Atlas Biomed microbiome testing and it's 5 links to performance
You many have noticed we now offer a Microbiome test from Atlas Biomed, but what exactly is it and how can it help you? In this blog we’ll explore what gut health testing is, how it is carried out, and the data it can tell you about your internal world. We’ll then look at 5 direct links between gut health and performance, and how an improvement in gut health can have a huge impact in the gym or on the sports field.
When you order a microbiome testing kit on our website, you’ll receive your testing kit through the post within a few days. The kit has everything you need to collect a sample, as well as full instructions explaining everything you need to do. After registering the kit on the Atlas website, you’ll be required to collect a stool sample following the instructions, seal the tube tightly and place it in the biohazard bag inside the box.
Voila! You have collected and sealed your sample, and now you just need to send it back to Atlas in the prepaid white return box. Done!
Once you’ve done this, Atlas will handle the rest. It goes to their lab where it is analysed by world-class sequencing technology and interpreted by a special algorithm designed by a team of microbiome experts and biostatisticians. From just the one sample, the data collected is numerous and very complex, however it will be interpreted and the results presented in an accessible, interactive way on your own personal dashboard. This will give you easy to understand visual data and insights into your internal health, along with practical advice on how to improve your gut health and therefore your fitness.
Instead of confusing numbers and scientific terms, you’ll get clear descriptions of your microbiome traits. The results will be grouped in several sections, making them easier to understand:
Health - Including disease risks, microbiome diversity and dietary advice
Nutrition - Information about vitamin synthesis, dietary fibre and butyrate production
Bacteria - Microbiome “type” and bacteria nationality
Your personal microbiome dashboard is fully interactive and displays your results and insights in a visual way
This is interesting, but why is gut health important to athletic performance? The body of research for this is broad, however we will break this down into 5 key impacts.
1. Gut health and metabolism
The thousands of tiny organisms in your gut influence both energy levels during exercise and recovery afterwards. They are responsible for metabolising fuel and nutrients for energy release, therefore the better your gut health and bacteria composition, the more effectively this energy will be released. Physical exertion increases your metabolic activity which means there is then a greater demand for energy within the body. Whether you swim, lift, run or do functional fitness, this energy need means that the more efficient the body is at metabolising fuel the better you will perform!
Eating the foods that your gut microbes love, particularly fibre, can also increase the breakdown and utilisation of carbs, resulting in greater muscle turnover and general health.
2. Gut health and lactate
When you train, your muscles produce a byproduct called lactic acid. Have you ever climbed a steep hill or staircase and felt a burning ache flood down your legs as you near the top? This is lactic acid and when it builds up can result in muscle soreness, stiffness and an inability to perform. There is a type of bacteria in our gut called Veillonella Atypica which loves lactate and studies have shown that if there is more of this bacteria in your gut, your exercise capacity can increase because lactic acid is broken down more effectively! Atlas can tell you whether you have this microbe, and how you can increase it.
3. Gut health and athletic performance
It may be a broad statement, but generally the healthier you are the better you will perform. There is a wide body of science all about how our gut health influences and dictates our overall physical and mental health, therefore our gut health in turn can have a huge impact on our athletic performance.
Beneficial effects of gut bacteria include:
Nutrient and short chain fatty acid production
Preventing inflammation
Regulating gut motility
Supporting immune function
Dietary fibre metabolism
Regulating weight
Each of these areas can affect how we feel about ourselves, our mental wellbeing, our physical health and therefore our athletic performance.
4. Gut health and hydration
When we train we sweat. Even if you don’t “feel” sweaty, your internal body temperature is raised and there is a greater demand for fluid within the body. Your body also loses water in the form of condensation through an increased breathing rate, leaving you at a greater risk of dehydration.
Your gut microbiome helps the body to use water effectively, therefore avoiding dehydration which is shown to have a huge impact on performance. Do you remember the CrossFit Games when lots of the athletes collapsed during Murph? Dehydration, heatstroke and exercise do not mix well!
Gut microbes also help with the transport of electrolytes such as potassium and sodium through the gut lining, enabling them to reach the muscles and organs where they are needed the most.
5. Gut health and sleep
Whether you do fitness casually or as a professional athlete, the amount and quality of sleep you get has a huge impact on your ability to perform and recover. Heading into a session without adequate rest can make it feel like an uphill struggle. The gut microbiome is important for regulating hormones such as serotonin and cortisol which affect your sleep cycles as well as your ability to nod off in the first place. It follows then that a healthier gut can mean better sleep, which in turn means better training and better recovery.
I hope that this blog has helped to explain the significant ways in which Atlas Microbiome testing can help you understand more about your microbiome and provide you with a toolkit for reaching that next level of performance or health. Head to the product page of our website to find out more or drop us a message if you have any specific questions.
