2023-04-19 12:23:36
19 avril 2023
The role of the intestinal microbiota on our health is increasingly well known and recognized. According to Canadian researchers, practicing moderate physical activity would help maintain a balanced microbiota.
Our gut naturally hosts trillions of microorganisms, making up the gut microbiota. A microbiota that plays an essential role in maintaining good health. It is known to be involved in digestive, metabolic, immune and neurological functions. “As a result, dysbiosis, i.e. the qualitative and/or functional alteration of the intestinal microbiota, is a serious lead to explain certain diseases”explains Inserm. “The existence of dysbiosis could be a factor favoring the appearance or progression of cancer. »
A question therefore arises: how to maintain a diversified and balanced microbiota? If food – notably via probiotics – is an essential element, sport also seems to have a say.
In fact, it is already known that the intestinal microbiota of athletes are different from those of sedentary people. For researchers from the University of Calgary (Canada), “That’s not too surprising. Athletes are often thin and follow strict diets and training programs”. We are talking about professional athletes. But what about amateurs?
150 minutes of sport per week
By comparing the microbiota of people “physically active”scientists have observed that “moderate duration physical activity (more than 150 minutes per week, which corresponds to health recommendations, editor’s note) increased both the richness and diversity of the intestinal microbiota compared to study participants who did less exercise. » And obviously endurance sports (running, swimming, etc.) would be more effective than strength sports (weight training, etc.).
Finally, the study also showed that the changes in the microbiota were not the same between the different groups of individuals. The most beneficial changes were seen in people of normal weight compared to those who were overweight. For Dr. Chunlong Mu, the main author of this work, “Overweight exerts its own influences. In this case, poor eating habits outweigh the benefits of exercise..
So the best advice seems to not only be to exercise more, but also to take steps to maintain a healthy weight, for a healthy and optimally functioning microbiota.
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