Better running with the right bacteria?
Could the performance of endurance athletes be improved by promoting or adding certain types of bacteria? Several scientists asked themselves this question when they compared the stool samples of 15 runners in the Boston Marathon one week before and one week after the race. The results were published in a press release by the journal "Nature Medicine" in June 2019 and were also picked up by Spiegel Online in an article in June 2019.
The connection between gut flora and health
The fact that the gut is very important for the body and its health has been widely recognized for many years and became known to an even broader public at the latest with Giulia Enders' book, 'Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ'. After all, the gastroenterologist's book has remained consistently in the top 10 non-fiction paperbacks since its publication in April 2017 (as of July 2019). The gut is important for our health. There is no doubt about that. If your gut is healthy, it has a lasting impact on your health – after all, the gut and its healthy function are a key indicator of your immune system and are receiving increasing attention in scientific studies. Up to 100 trillion bacteria live there – a number that is hard to imagine. We shouldn't automatically think of disease when we hear the word 'bacteria'. Bacteria are essential for our organism, digestion, and overall well-being. And the vast majority of them, both beneficial and less helpful ones, reside in the gut. All the bacterial strains settled there are referred to as gut flora or microbiome. If the composition of the gut flora changes, it can potentially affect our body and possibly even our physical performance, as scientists have discovered.
Exercise and nutrition as key factors in gut health
Anyone who exercises regularly and, for example, goes running, swims, visits the gym, or completes a session at home on the treadmill, the cross trainer, or the rowing machine is demonstrably doing something good for their health. Combined with a balanced and healthy diet, this has positive effects on the gut flora. The many microorganisms in the gut are responsible for our digestion, immune defense, vital nutrient supply, and even hormone balance. If this highly complex system falls out of balance due to an unhealthy diet and/or an inactive lifestyle, it has immediate consequences for our health.
Is the Veillonella bacterium co-responsible for our performance?
Using samples from the 15 subjects of the Boston Marathon, the researchers demonstrated that a very specific bacterium called "Veillonella" apparently ensures that the lactates formed in the muscles during physical exertion are broken down. Increased concentrations of the microbes were detected after the marathon. This breakdown process produces propionates, which are short-chain fatty acids. These, in turn, influence heart rate, oxygen consumption, and fat burning. To see whether Veillonella bacteria are linked to performance, the scientists conducted an experiment on mice: They implanted the bacteria into the guts of mice and let them run in an exercise wheel until exhaustion. On average, mice with the implanted bacterial strain were able to run up to 13 percent longer in the exercise wheel than the control group without the Veillonella supplement.
This is an interesting approach in which scientists, as well as developers of probiotic dietary supplements, naturally have a great interest. Nevertheless, one should always keep in mind that these insights were gained from a study with very few participants, and results from mouse studies cannot be directly transferred to humans. Further research and studies are definitely needed here to be able to make a solid scientific statement. Furthermore, statements from other recognized experts on the topic who have no commercial interest and investigate the topic neutrally as completely independent experts are required. The specific benefits as well as risks for humans are also not addressed. Still, the topic is quite interesting, especially for competitive athletes such as marathon runners: Could further studies and research perhaps prove that certain types of bacteria exert a direct influence on the body's performance? If that is the case, is there a healthy way to encourage the body to achieve higher performance and endurance by introducing this bacterial strain? The logical next step would then be a type of probiotic supplement.
There are already studies showing that additional intake of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains can help reduce oxidative stress, boost immune function, and support the absorption of plant-based carbohydrates. All of this can and will also lead to enhanced performance and improve the body's recovery times. If an (endurance) athlete's body recovers faster, the athlete can logically train more frequently, thereby significantly increasing overall fitness and performance.
What other permitted, performance-enhancing substances are known?
Ergogenic, i.e., performance-enhancing substances have always been of great interest to all athletes. There are plenty of risky experiments, occasionally even with fatal outcomes, demonstrating how willing people are to push to their limits and beyond. Over the past decades, all of this has led to numerous substances and preparations being banned and a doping list being introduced.
Nevertheless, there are also plenty of harmless substances that are legal and proven to maintain or even increase performance. These usually occur naturally in a healthy human diet anyway.
Some of these include:
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Vitamins with an antioxidant effect, such as vitamin C and vitamin E
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Various minerals and trace elements such as magnesium, zinc, iron, chromium, selenium, or copper
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Unsaturated fatty acids & medium-chain fats: MCT, creatine, L-carnitine
One of the best options is still an optimized carbohydrate intake: If sufficient carbohydrates are available, this allows for higher energy expenditure per unit of time, which in turn leads to higher performance.
