Exercise Boosts Healthy Gut Bacteria Variety

Researchers have determined that exercise does more than just keep your muscles strong and heart healthy. According to a new study, regular exercise also boosts the diversity of bacteria found in the gut, an important factor that contributes to overall well-being.

Past research has shown that maintaining a wide variety of harmless gut bacteria keeps microbe counts in check while simultaneously contributing to metabolism and a stronger immune system.

In fact, Nature World News reported earlier this year that one of the proven benefits of breast feeding is a heightened rate at which a newborn develops a varied gut bacteria population - becoming more resistant to dangerous intestinal infections that can affect young children.

Now, researchers have determined that exercise appears to encourage variety among gut-dwelling bacteria as well, according to a study published in the appropriately named journal Gut.

In this first-of-its-kind study, researchers specifically examined the effects exercise has on microbial populations by analyzing fecal and blood samples from 40 professional rugby players. Two groups healthy of non-athletes were also asked to give samples for analysis. One of these control groups consisted of people of similar age and body-mass-index (BMI) compared to the athletes. The other group was of like-age and had lower average BMI scores.

All three groups were also asked to complete questionnaires, which provided information about their eating habits and exercise frequency.

Interestingly, the researchers found that the athletes had a markedly wider range of gut bacterial types compared to the other two groups.

According to the study, the athletes were found to have much higher proportions of Akkermansiaceae in particular - a bacteria that has previously been associated with lower rates of obesity and metabolic disorders.

It should be noted that while the researchers found an association between exercise and bacterial variety, they did not determine a cause-and-effect relationship, and further studies will be needed to investigate this phenomenon.

The study was published in Gut, of the British Medical Journal, on June 9.