Numerous research reports indicate that physical activity, specifically cardio, is good for our body & gut health. Today we are going to discuss the relationship between cardio & gut microbiome diversity.
Microbiome is a bacterial community in our body that performs beneficial functions for us inside our body. In fact, our gut performs a variety of functions aimed at improving health & reducing risk of attracting chronic diseases. As shared in our previous blogs, having a healthy gut helps in improving our metabolism, controlling our appetite, achieving our weight loss objectives as well as reducing incidence of lifestyle diseases such as Diabetes, Thyroid & IBD( to name few).
There is a symbiotic relationship between our gut & body. We give microbes a place to live in our body & in turn they work hard with us to convert dietary fibre into vitamins & short chain fatty acids, thereby boosting our immune system & keeping pathogens & harmful bacteria from making us sick.
Diversity of gut microbiome is an essential parameter when measuring health benefits of this ecosystem residing in our colon. Gut microbiota consists of hundreds of species & its diversity improves our health. Lack of gut microbiome diversity leads to imbalance that directly impacts our digestive health & reduces disease protection lining created by the gut bacteria ecosystem.
Exercises & regular physical activity is a great way to increase the number of beneficial bacteria in our body & enhance gut diversity. It has also been shown to reduce risks of diseases with gut microbiome being the most contributing factor to this cause. Increasing the frequency of moderate exercise from nil to daily is said to enhance diversity among firmicutes( one category of bacteria we discussed in our earlier blog ) & contribute to a healthier gut environment.
Among various exercises & physical activity, there are different factors that impact our gut bacteria. Peak oxygen uptake(VO2 Max level) has been used to evaluate how exercises( specifically cardio) impacts our gut microbiome. As shared earlier , Vo2 max is used to measure endurance & can be improved with high intensity workout. In fact, Vo2 max can account for 20% variation in diversity of gut bacteria after taking into account all other factors including nutrition & diet. Cardiovascular fitness is associated with high gut microbiome diversity irrespective of what participants ate.
So the question arises, how much physical activity should we indulge in ? Around 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week( cycling, brisk walking) & strength training on minimum 3 days a week covering all muscles of your body- legs, shoulders, chest, arms, abdomen & back. Alternatively, a mix of moderate & intense aerobic activity every week( 2 30-minutes run & 30 minutes brisk walking) & strength training on minimum 3 days a week covering all muscles of your body- legs, shoulders, chest, arms, abdomen & back.
You should stretch all muscle tendon groups (60 seconds for each muscle group) without fail. This will ensure range of movement of your joints. Discover your personal traits & learn about your genetic predisposition to nutrition & workout Our solution will help you avoid a standard approach to fitness. By subscribing to our membership & preventive health programs, you will not only receive information about genetic response to nutrition & fitness but also be coached by an international fitness coach who will cover both genetics powered nutrition & exercise aspects of the program that will help you improve your health, meet your weight loss goals & overcome risk of diabetes. Sign up for our membership here. or download our mobile application here
