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Could A Healthier Gut Be The Key To Greater Gym Gains?

Science seems to think so - by Lucy Bode
  • 23 Sep 2019
Could A Healthier Gut Be The Key To Greater Gym Gains?

At this point, there’s not a lot good gut health can’t help with – from alleviating anxiety and depression to improving your skin. And, according to new research, our muscle strength may also benefit from a healthy microbiome.

Scientists from Tufts University compared the gut bacteria from 19 older adults who had either ‘high-physical function and favourable body composition’ or ‘low-physical function and less favourable body composition.’ They found that their microbiota differed significantly, with the first group showing far higher levels of beneficial bacteria, such as Prevotellaceae, Prevotella, Barnesiella, and Barnesiella intestinihominis.

Next, the authors introduced these species to the guts of mice and observed how the bacteria impacted their metabolic and physical profiles. Curiously, the mice displayed an increase in grip strength – a common measure of muscle strength.

The study’s lead author Michael Lustgarten said the findings will assist in understanding the “role of gut bacteria in the maintenance of muscle strength in older adults.” Although it could also have implications for gym-goers and those looking to improve their physical performance.  

"For example, if we were to conduct an intervention to increase Prevotella levels in the gut microbiome, we would expect to see an increase in muscle strength if these bacteria are involved," he added.

Wondering if your gut health is up to scratch? Here are some signs you might be struggling... 

This article originally appeared on Women's Health

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Lucy Bode
Lucy Bode
Lucy is WH’s Digital Editor, Features Writer, social media guru and resident woo. A long black lover and foodie at heart, she considers peanut butter an hourly staple and believes chardonnay is the superior drop. When she's not at the beach, barre or yoga studio you'll find her coming up with new and improved ways to kill her unkillable houseplants

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