No Guts No Glory: Harvesting The Microbiome of Athletes
Scientists have tapped into the microbiome of elite runners and rowers, and have identified particular bacteria that may aid athletic performance. The goal is to develop probiotic supplements that may help athletes -- and even amateur fitness enthusiasts -- recover from a tough workout or more efficiently convert nutrients to energy. What do you think of this idea? Could this lead to a breakthrough in recovery time for all types of athletes? Do you think it will lead to better performances in all athletic competition? What about in the general population and how they workout? Could it lead to the implementation of an overall healthier lifestyle in the general and athletic population? Let me know what you think!
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ReplyDeleteI think this could potentially be a breakthrough for the recovery time of athletes. My team used to put their legs up against a wall in high school for 5-10 minutes to try and drain the lactic acid from our legs. If their were easier ways to get rid of the acid, I'm sure people would try it. I'm not so sure if it would lead to better performances is it is aimed to help with recovery. Maybe if athletes ingested the bacteria after a tough workout their body would be ready for another intense workout the next day, allowing athletes to train harder. But, overall this could lead to a healthier lifestyle for athletes allowing them to recoup quicker than ever. It may not enhance all athletic competitions though since the bacteria works differently for different sports related activities. I think it would be more efficient in those sports involving more running activity such as running, soccer, football, or lacrosse. I don't think it would be as efficient in sports like rowing as the article stated. Although the article states that it seems to be nothing but positive, I would personally be iffy to intake a bacteria, even though the article stated we are made mostly of bacteria. Being a runner, I would most likely try it to improve my recovery time and performance.
ReplyDeleteIf there is sufficient data that can support an antibiotic made that helps athletes in recovery time, then that would be an astronomical advantage for the world. For athletes and common folk alike, anyone in need of faster recovery time due to lactic acid build up and being able to not be as sore after a grueling exercise or run. These microbes can help athletes be able to stay competing at a more efficient and higher level day after day and this can be crucial in all sports. Whether i=you finished running a marathon and needed to recover, or finish a difficult, taxing workout your body can recover faster and then you would be able to perform at 100% the following day without being sore or tired. As a football I know that having tough practices day after day for 5 days in a row during the week your body is more banged up and tired by the end and this microbe could help me feel energized and more healthy. Non athletes this could help promote healthier lifestyle with them having difficulty having slow metabolic rate and longer recovery time, but this microbe could help speed up recovery for non athletes as well.
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ReplyDeletePersonally I think this is a great idea. By discovering these bacteria we can understand why the elite runners and athletes are exactly that elite! Maybe these bacteria are only found in specific elite athletes or maybe they are in all of us but only activated by excessive amounts of lactic acid or they are only activated when our bodies are really pushed to their limits as when these elite athletes are in competition. It could for sure lead to breakthroughs in recovery times and the way people train for sports. By my understanding you could begin to change workout regiments and how we train athletes when we understand and basically commercialize these bacteria. With the discovery of niche bacteria it could very well lead to better performances and overall better competitions/times in races or matches wherever these bacteria are utilized. I'm honestly not sure how these bacteria could help the general population since it was only studied in professionals that do a sport as their job essentially. More testing and studies will have to be done before that question can be answered. In time I feel as though implementing these bacteria “supplements” could lead to a healthier lifestyle and more enhanced athletic population.
I think that this is an extremely interesting idea. The scientific research that has been done regarding the different Microbes found in high performance athletes seems to be done with positive intentions.The correlation with high athletic performance and these bacterium's may not translate to an increase in athletic performance in less athletically capable people. If this is not the case however, this would be a revolutionary breakthrough that would allow athletes to achieve quicker and possibly more effective post workout recovery that could bring them do consistently do harder workout with less down, or rest days in between. Also this breakthrough could encourage those who currently do not work out on a regular basis, to begin a more strict fitness regime because they would not have to deal with the harsh post workout effects. Athletes could also benefit from this in many others ways that have not been studied or discovered yet. It was mentioned in the article that marathon runners interacted with the bacteria differently than olympic level rowers meaning that there could be a plethora of both positive and negative effects within the athletic community based on the sport or activity chosen to participate in.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think that this is a great idea. The practicality of it is something to think about, though. I’m not sure that we can expect the recovery time for all athletes to be shortened, or that it will lead all athletes to perform better. While the bacteria they found might be able to help many people, I wouldn’t dare to say that it will help all. While all our bodies are made up of the same essential components, each body has an at least slightly different microbiome, and you can expect a single type of bacteria to thrive in each one. It’s also necessary to think about the fact that each person works out differently, and plays different sports. The bacteria might potentially help people who run track, or cycle, but may not help boxers, or gymnasts. It may help those who incorporate more cardio into their workouts than those whose workouts mainly consist of weightlifting. From what I’ve seen the general population gets a lot of their workouts through classes at their gym, or exercising on their own, without any advice from a healthcare or fitness professional. Doing this, people tend to stress out their bodies much more, especially when implementing incorrect techniques. I believe that if you gave the general population a solution to their bodies aching for days after working out, people might begin to lead healthier lifestyles and exercise more. We won’t know until this product comes out!
ReplyDeleteThis idea I find incredible to be honest, because these scientist are taking something that our bodies are already capable of making and giving it to us in a ready to go fashion. With the research these scientist have already done this bacteria is shown to break down lactic acid which is what our body builds up after working out, and is something that we also need to cleanses out of our body because it creates soreness, and it we can concentrate this bacteria we can cut down on peoples recovery and soreness of the post workout process. Meaning that you could have less days off in between working out or athletic competition, with less risk. Also they were finding that this bacteria can break down carbs and fibers which is needed during running so this just doesn't help after it can help before and during an athletic competition and give a person an extra edge. With is I believe this bacteria would be helpful for people who are already active and a pretty serious person about being fit or being competitive because their bodies probably produce some of this bacteria just not as much as people who are Olympic athletes or ultramarathoners, but It might not people helpful for people who are just starting to work out, or barely workout because their body doesn't or might not have this bacteria in them already so potentially this could be harmful to them introducing a new bacteria into their system. But I'm sure that is something the researchers are already looking into, and if they have found out it can be good for everyone that would be great because it could lead to a healthier world if this is all proven to be true, and helpful for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI think that this new discovery could be very beneficial to all athletes, not just runners and rowers because all athletes go through hard workout days and have soreness and aching afterwards. As a runner, we are always told to put our legs up and let the lactic acid drain from our legs after a hard workout and if there is a way to help speed up this process and help me be less sore after a hard day then I think we should keep working on this new product. No athlete likes to be sore and fatigued because it only puts then behind in training because they have to try and work the lactic acid out instead of progressing and getting better. The bacteria that they are studying has the purpose of breaking down lactic acid as an incredible rate. I think this is a very good idea, but obviously much more research is needed because right now all their research is from the most fit and healthy people in the world and we need to see how this could help everyday people too. Elite athletes are not the only ones who work hard and become sore from workouts. I think this type of supplement could help many people from elite athletes to your everyday high school athletes that could help them become the next elite athlete.
ReplyDeleteThe researchers of this study start out their research by collecting fecal samples from 20 different athletes before and after their races. They then sequenced the genomes from the bacteria to figure out what type of microbes were in the fecal samples. In two different sets of experiments, they found bacteria that can break down lactic acid, carbohydrates, and fiber. From this study, they think they may be able to launch supplements to help these athletes performance, but more research needs done. Overall, I think this is an interesting study that could potentially be used on athletes to better their performance. However, I think that a lot more research needs done on the topic before that start pushing these supplements. I think that this method could help some athletes and their performance, but maybe not all athletes. Also, I'm not sure if this study could be used on the general public, as I said before, I think more research needs to be done. That being said, I don't know if this would improve to an overall healthier lifestyle in the general public, but could be an option among the athletic world. All in all, I think this study is a good start to improve performance and overall health in athletes, but I personally think more research needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteSo from what I understood from this as that scientists see us as more bacteria than human, which is true but odd to think. Many see this as just trying to replicate an already great athlete. Researchers have been sequencing the genomes of athletes and isolating the bacteria from fecal samples. The article shows that there is process on the study and they are currently testing it on mice but personally I am not sure how well this research will turn out. No human can be the same and we all know that but maybe this research can help create some of the same symptoms to give athletes better performances. Lifestyles can be changed dramatically and give athletes a whole new perspective on things and help out many but until a bigger breakthrough comes in I will personally stay on the stand-off side of the experiment but I will hope that in a year’s time like they said, they can present a launch on it. Overall though I understood this article but at the same time was lost, the idea of a new supplement coming out to help athletes with workouts sounds amazing and I think can help benefit them for when needing to perform strong but I don’t know if this will ever come into fully play.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this idea of recovering better and faster through these bacteria would be very efficient, would they be seen as illegal in competitive sports? Human growth hormones and anabolic steroids are ways to make your body bigger and stronger, but this method would also help athletic performance. The microbes are supposed to be used to recover from a tough workout, but they also stated it would convert nutrients to energy allowing for them to compete in better competition for longer. Although it seems it would only enhance your recovery time, I think it could also be seen as an illegal supplement due to it aiding the athlete in an unnatural way. It also stated the fact that it was on it’s way to not predict the next Michael Jordan, but not make the next Michael Jordan. In activates where supplement is allowed to be used I see this product as being very efficient and allowing athletes or lifters to have a quick recovery time, so they can work hard every single day with no pain. It seems to mean as it just being another supplement that would be used by weightlifters, so their recovery time is quicker than ever before. I do not see the general public using this method because they would have no need for it because they have what I would assume to be cheaper options for getting rid of pain.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to looking for a microbe that could help athletes get better in their sports. I personally take probiotics in and out of season to keep my body on top of everything that is going around. I believe that developing this microbe into a probiotic could be very good for the athletic community as it could help them get faster and better in whatever sport they play. I think this would lead to a better recovery time for all of the athletes who take this probiotic and they may be able to work out a little harder and longer than they do now. When it comes to a normal person taking this probiotic I think that it would be a worthless pill for the to be taking because they might not need to have that certain probiotic to help them in anything because they are not competing in events that may cause a lot of stress on the person’s body. In my opinion, the general population shouldn’t take it unless they are putting heavy stress on to their body. This probiotic could lead to a healthier and happier athlete because it would allow then to get faster, be better, and recover faster than ever before. Athletes are always looking for a way to be able to work harder and get faster. In conclusion, I believe that this probiotic should only be accessible to the athletic community but if the general population would like to take it they may also have access to the probiotic.
ReplyDeleteThe article talks about how elite athletes might actually get there natural edge from the bacteria found in their digestive tract. It goes on to explain how scientists have tapped into the microbiome of exceptional athletes in which they have identified a bacteria that might actually aid them in their athletic performances. This is really neat to think about how bacteria may actually be the difference between how different people have different naturally abilities. The goal of the scientist is to now develop probiotic supplements that can help athletes recover from workouts with this bacteria. Scheiman from the article says that the bugs natural function is to break down lactic acid. During intense workouts the body actually produces more lactic acid than normal which can cause muscle fatigue and soreness. This bacteria however could help with the breakdown of lactic acid during workouts and improve performance. This bacteria could potentially be the breakthrough in how athletes can perform and workout better. In my opinion though, I don't think athletes competing should be able to use it. When athletes compete I think it should just showcase their raw natural abilities. It would be unfair for some athletes to have access to this bacteria when others don't, during competition. However, if you are just training and dont compete anymore, I think the probiotic supplements with this bacteria could be very beneficial to the sports world.
ReplyDeleteIn this article I learned that the researchers are trying to find a way to put a faster recovery time or even limit from injuries like lactic acid. As a retired track runner myself I know how lactic acid feels and in my opinion it's not very fun. I know from running in the past after every race my track coaches would make me put my legs up against a fence to let the lactic acid run its course through my body. I feel with this type of supplement it would be very beneficial for athletes who tend to have this symptom in their legs. If there is enough study and data done that proves that microbes actually work and there are no side effects when using it, I think it's a good idea to sell in stores. However, I do think that this type of pill should be prescribed by a doctor then if the athlete is allowed to take the supplement then they would need to get through a pharmacist. Living in this generation a lot of people tend to abuse certain type of medication and I could see this happening with something like this. But overall I say it’s a great idea.
ReplyDeleteAthletes have always been viewed to be superhuman, but a new study is finding that there may be a microbiological guide that may help athletes have a natural edge as compared to others. It has been found that that there are macrobacteria that may inhabit the digestive tracks that may even have the influence of aiding in athletic performance. With this in mind, they are now trying to develop a supplement that are from these bacteria that could potentially help the recovery process after a hard workout and supply the body with nutrients and energy. With this new discovery, is it a thought to be able to genetically engineer a superhuman athlete. When measuring for this, they measured the bacteria in the athletes both pre-workout and after the workout as well. What they found is that there was more bacteria in the athlete post workout than before the workout began. A company called Fitbiotics is going to try to introduce this into the probiotic market. This may be a beneficial new supplement for the general population and athletic performers, but it also raises the question on how moral it is. Would this be the same essence as putting steroids into the body or is it different because it comes from some natural bacteria?
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