The secret is out!! 

What is one of the most exciting and emerging areas of sports nutrition ? Clue .. it involves FOOD (yey!) 

Have you heard of the Gut Microbiome?

It is the collection of bacteria in your gut that play an essential role in breaking down and helping us to get the goodness from the food we eat.

Healthy gut microbiome

There is already a mass of research especially in athletes linking a healthy gut microbiome to:-

🦠Reduced  illness

🩸Reduced injury

🪬Improved recovery 

🚴🏻‍♂️ Improved performance.

How can you boost your gut microbiome?

Here are my  top 4 sports nutrition tips for a healthy gut! 

1. Increase your fibre intake – we should aim for 30g fibre per day. A simple swap could be swapping white bread for granary or choosing brown rice over white rice
2. Aim for 5 or more portions of fruit and /or vegetables per day. Most people in the UK struggle to consume 1 portion per day. Aim to add fruit / vegetables to each of your meals. This is also a great way to fill you up if you are trying to loose weight.
3. Choose foods rich in polyphenols and antioxidants that provide food / fuel to microbes for example nuts, berries, olive oil.
4. Choose fermented foods high in microbes e.g kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and garlic.

You can also consider taking a good probiotic supplement. For advice and guidance speak to a sports dietitian as many products do not contain the correct dose or balance of healthy bacteria to promote gut health.