9 Signs of an Unhealthy Gut in Endurance Athletes

What are the signs of an unhealthy gut in endurance athletes? Gut health is currently a huge buzzword in the health and wellness industry. It’s also become a topic of interest among athletes who want to maximize both their performance and overall health.

After all, starting a race bloated or having to run to the porter potty five minutes into training is not exactly ideal. Even further than that, your gut health can have an impact on your sleep, mood, recovery, and more. If your gut isn’t working properly, it is a no-brainer that your performance can suffer!

In today’s article let’s review the connection between gut health and athletic performance and walk through 9 signs of poor gut health. I will also provide easy and tangible ways to start improving your gut health as an athlete today!

What are the Basics of Gut Health?

Within your digestive system, there is an ecological system of trillions of tiny microbes that make up your gut microbiome. These microorganisms play an interconnected role in influencing hundreds of different bodily processes.

The state of health that your gastrointestinal (GI) tract and gut microbiome are in is referred to as gut health. Having poor gut health can wreak havoc on your body’s systems and vice versa, a functioning gut can improve your symptoms and overall quality of life.

Science has shown that your gut health impacts:

• Digestive health and bowel regularity
• Hormone production and regulation
• Mood and prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders
• Concentration and focus
• Quality of sleep and sleep duration
• Risk of chronic disease, including neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, hypertension, and more

These are just the beginning. Research is continuing to emerge every year about the possible influences your gut can have on other areas of your body.

What we do know is this: your body will not function to the best of its ability if your gut is unhealthy.

What Contributes to an Unhealthy Gut?

There are many different factors that can contribute to an unhealthy gut. Certain lifestyle and dietary habits may disrupt your gut microbiome, leading to an imbalance called gut dysbiosis.

Gut dysbiosis is a fancy way of saying that there is a build-up of harmful microbes compared to beneficial ones in your GI tract. Aka- the bad guys outnumber the good guys. And in the case of your gut health, this is far from ideal!

Factors that can lead to gut dysbiosis include:

• Eating too little or too much
• High and chronic stress
• Overconsumption of high-fat and highly processed foods
• Underconsumption of fruits and vegetables
• Food intolerances and sensitivities
• Heavy drinking and smoking
• Lack of hydration
• Frequent antibiotic usage
• Poor environmental conditions
• And more!

Gut Health and Athletic Performance

Next, I want to get into how your gut health can impact your athletic performance.

One of the more obvious ways is that proper gut health will likely come with a lesser amount of unpleasant symptoms. As an athlete, feeling bloated, having stomach pains, or feeling like you constantly need to use the bathroom, can all negatively impact your performance.

In fact, one study found that 96% of ultramarathoners experienced GI symptoms at one point during the race, and 35% reported that they didn’t finish the race because of GI symptoms. Wow, right?!

Even further, the composition of your gut microbiome and the functioning of your digestive system can have tons of other performance benefits for athletes.

Note-worthy benefits of improving gut health for athletes:

• Reduces inflammation, allowing for faster recovery times
• Increases your hydration by regulating the transport of electrolytes
• Improves energy metabolism by supplying muscles with oxygen and nutrients
• Enhances neurological function leading to an increase in mental toughness and focus
• Boosts your stress resilience so you can train harder and for longer
• Regulates your immune system so you’re less likely to get sick

As you can see, there is absolutely merit to working on your gut health as an endurance athlete. Especially if you’re noticing frequent GI symptoms that are affecting your ability to perform!

9 Signs of an Unhealthy Gut in Endurance Athletes

You may be asking… what are the signs of an unhealthy gut? How can I even tell if my gut is healthy?

Your body is a unit that works together in harmony. When one part of the machine is not working, such as your gut, your body will respond to try to compensate. This manifests into symptoms that you may experience.

Let’s dive into the signs and symptoms to look out for that can indicate gut issues.

Bloating

Bloating refers to the distention of your stomach. While some bloating is normal, especially after large meals, frequent or extreme bloating should be addressed.

Unexplained Weight Loss/Gain

Are you all of a sudden losing or gaining weight? Especially if you haven’t changed your routine recently, this can be a sign of something deeper going on in your gut.

Fatigue

If you’re feeling very tired or low energy throughout the day, your gut could be to blame. This is also true if you find you tire more quickly from training sessions.

Irregular Bowels

Your bowel movements are a very crucial indicator of gut health. Both constipation and diarrhea are telling signs that there is something amidst in your gut.

Skin Issues

Your skin is your body’s largest organ and is directly influenced by the state of your gut. Skin issues such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin may be a symptom of poor gut health.

Excessive Gas

Excessive gas can be very uncomfortable and lead to bloating and stomach pain. If you’re very gassy after meals, you may have food intolerances or gut dysbiosis going on.

Trouble Sleeping

Having a hard time falling asleep? An unhealthy balance of gut microbes can impact your quality and duration of sleep.

Anxiety

Did you know that 90% of your body’s serotonin is made in your gut? Your gut-brain axis is a powerful connection between what is going on in your GI tract and your mood. Anxiety, depression, irritability, and mood swings can all be related to your gut health.

Stomach Pain

Any type of abdominal pain that is reoccurring should raise some concern.

Easy Ways to Support Your Gut

Improving your gut health doesn’t need to be complicated. Many people end up turning to the next best gut supplement or random tips they heard from an influencer on Tiktok.

But the reality is that going back to the basics and prioritizing an overall healthy diet and lifestyle are the best ways to support your gut. Below I will list a few easy ways to improve your gut health by adding in the right foods and lifestyle strategies.

Optimal Foods to Support Gut Health

• Pre and probiotic-rich foods
  • Yogurt, kombucha, kefir, asparagus, leeks, onion, garlic
• Fermented foods
  • Saurekraut, kimchi, miso, fermented vegetables
• Plant proteins
  • Lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds
• Fruits and vegetables
  • Dark leafy greens, berries, citrus fruits, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potatoes
• Herbs and spices
  • Turmeric, ginger, peppermint

Dietary fiber is a type of non-digestible carbohydrate with tons of amazing benefits for your gut health. It feeds and nourishes the good bacteria in the gut!

It is recommended to get at least 25-35 grams of fiber per day. Bump up your fiber intake by adding chia seeds to your oatmeal, psyllium husk powder in your smoothies, and swapping brown rice for white rice.

Lifestyle Strategies to Support Gut Health

• Address any intolerances/sensitivities
  • Being sensitive or intolerant to specific foods can cause poor gut symptoms. Work with a registered dietitian to address any intolerances or sensitivities.
• Minimize alcohol intake
  • Even moderate amounts of alcohol can be harmful to your gut.
• Manage your stress levels
  • Find stress-relieving activities that you enjoy, such as walking in nature, doing a guided meditation, listening to binaural beats, painting or journaling, or taking an Epsom salt bath
• Avoid overtraining and extreme levels of high-intensity work
  • Fuel up appropriately before training and avoid excessive amounts of high-intensity training sessions

Signs of an Unhealthy Gut: The Takeaway

This article only begins to scratch the surface of what gut health is all about. As an athlete, your gut is an essential indicator of what is going on inside your body.

With the right meal choices and daily habits, you can implement simple strategies to support your gut and reduce unwanted symptoms. In addition, your body will be able to recover faster, train stronger, and go for longer.

Make sure to tune into the signs of an unhealthy gut and make an appointment with your care team if persistent symptoms continue.

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