3 Surprising Ways Exercise Affects Gut Health

We all know exercise is good for the body. It helps us to keep fit, improve our mood, strengthen bones and muscles, and stay healthy overall. But, did you know that exercising can also help with improving your gut health?

According to recent research, physical activity can increase the diversity of the microflora, increase the number of beneficial microbial species, and provide a slight immunosuppressive effect. The host (you) benefits from all of these impacts, which raises the host's overall health.

But what exactly does this mean? We’re going to break it down in today’s blog post! 

What is the gut microbiome?

Microorganisms, or microbes for short, are microscopic organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes. The gut is home to trillions of microscopic creatures that are essential to our overall health and bodily functions. 

These microorganisms could weigh up to 2 to 5 pounds altogether, which is about the same as the weight of your brain. Together, they serve as an additional organ in your body and are extremely important to your health.

How can exercise positively impact gut health? 

In a University of Illinois study, researchers discovered that as little as six weeks of exercise could have an effect on the microbiota.[1] Here are three of the many reasons why exercise is good for your gut health: 

Exercise can increase the diversity of the microflora. 

A human study among elite rugby players vs. controls provided evidence of a beneficial impact of exercise on gut microbiota diversity: athletes had a higher diversity, representing 22 distinct phyla.[2]  Additionally, Petriz et al. looked at how controlled exercise training affected the gut microbiota of hypertensive and obese rats. They discovered that compared to obese rats, nonobese and hypertensive rats displayed a different composition of intestinal microbiota. Furthermore, the composition and variety of gut bacteria improved as a result of exercise.[3]

So why is microbiota diversity important? A greater diversity of bacterial species has been related to better health conditions, and low diversity has been linked to obesity and several diseases such as diabetes, IBD, colon cancer, and autism.[4] 

Exercise can increase the number of “good” microbial species. 

Exercise helped enhance the composition of the gut microbiota, according to a 2017 PLoS One study that followed 40 women between the ages of 18 and 40. Half the group exercised for at least three hours over a seven-day period, and the other half exercised less than 1.5 hours per week. The DNA genetic sequencing of stool samples and the levels of 11 different species of bacteria indicated significant differences. The women who exercised had higher levels of microorganisms that are good for your health (like Roseburia hominis and Akkermansia muciniphila).[4] 

Exercise can provide a slight immunosuppressive effect.

Did you know that a little immunosuppression can actually be a good thing? Another reason why exercise can improve our gut health is because when we exercise, it has a slight immunosuppressive effect.[5] A small amount of immunosuppression may be beneficial since we want to stop our immune system from being overly aggressive. Therefore, some exercise can help prevent your gut immune system from being overzealous and attacking your healthy bacteria.[5] 

What are the current activity guidelines?

Each week adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity), and 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity (such as resistance or weights). Although 150 minutes of exercise every week may seem like a lot, you don't have to do it all at once. It might look like exercising for 30 minutes, five days a week for you.

How to become more consistent with exercise. 

Set realistic goals for yourself. Don't expect to go from not exercising at all to working out 7 days a week. Start with something small and realistic, such as walking around your neighborhood for 30 minutes three times a week. As you become more comfortable with the exercise, increase the length or frequency of your workouts. 

Find a workout that you genuinely enjoy doing and that feels good for you. If you find yourself dreading your workout, it might be a sign that you’re probably not engaging in forms of movement that makes you or your body happy. Here are some exercises to try:

• Taking a workout class (think pilates, kickboxing, dancing, spin class, water aerobics, etc!)
• Hiking
• Biking
• Walking/running
• Yoga
• Weight lifting

Check out this blog post to dive deeper into your relationship with exercise. 

References: 

1. Munukka, E., Ahtiainen, J. P., Puigbó, P., Jalkanen, S., Pahkala, K., Keskitalo, A., Kujala, U. M., Pietilä, S., Hollmén, M., Elo, L., Huovinen, P., D’Auria, G., & Pekkala, S. (2018). Six-week endurance exercise alters gut metagenome that is not reflected in systemic metabolism in over-weight women. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, 2323.
2. Clarke, S. F., Murphy, E. F., O’Sullivan, O., Lucey, A. J., Humphreys, M., Hogan, A., Hayes, P., O’Reilly, M., Jeffery, I. B., Wood-Martin, R., Kerins, D. M., Quigley, E., Ross, R. P., O’Toole, P. W., Molloy, M. G., Falvey, E., Shanahan, F., & Cotter, P. D. (2014). Exercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversity. Gut, 63(12), 1913–1920.
3. Petriz, B. A., Castro, A. P., Almeida, J. A., Gomes, C. P., Fernandes, G. R., Kruger, R. H., Pereira, R. W., & Franco, O. L. (2014). Exercise induction of gut microbiota modifications in obese, non-obese and hypertensive rats. BMC Genomics, 15(1), 511.
4. Bressa, C., Bailén-Andrino, M., Pérez-Santiago, J., González-Soltero, R., Pérez, M., Montalvo-Lominchar, M. G., Maté-Muñoz, J. L., Domínguez, R., Moreno, D., & Larrosa, M. (2017). Differences in gut microbiota profile between women with active lifestyle and sedentary women. PloS One, 12(2), e0171352.
5. Ruscio, M. (2017, October 16). Exercise improves your Microbiota. Dr. Michael Ruscio, DNM, DC.