Introduction
Why is gut health important to the competitive golfer? The obvious answer is the same reasons it is important to everyone else as this article will explore. I would however particularly draw the golfer’s attention to: mental clarity, ability to tolerate hot climates and a better capacity to handle the different strains of bacteria you encounter whilst travelling throughout the world.
“Good health starts in the gut” a catchcry familiar to anyone who has dabbled in natural therapies such as naturopathy or Chinese medicine. Whilst previously the domain of the less mainstream approach to health and medicine, the jury is now in and the verdict handed down that gut health is not only the now the major focus of modern medical science but has also been proven to improve exercise performance, immunity, heat tolerance, reduce inflammation, improve cognitive function and reduce gastro-intestinal symptoms. Dr Cecilia Kitic PhD from the Tasmanian Institute of Sport recently presented a summary of her research in this area examining the best ways to measure gut health improvements as well as the best proven methods so far to improve gut health.
Article Title
Enhancing athletic performance webinar – targeting gut health – Dr Cecilia Kitic PhD.
Background
The gut is our largest immune organ and numerous stressors, including exercise, are known to increase intestinal permeability. Disruptions to the chemical and physical barriers of the gut have the potential to impact upon athlete health, impairing performance and tolerance of heat. The webinar will explore factors influencing intestinal permeability and implications of barrier disruption, and strategies to minimise disruption of the intestinal barrier and gastrointestinal symptoms in athletes.
Mechanical disruption to the gut can lead to increased permeability of the walls of the intestines creating what is known as “leaky gut syndrome” and whilst the liver has the ability to process these toxins, it can become overwhelmed. In this instance the immune system often attacks the particles that have escaped the gut creating an inflammatory environment in the body and brain leading to poorer health outcomes, cognitive function (reduction in brain fog), sporting performance, heat tolerance and reduced recovery from exercise. Factors that can increase the likelihood of leaky gut are: use of anti-inflammatories, alcohol, dehydration and intense exercise. Certain foods that contain gluten or fodmaps are also known causes to certain people with sensitivities or allergies to them. With the increasing competiveness and time demands associated with elite sport, scientists, coaches and athletes are always searching for time-efficient methods to improve physical performance. The recreational athlete and indeed all people interested in gaining the health benefits listed above could be well served to investigate improving their gut health.
Conclusion
The initial recommendation is that a clinical diagnosis needs to be excluded first and foremost. Beyond this however, a greater diversity of gut flora appears to be associated with better gut health and can vary remarkably between in humans from different parts of the world. The gold standard to determining leaky gut is via mucosal biopsy, but the sufficiently accurate and less invasive technique is to ingest an intestinal fatty acid binding protein followed by urine sample. This latter technique is more accurate than the previously utilized blood tests and test for sugars in urine. Some proven methods for improving gut function are: L-glutamine, bovine colostrum, multi-strain probiotics (45+billion per serve), L-citrulline and increased sleep. Things to reduce or avoid are: anti-inflammatories, alcohol, antibiotics. Hard training athletes should also consider ingesting 15g of carbohydrate per 20minute intervals whilst exercising.
So for the golfer, using basic supplementation in conjunction with strenuous exercise as well as in the weeks prior to overseas travel is a useful. Reducing the known nasties to gut health such as alcohol, anti-inflammatories