Gut Health and Athletic Performance

How nutrition, hydration, recovery, and the gut-brain connection support your health and performance

Your gut does much more than digest food. It is home to trillions of microorganisms that interact with your body and play important roles in digestion, nutrient processing, immune function, metabolism, and gut barrier health (Mohr et al., 2020).

For athletes, supporting your gut can help create a strong foundation for fueling, recovery, and overall health. Emerging research suggests that the relationship between exercise and the gut microbiome works both ways: physical activity can influence the gut microbiome, while the gut microbiome may influence processes related to exercise, recovery, and health (Varghese et al., 2024).

Your Gut and Brain Are Connected

Have you ever had the feeling of butterflies in your stomach before a big game?

That's because your gut and brain are constantly communicating through your nervous system, hormones, immune system, and the compounds produced by your gut microorganisms.

This is known as the gut-brain connection.

Research suggests that communication between the gut and brain may influence processes related to digestion, mood, stress, and overall health (Mohr et al., 2020; Varghese et al., 2024).

For athletes, supporting your gut may help support:

  • Digestion and nutrient absorption

  • Energy metabolism

  • Immune function

  • Recovery

  • Overall well-being

Your gut is part of a much bigger system connecting your food, body, brain, and performance.

Feed Your Gut Bacteria

Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms. These microorganisms use components of the foods you eat as fuel, especially fibre-rich foods.

The foods you regularly eat can influence the composition and activity of your gut microbiome. Dietary patterns that include a variety of plant foods provide fibre and other compounds that gut bacteria can use to produce beneficial metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) (Chen et al., 2024; Mohr et al., 2020).

Foods to Include

  • Vegetables

  • Fruits

  • Whole grains, such as oats, brown rice, quinoa, and whole-wheat bread

  • Beans and lentils

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Yogurt, coconut yogurt, and kefir 

Aim to include different types and colours of plant foods throughout the week. A varied diet provides your gut with a wider range of nutrients and fibre to support the diverse community of microorganisms living in your digestive system (Chen et al., 2024).

Fibre: Food for Your Gut Bacteria

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that your body doesn't fully digest. Instead, certain types of fibre can be fermented by gut bacteria.

This process produces compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including:

  • Acetate

  • Propionate

  • Butyrate

SCFAs are involved in processes related to gut barrier function, immune regulation, inflammation, and energy metabolism (Mohr et al., 2020; Varghese et al., 2024).

For athletes, this is one reason why including fibre-rich foods as part of an overall balanced diet can support gut health. 

A Tip for Game Day

You don't need to maximize fibre right before a game.

Higher-fibre foods can sometimes cause digestive discomfort when eaten too close to exercise. Instead, choose foods that you know your stomach tolerates well before training and competition, and get your fibre from a variety of foods throughout the rest of the day.

Carbohydrates Support Your Gut and Your Performance

Carbohydrates are an important fuel source for high-intensity activities like hockey.

Many carbohydrate-rich foods, such as fruits, whole grains, beans, and vegetables, also provide fibre and other nutrients that interact with the gut microbiome (Chen et al., 2024).

Research in athletes suggests that diets very low in carbohydrates and fibre may reduce exposure to some of the dietary components that support beneficial microbial activity (Mohr et al., 2020; Chen et al., 2024).

This is another reason carbohydrates are an important part of an athlete's diet.

What Can Disrupt Gut Health?

Your gut can be affected by many factors, including your diet, hydration, sleep, stress, medications, and training load.

Research in athletes suggests that both nutrition and exercise characteristics can influence the gut microbiome (Mohr et al., 2020; Varghese et al., 2024).

Factors that may negatively affect gut health or digestive comfort include:

  • Excessive alcohol intake

  • A diet consistently high in ultra-processed foods and low in variety

  • Not getting enough fibre

  • Poor or inadequate sleep

  • High or ongoing stress

  • Dehydration

  • Very intense or prolonged training without enough or proper recovery

  • Inadequate fueling

These factors can contribute to digestive symptoms and may make it more difficult for your body to handle the demands of training and recovery.

When Training Gets Tough, Your Gut Can Feel It

Hard exercise places stress on your entire body, including your digestive system.

During prolonged or very intense exercise, factors such as dehydration, increased body temperature, reduced blood flow to the digestive system, and inadequate fueling can contribute to gastrointestinal stress and symptoms (Mohr et al., 2020; Varghese et al., 2024).

You might notice:

  • Bloating

  • Cramping

  • Nausea

  • Diarrhea

  • An upset stomach

This doesn't mean you should avoid hard training, but it highlights the importance of adequate fueling, hydration, and recovery for athletes. 

The Gut May Influence Athletic Performance

Emerging research suggests that a healthy gut and good microbiome may also influence processes involved in athletic performance and recovery (Varghese et al., 2024).

Gut microorganisms can produce metabolites such as SCFAs that interact with pathways involved in:

  • Energy metabolism

  • Immune function

  • Inflammation

  • Gut barrier function

  • Potentially muscle metabolism and exercise adaptation

Research has also found differences in the gut microbiomes of athletes compared with less-active individuals, including differences in microbial diversity and metabolic activity (Mohr et al., 2020). However, research in this area is still developing.

Nutrition Tips for Supporting Gut Health

1. Eat a variety of foods: Aim for different fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds throughout the week (Chen et al., 2024).

2. Get enough fibre: Include fibre-rich foods regularly, but adjust fibre around practices and games if certain foods cause digestive discomfort.

3. Stay hydrated: Drink regularly throughout the day and replace fluids lost during training and games. Adequate hydration is especially important when you're exercising intensely or for long periods.

4. Fuel your training: Your gut and your muscles both need enough energy to handle the demands of hockey. Consistently under-fueling can make it harder for your body to manage training stress and recover.

5. Prioritize recovery: Sleep and rest are important for your entire body. High training loads combined with inadequate recovery can place additional stress on the body, including the gastrointestinal system (Mohr et al., 2020; Varghese et al., 2024).

A varied, nutrient-rich diet provides the fibre and nutrients that support your gut microbiome, while adequate fueling, hydration, sleep, and recovery help your body handle the demands of training.


References

Chen, Y., Yang, K., Xu, M., Zhang, Y., Weng, X., Luo, J., Li, Y., & Mao, Y.-H. (2024). Dietary patterns, gut microbiota and sports performance in athletes: A narrative review. Nutrients, 16(11), 1634.https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16111634

Mohr, A. E., Jäger, R., Carpenter, K. C., Kerksick, C. M., Purpura, M., Townsend, J. R., West, N. P., Black, K., Gleeson, M., Pyne, D. B., Wells, S. D., Arent, S. M., Kreider, R. B., Campbell, B. I., Bannock, L., Scheiman, J., Wissent, C. J., Pane, M., Kalman, D. S., Pugh, J. N., Ortega-Santos, C. P., ter Haar, J. A., Arciero, P. J., & Antonio, J. (2020). The athletic gut microbiota. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 17, 24.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00353-w

Varghese, S., Rao, S., Khattak, A., Zamir, F., & Chaari, A. (2024). Physical exercise and the gut microbiome: A bidirectional relationship influencing health and performance. Nutrients, 16(21), 3663.https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16213663