Exercise and the Microbiome, New Workout, Micro Moves Starts Feb 4
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Aloha Reader, Upside-Down Pilates In this weeks episode of Upside-Down Pilates we enjoy a vestibular system wake up and practice strengthening our grip on the vertical bars of the Pilates Cadillac. Are you ready to be healthy and thrive? Would you love a personalized hand crafted program to go from sick and in pain to sexy and free? If you are interested in investing in yourself and joining me for Upside-Down Pilates or returning to Upside-Down Pilates personalized programs , please fill out this form to see if we might be a good fit to work together. Do not let distance stop you! I work with clients all over the world via Zoom! No equipment required! Upside-Down Nourishment It’s a New Year, which means a lot of people are thinking about getting healthier, fitter, and stronger. That’s why it’s a good time to talk about exercise and gut health. You may think the two are separate… Because new research is proving otherwise. I just found 2 studies that show exactly how your gut bacteria play a massive role in:
This research might help explain why some people love working out… While others struggle to lace up their sneakers. Let's break them down. 1 - Where the “Runner’s High” Comes From (& Why Some People Don’t Get It) You've probably heard of or maybe even experienced the "runner's high” – that euphoric, almost addictive feeling some people get during exercise. For years, scientists thought it was purely a brain chemistry thing. But researchers at the University of Pennsylvania discovered something really cool… The “runner’s high” actually starts in your gut! When you exercise, specific gut bacteria produce compounds called endocannabinoids. These are your body's own "cannabis-like" molecules. Not the same as marijuana/THC, but they work on the same receptors and regulate things like pain, mood, appetite, and reward. The researchers identified two specific bacterial species responsible for this effect:
These bacteria produce compounds that flood your brain's reward system with dopamine. Yep, this is what makes exercise feel like a “high” for some people. To prove this pathway actually controls the runner's high, the researchers in the study then gave the mice antibiotics to wipe out their microbiomes. Crazy results. Their running performance plummeted, motivation to exercise tanked, and dopamine signaling during exercise essentially flatlined. No runner’s high. So… If you've ever wondered why some people seem to genuinely love running but you feel miserable the entire time, this might be why. People with certain gut bacteria experience a genuine high during exercise. Their brains are getting flooded with dopamine, creating positive reinforcement. Exercise literally feels GOOD to them. People without these bacteria…maybe due to use of antibiotics, diet, or lifestyle… They’re running on willpower alone. Which is not easy or fun. But there’s something you can do about it – check out the tips at the end after this next study. 2 - Gut Bugs From Elite Athletes Improve Metabolism & Fitness Performance Okay, so Study #1 showed us that gut bacteria control whether exercise feels good. But that's only half the equation. What about actual performance? What about how efficiently your body uses energy during exercise? French researchers wanted to answer that question: Do elite athletes have a functionally different gut microbiome? And if so, does it actually do anything? To find out, they recruited healthy people with wildly different exercise capacities but similar body composition and diets. Then they looked at their gut microbiomes and found specific bacterial profiles in the “elite athletes”:
But then the researchers went a step further… They transplanted the gut bacteria from high-performing athletes into mice. If the microbiome was just a bystander (a result rather than a cause), nothing would happen. But if the microbiome was driving performance…the mice should improve. Here’s what happened: the mice that received gut bacteria from athletes with very high exercise capacity showed…
And here's the kicker: The mice weren't exercising. The gut bacteria alone improved markers of fitness and healthy metabolism. That’s pretty crazy. Overall Takeaway: Gut Health → Better Fitness Results Both of these studies point to an overall theme of gut bacteria playing a huge role in exercise performance and motivation. Study #1 shows: Your gut bacteria can influence whether or not exercise feels motivating and rewarding (through dopamine signaling).
Study #2 shows: Your gut bacteria can determine how efficiently your body uses and stores energy (through metabolic pathways).
But here’s the good news. You can't change your genes, but you can change your gut bacteria. If you want to support a gut microbiome that helps you out in the gym, here are the most evidence-based strategies. 1. Prioritize Microbial Diversity The elite athlete microbiomes in Study #2 had one thing in common: high diversity. Meaning lots of different kinds of beneficial bacteria in their microbiome. And the best ways to support microbial diversity are through dietary diversity:
Study-after-study shows that eating a variety of foods that feed your microbiome is the best way to support and grow lots of good bugs. 2. Feed Your Endocannabinoid-Producing Bacteria If you want to get more of that “runner’s high”... You’re going to want to eat to feed the bacteria that produce endocannabinoids (Eubacterium rectale and Coprococcus eutactus). Try to get more of these in your diet:
3. Support SCFA Production Short-chain fatty acids (like butyrate) are critical for gut health and have been linked to better exercise performance:
4. Exercise Itself Improves Your Microbiome Here's the cool part… Even if your microbiome isn't optimal right now, starting to exercise will begin to shift it in the right direction. It’s a positive feedback loop:
Research shows these changes can happen relatively quickly, some studies show measurable shifts in the microbiome after just 6 weeks of regular exercise, even without changes in diet. You just have to get started. It sounds weird but studies like these are proving it to be true… Taking care of your gut might be the key to your results in the gym this year. STOP SUFFERING FROM PAIN AND START FEELING FREE, POWERFUL, AND STRONG! In this flowing follow along group class we will learn a series of short movements- exercises- choreographed by Lisa Orig that will not only give us a movement experience of all of our deep stabilizing muscles, but can potentially enhance our dynamic stability, mobility, control, coordination, and readiness to move our body safely in all directions. WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU ENROLL IN MICRO MOVES GROUP CLASS June 2025?
FEE: $252.00 Please note: We do not offer refunds or transfers. DATES: February 4-March 11, 2026 TIME: WEDNESDAYS 3 pm HST - 3:55 pm HST via Zoom. Recordings will be available for 7 days after the class if you are unable to attend live.
REMEMBER, self care is health care! If you don't care for yourself you won't be able to care for anyone else. Have a beautiful day! Lisa |
Upside-Down Pilates and Nourishment
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