New research has empirically shown that sport is not only good for your muscles and brain, but that it improves the number and diversity of bacteria in your digestive system.
‘Mens sana in corpore sana’ the Greeks used to say. And while they didn’t know exactly why, they did know the benefits of sport on many levels. Now research published in the British Medical Journal has gone one step further and has shown that it not only strengthens our muscles and improves the capacity of our brain, but also improves our intestinal biota.
Previous research had shown that obesity depends in part on our intestinal microbiota, there is even the term infectobesity to denote weight gain due to the deficient amount of bacteria in our digestive system. Hence the importance of this new research.
To verify the type of bacteria that populate the different intestines, the researchers studied the fecal remains and the blood of almost fifty professional rugby players and as many normal people of the same size and age as the previous ones. In addition, the diet they were eating was analyzed in order to individualize the results.
The data showed that the athletes showed a greater variety and quantity of intestinal bacteria, especially with a species of bacteria belonging to the genus Akkermansia associated with lower rates of obesity. “Our findings indicate that exercise is another important factor in the relationship between the microbiota, host immunity and metabolism,” explained one of the researchers.
So, if you want to stay in shape both at a muscular, cognitive and intestinal level, you already know what the key is, physical exercise. Of course, taking into account the importance of proper hydration to avoid major problems.
