletes typically have a more diverse gut microbiome, which supports better digestion and nutrient absorption. This diversity is linked to reduced inflammation, improved recovery, and higher maximum oxygen uptake (Kulecka, et al. 2020).
  • A diverse microbiome was shown in mice to support better endurance, better recovery, and better body composition than mice with no microbiome or a simple microbiome, consistent with the hypothesis that a diverse and healthy microbiome can improve athletic performance and recovery (Hsu, et al, 2015).
  • Athletes’ gut microbiomes are more effective at breaking down complex carbohydrates and proteins, providing sustained energy and aiding quicker recovery (Barton, et al. 2018).
  • Specific gut microbes stimulate the reward system through dopamine signaling, enhancing performance and motivation to exercise (Dohnalova, et.al, 2022).

How the Gut Microbiome Benefits from Exercise

Given the evidence that our daily habits influence our microbiome, it’s only natural to wonder how exercise shapes the microbes in our gut. In fact, this symbiotic relationship extends to how microbes support our bodies’ response to the stresses of physical activity.

Here are some interesting findings on how physical activity can alter the gut microbiome:

  • Exercise can increase the presence of butyrate-producing bacteria. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid* and an important source of energy for the cells in the gut lining. It also plays a role in regulating inflammation and hunger sensation (Matsumoto, et al, 2008).
  • Physical activity has a more lasting effect on the gut microbiome of young individuals compared to adults. These stable changes can impact how the microbiome evolves as we age (Mika, et al, 2015).
  • Intense and light physical activity, as well as sedentary lifestyles, lead to differences in microbiome diversity and influence which bacteria end up in the gut. Results can vary based on sport type, training duration, baseline gut microbiome, and other factors. The bottom line: the gut microbiome responds to exercise (Alvarez-Herms, et al. 2024).

*Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are small molecules produced when beneficial bacteria in our gut ferment dietary fibers. These fatty acids are important because they help keep our gut healthy, support the immune system, regulate blood sugar and cholesterol, and provide energy to the cells lining our colon. The most common SCFAs are acetate, propionate, and butyrate.

Swimmer doing the butterfly technique, influencing their gut microbiome

Strategies for a Healthy Gut Microbiome

These findings highlight how exercise both influences and is influenced by the gut microbiome. While we now have an incredible breadth of research, advancements in the field are constantly opening new doors for scientists to decode the microbes that live within us and the roles that they play.

As we often mention, everyone’s biology is different and so no one microbe is going to make you the next Simone Biles. But in understanding the trends and complex relationships within the gut microbiome, we can learn new ways to support our gut health, and by extension, our physical health. Yes, there is still a lot to learn, but it’s already clear that a healthy gut microbiome is pivotal to our overall well-being and can support and reinforce exercise habits and performance.

So in the meantime, cultivating a diverse, balanced gut microbiome is an easy way for us to more broadly promote both mental and physical well-being — and maybe even recover from that marathon a little faster.

Here are some ways to support a healthy and diverse gut microbiome:

Stay Tuned

In future articles, we’ll do deep dives into other intriguing gut-related topics, such as the gut-brain axis, gut-immune interactions, and more. Follow along as we explore how the gut microbiome influences various aspects of our health and well-being.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice.