The gut microbiome is a term that's thrown around a lot. But what does it actually mean? Is there a particular gut microbiome that's more common in athletes? And should athletes be trying to shape their microbiome to benefit their health or performance?

Timestamps:

02:10 - What is the gut microbiome?

13:50 - What are short chain fatty acids, and what's their significance?

18:00 - How do you determine someone's microbiome?

23:59 - Species vs strain of microbiota

30:08 - Is there an "athletic microbiome" that's common to most athletes?

32:00 - Effect of pre/pro/syn/postbiotics on performance

42:38 - Effect of pre/pro/syn/postbiotics on illness prevention and treatment

45:44 - Effect of pre/pro/syn/postbiotics on gut issues during exercise

52:12 - Practical advice for using pre/pro/syn/postbiotics

55:30 - Bonus round and Monash University study

59:14 - Summary and wrap up

Read the research paper (open access):

Gaskell S et al. Gut microbiota and exercise: A systematic review of interventions and evidence limitations. Int J Sports Med. 2025: doi: https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2705-2210 

Current study recruiting at Monash University (looking for distance runners aged 18-55): https://www.monash.edu/medicine/scs/nutrition/research/volunteer#Pre-Exercise 

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