High on Exercise?
In my previous blog, (Part 3, The Gut BraIn Connection), I had introduced the microbiota to you and talked about how critical it is in maintaining the health and functionality of your brain. To refresh your memory, the microbiota is the broad, expansive community of microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, fungi, viruses, parasites and archaea) that live within us. When things are going well, they live in harmony and balance, serving a purpose in keeping us strong and healthy. With the explosion of modern technology especially from the mid 2000’s, researchers have been able to delve much deeper into this very fascinating area of study. In the last five years more than 50,000 research articles have been published on this topic alone!
In this blog I shall talk about these microorganisms in relation to exercise. Exercise has often been touted as the elixir of life itself with its benefits being manifold and far reaching. In relation to your gut microbiota too, exercise has been shown to be very beneficial. In mice, for instance, there was a 40 percent increase in healthy microbes with exercise. With regular exercise, this is seen in humans too. And the opposite holds true too because when you stop moving this effect is unfortunately lost.
The feeling of euphoria that exercise is known to induce is well known. This is often referred to as the “runner’s high”. Popular belief attributes this feeling to the release of neurotransmitters called endorphins which are produced in the body during vigorous exercise. However, latest research published on November 17th 2021, in the peer reviewed journal Gut Microbes (Amrita Vijay, et al. The anti-inflammatory effect of bacterial short chain fatty acids is partially mediated by endocannabinoids) finds that exercise can stimulate the microbes in your gut to produce pain and inflammation reducing substances called endocannabinoids. It has been many decades since scientists have known that exercise increases the body’s production of endocannabinoids which are cannabis-like substances. In this latest study it has been shown that It is these self produced cannabinoids that are more strongly associated with the “runner’s high” that people experience after a strenuous workout rather than the endorphins.
The benefits from aerobic exercise, strength training and weight lifting go well beyond that of getting the “runner’s high” or the production of the endocannabinoids. Exercise also increases the production of endocannabinoids which can reduce inflammation.
“In the current study we explore the functional interactions between the endocannabinoid system and the gut microbiome in modulating inflammatory markers," the authors of the study explain. In an emailed statement to Healthline, Amrita Vijay, a research fellow at the University of Nottingham School of Medicine and first author of the paper said "So far, no previous study examined the potential link between the endocannabinoid system, exercise, and the gut microbiome. The findings are novel as we may have found a key link between how substances produced by gut microbes interact with the substances produced by our own bodies which tell us how physical exercise reduces inflammation. This is a timely discovery, especially in the time when there is increasing interest around the use of cannabidiol and other related supplements in reducing levels of inflammation,” she said. This finding could help in the treatment of heart disease, arthritis and cancer as exercise intervention lowers the level of inflammatory substances called cytokines which can help people with arthritis for instance to manage their pain better.
Exercise is known to decrease chronic inflammation which has been associated with the development of many diseases like arthritis, cancer and heart disease. However, little is known about how it decreases inflammation. A group of scientists from the University’s School of Medicine tested 78 people with arthritis. 38 of them did 15 minutes of muscle strengthening exercises for six weeks everyday. The remaining 40 did nothing. At the end of the study, the participants who did the exercise intervention had not only reduced their pain but also had more of the anti-inflammatory producing metabolites in their gut called SCFA’s (Short Chain Fatty Acids).
I have already introduced our very helpful friends the SCFA’s to you in my previous blog. It is your microbes in combination with your diet and lifestyle that sparks the magic to create these fat compounds called SCFA’s which make the difference in terms of health and disease for you. From directing your bone marrow to produce the cells that you need to fight infections to the impact that they have on your entire metabolism, the SCFA’s reign supreme in your body. Enough of the SFCA’s here! I look forward to dedicating an entire blog to these wondrous substances in the near future.
To get back to the topic in hand, this study shows that you can increase the endocannabinoids in your body, balance your gut microbes in your favour, rid yourself of inflammation and boost your SFCA levels by exercise alone. However, I would strongly suggest that to get the biggest bang for your buck combine exercise with the right diet and lifestyle choices.
Sometimes we tend to over complicate things. The solution is often simple. In this case it is to move your body! In the study the participants only did 15 minutes of strength training everyday. Now that’s definitely not asking for much! And if you are willing to give more than that I promise that you will reap even bigger rewards.
However, even though exercise has been shown to be beneficial for people experiencing chronic pain it is always wise to check with your healthcare professional before embarking on a new fitness regime. This is especially important if you have had a recent injury or have a history of cardiovascular disease. It may also be dangerous to exercise with some forms of pain.
If you want some hand holding along the way to become the best version of yourself, reach out to me by submitting the consultation form on www.rimabhealth.com.
