Micronutrients & recovery
High-carbohydrate diets (>45% calories, >6 g/kg body weight) and high-dose carbohydrate supplements (up to 90 g/session) in endurance athletes may negatively impact gut microbiota composition and intestinal barrier integrity by promoting dysbiosis and low-grade inflammation.
If you are an endurance athlete, be aware that very high carbohydrate intake (>6g/kg) combined with low fiber can disrupt your gut bacteria and increase inflammation. Consider balancing your carb intake with prebiotic fibers (like pectin or inulin) to protect your gut barrier, especially if you are consuming high doses of simple sugars or maltodextrin during training.
It is recommended that runners or cyclists consume a very high-carbohydrate diet (>45% of calories and >6 g of carbohydrates (CHO) per kg of body weight)... These two recommendations make the diet for endurance athletes similar to a Western diet, which is known to promote weight gain and metabolic disorders... high sugar consumption is known to exert negative effects on the gut mucosa and epithelium and, therefore, on the microbiota. This, in turn, may promote low-grade inflammation related to cardiovascular disease and other disorders [26].
Why this rating
The paper is a review citing multiple studies, but notes conflicting results and a lack of direct long-term human trials on specific ergogenic doses.
Source
Different Approaches to Ergogenic, Pre-, and Probiotic Supplementation in Sports with Different Metabolism Characteristics: A Mini Review
Jakub Wiącek et al. · Nutrients · 2023
DOI 10.3390/nu15061541
More from this paper
- Prebiotics (Inulin, Pectin, Beta-glucans) and Probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium) supplementation can improve gut homeostasis, reduce infection risk, and potentially enhance athletic performance (endurance, strength) by modulating the gut microbiota.Good
- High-protein diets (>1.6-2.2 g/kg body weight) and excessive protein supplementation may negatively alter gut microbiota by increasing toxic metabolites (ammonia, amines) through proteolytic fermentation, potentially reducing probiotic strains.Moderate
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