Do you love those curves on your biceps, muscle cuts, and pop on the back that dominate your appeal? Many fitness enthusiasts stay motivated with their body’s changes and muscle growth. It pushes them to go the extra mile to look the way they want.
But the question ‘Is lifting weights solely responsible for muscle growth?’ No, right! What we are going to talk about may not be something that you could believe. Your gut bacteria play a significant role in influencing your ability to gain muscle. We know it isn’t talked about enough.
Even after proper lifting and following a nutrition plan, if you struggle to see muscle growth, it’s time to shift your focus to internal health.
What Is a Gut Microbiome?
The gut microbiome is home to trillions of bacteria, fungi, and some microbes within your digestive system. Though it impacts your overall well-being, you may only notice it when you experience symptoms like gas, bloating, skin problems, and mood swings.
An imbalance in the gut microbiome can be due to antibiotics or a lack of essential nutrients in your diet. It can affect not just your digestive system but also your immune health and central nervous system.
How Does Your Gut Bacteria Affect Muscle Development?
When you perform strenuous workouts, you wouldn’t want to lose any inch of your muscle mass but rather increase it. Turning a blind eye to your internal health, like the microbiome balance, can cost you muscles. Let us enhance your understanding of how good bacteria help you grow more muscles:
Allowing Better Nutrient Absorption
After tearing your muscle fibres during a workout, proper nutrition is required to repair and grow. For this, protein is one of the most crucial nutrients. Further, its breakdown is more important for better absorption in your body. A balanced microbiome facilitates better protein and other nutrients digestion better. It helps your body use the amino acids better to repair your muscles.
Helps in Inflammation Regulation
Exercising intensely causes breakage in your muscle fibres. When these get repaired over time, it makes your muscles stronger. However, chronic inflammation due to poor gut health may affect this process. If you maintain good gut bacteria, it helps regulate inflammation for proactive muscle growth.
Supports Hormonal Balance
Gut health is closely associated with your testosterone and cortisol levels, which are responsible for muscle growth and stress. With healthy bacteria in your digestive system, these hormone levels remain optimal, supporting your muscle growth better.
Provides More Energy and Improves Performance
When you consume fibre through your diet, bacterial fermentation occurs in the presence of good bacteria. It produces Short-chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs), which work to provide energy to your body cells, including those involved in muscle contractions. Having more good bacteria in your gut can boost your strength and endurance levels.
How Do You Know of Gut Health Improvement?
If your gut health is poor, you need to fix it and prevent it from sabotaging your fitness goals. These could be the signs you need to improve gut health:
- Constipation, bloating, or gas
- Prolonged fatigue and muscle soreness
- Slowed recovery post-workout
- Frequent illness
- Difficulty in muscle growth
If you pay attention to these factors, you can probably solve the confusion of your muscle growth.
Read More: The Mind Gut Connection: How Gut is Connected to Mental Well-being
Ways to Improve Your Gut Health for Better Muscle Growth
Since you have understood the importance of gut health for muscle building, you can have it your way through these science-backed strategies:
Consume a High-Fibre Diet
Balancing your diet with good fibre content feeds the good bacteria in your digestive system. Adding foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds can be good options to increase your fibre intake and promote better gut health.
Add Fermented Foods to Your Diet
Foods like yoghurt, tempeh, and kimchi are some fermented foods that contain a rich amount of probiotics that bring good bacteria to your gut. These probiotics are known to increase the absorption of nutrients and improve digestion.
Drink Plenty of Water
Water intake may be an underrated factor, but it is essential to let nutrients move throughout your gut and support digestion. When your gut is hydrated enough, the good bacteria are happy and support better muscle growth.
Zero to No Artificial Sweeteners and Processed Foods
Highly processed foods, excessive sugar, and artificial sweeteners can disrupt the gut microbiome and promote the growth of harmful bacteria. You just need to focus on nutrient-dense foods for better muscle health.
Give a Break to Yourself
Exerting your body much can badly have an impact on your gut health and thus muscle building, leading to stress. It can increase cortisol levels in your body. Deep breathing, yoga, and a well-maintained sleep routine can give you some time off to focus on your gut and overall health.
Summing Up
Your gut bacteria may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about muscle growth, but science suggests it plays a crucial role. From enhancing nutrient absorption to regulating inflammation and hormones, a healthy gut allows for optimal performance and recovery.
So, if you want to maximise your muscle-building potential, don’t just focus on lifting heavier weights or increasing your protein intake; take care of your gut microbiome, too. It can include staying hydrated, consuming a balanced diet, and maintaining a proper sleep routine. If there are any underlying conditions, you should talk to your doctor.
