ActiveWorkoutsLack of exercise motivation might be down to misbehaving gut microbiome, research findsAs it turns out, a microbiome-dependent gut-brain pathway could be responsible for regulating motivation for exerciseWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ActiveWorkoutsLack of exercise motivation might be down to misbehaving gut microbiome, research findsAs it turns out, a microbiome-dependent gut-brain pathway could be responsible for regulating motivation for exerciseWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
As it turns out, a microbiome-dependent gut-brain pathway could be responsible for regulating motivation for exercise
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Regular exercise has many benefits, but it can be hard to muster up the energy and motivation actually to head out for a run or visit the gym, especially if it’s dark and cold outside. However, recent research claims that it might not just be your brain that prevents you from working out; your gut microbiome might also influence your motivation for exercise via a gut-brain pathway.
The paper also says that the “stimulation of the [gut-brain] pathway improves running performance, whereas microbiome depletion, peripheral endocannabinoid receptor inhibition, ablation of spinal afferent neurons or dopamine blockade abrogate exercise capacity” (‘abrogate’ is a fancy term for ‘reduce’). In essence, they suggest that molecules that stimulate the transmission of gut-derived signals to the brain may enhance the motivation for exercise.
Look after your gut and, in return, it will look after you, too(Image credit: Getty Images)
Look after your gut and, in return, it will look after you, too
Look after your gut and, in return, it will look after you, too
(Image credit: Getty Images)
This isn’t a human study, but the results are fascinating nevertheless. Our guts and their microbiome are gathering more and more attention in recent years, and gut health has been shown to significantly impact several things, including mental health, skin, immune system and more.
Another important takeaway from the research is that it suggests that other behaviours dependent on dopamine signalling could be modifiable through lifestyle interventions, diet or metabolite supplementation. “If applicable to humans, our findings imply that interoceptomimetics that stimulate the motivation for exercise might present a powerful opportunity to counteract the detrimental health impact of a sedentary lifestyle”, the researchers conclude.
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