Mixed
Intense exercise (>70% VO2max) can increase intestinal permeability and endotoxemia, leading to temporary systemic inflammation and gastrointestinal distress.
High-intensity or prolonged endurance exercise can temporarily compromise your gut barrier, leading to inflammation and GI issues. This is common in ultrarunning or intense military training. While the long-term benefits of training outweigh these acute stresses, managing hydration, nutrition, and recovery is crucial to mitigate these temporary negative effects.
Conversely, intense exercise can increase gastrointestinal epithelial wall permeability and diminish gut mucus thickness, potentially enabling pathogens to enter the bloodstream. This, in turn, may contribute to the increase in inflammation levels.
Why this rating
Supported by studies on ultramarathoners, triathletes, and military training (refs 45, 46, 49, 50).
Source
Interplay Between Exercise and Gut Microbiome in the Context of Human Health and Performance
Matthieu Clauss et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2021
DOI 10.3389/fnut.2021.637010
More from this paper
- Moderate intensity endurance exercise (<70% VO2max) improves gut microbial diversity and reduces systemic inflammation by decreasing intestinal permeability.Good
- Elite athletes exhibit higher gut microbial diversity and a specific enrichment of bacteria involved in short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production compared to sedentary controls.Good
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