Not motivated to play sports? Your gut microbes may be to blame

[ad_1]

When we think of the treadmill, it rarely has a good connotation. But while that might sound boring to a human, it’s rejuvenating to a mouse. Exercise and good nutrition are the two most important things we can do for our physical and mental health. Being couch potatoes is surprisingly detrimental to our well-being. Evolution hasn’t properly prepared us to binge on Netflix.

Mariakray/iStock

But how do we motivate ourselves to get off our butts and put on our running shorts? Exercise involves our muscles, our heart, our lungs and, surprisingly, our guts. An intriguing link between exercise and diet runs directly through the collection of microbes in our gut called the microbiota.

Microbes and neurotransmitters

A recent study by Christoph Thaiss and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania found that certain microbes in mice can produce endocannabinoids, the body’s own version of cannabis. The endocannabinoid system is a surprisingly complex cellular signaling system involved, among other things, in energy balance. It also elevates dopamine levels in a part of the brain called the ventral striatum during exercise, which increases the mouse’s inclination to exercise as well as its performance.

Germ-free mice raised in a sterile environment do not exercise as long or as well as normal germinative mice, and when antibiotics are given to kill gut microbes, the effect of exercise wears off. The researchers concluded that the microbiota influences the rewarding properties of exercise, such as runners high. Because the microbes are different for each animal, this also explains at least some of the individual variability in performance.

The researchers said, if applicable to humans, our findings imply that [chemicals] that boost motivation to exercise could be a great opportunity to counter the detrimental health impact of a sedentary lifestyle.

And the humans?

Not all mouse studies are relevant to humans, but mice and humans have a similar endocannabinoid system connected to the ventral striatum. We also know there is a link between exercise, germs and metabolism. In a brilliant, if disreputable, experiment, Chun-Ying Wu and colleagues at Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan showed that metabolic profiles of athletic mice could be transferred to overweight mice on a high-fat diet. .

How to transfer a microbiota? By fecal transplant. It is not disturbing for a mouse, because they eat each other’s droppings all the time. But it’s remarkable that a large sedentary mouse can get a supercharged metabolism from the poop of a champion wheel racer. This demonstrates that the effect is not only correlational but causal. Recipients of these fecal transplants lose weight, gain strength and are more motivated to exercise.

What to do?

What can we do to encourage ourselves to stop hogging the couch? Along with endocannabinoids and dopamine, GABA is another neurotransmitter that plays a role in our health, reducing pain and anxiety, factors that make us less likely to exercise. Certain species of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria produce GABA, and they are easily found in fermented foods like yogurt. Thus, the introduction of ferments in the diet can give us a little nudge in the right direction.

In addition to microbes affecting our motivation to exercise, we know that exercise can improve our microbiota, thereby boosting our mood. This circularity of the microbiota is not uncommon and offers us another lever to control our exercise programs.

If we can break the will of our recalcitrant gut microbes and use the treadmill for more than hanging clothes, we quickly benefit. Exercise reduces levels of pathogenic bacteria and increases their overall diversity, which is a good thing.

Some of the bacteria that benefit from exercise include Clostridiales, Roseburia, Lachnospiraceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae. These microbes secrete short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which heal and nourish the intestinal lining. Extreme exercise, however, often leads to leaky gut and systemic inflammation. This is partly due to a redirection of blood flow away from the gut in favor of skeletal muscle. Athletes at this elite level often complain of intestinal upset. Fortunately, these effects are short term and athletes, in general, have a better and more diverse set of microbes that are resistant to disease and inflammation.

Thus, a better diet can create a better microbiota that can help boost our motivation to exercise. And then, once we start exercising, we may be able to further enhance this microbiota in a virtuous circle. It’s an easy way to break the curse of squatting on the couch and put us on the path to better health and a happier mood.

[ad_2]