Gut Health for Athletes: What Every Active Body Should Know

Whether you’re gearing up for a big race or simply committed to your regular training routine, your gut health is working hard behind the scenes to support your performance.

But here’s the thing: training is a form of stress. And if you’re not supporting your gut along the way, that stress can quietly wear down your digestion, recovery, and resilience — until you’re not quite feeling like yourself anymore.

I see this often in my work with athletes — from recreational runners to triathletes prepping for Ironman. Bloating, fatigue, dips in energy, trouble absorbing fuel… and often, skin irritation, brain fog, or mood changes sneak in too. The gut is nearly always part of the picture.

What Training Stress Does to Your Gut — and How We Can Support It

When you’re in regular or high-volume training, your body adapts beautifully — but it also prioritizes blood flow to your muscles and brain. That means less blood reaches your digestive system, which can slow digestion, reduce stomach acid, and even compromise the integrity of your gut lining.

Over time, this can lead to:

• A sluggish or reactive digestion

• Poor absorption of key nutrients

• Increased food sensitivities

• More frequent illness

• Skin flare-ups, brain fog, or unexplained fatigue

If you’re swimming often, chlorinated water can also impact your microbiome over time. And if your diet relies heavily on processed sports nutrition — like gels, bars, and sugary drinks — you may be fuelling performance, but your gut might be missing the fiber, diversity, and nourishment it needs to stay resilient.

But here’s the good news: you don’t need to stop training to support your gut.

When we work together, I take into account your training schedule, your symptoms, your recovery, and your goals. We look at your digestion in the context of your lifestyle — not in isolation — and from there, build a plan that feels realistic, supportive, and sustainable.

In most cases, we include a targeted gut support strategy — maybe that’s working on stomach acid, introducing gut-soothing foods, addressing inflammation, or adjusting the timing and type of fuel you’re using. It’s always tailored. And it’s never about restriction — it’s about helping your gut keep up with everything you’re asking your body to do.

Because my job isn’t to slow you down — it’s to help you move forward, feeling stronger, clearer, and more in tune with your body.

Supporting Your Gut Through Training — Without Overwhelm

If your gut feels off or recovery isn’t what it used to be, you don’t need to overhaul everything. Start here:

🥣 Bloating or heaviness after meals or training?

This may signal reduced stomach acid or sluggish digestion.

Try this:

• Start meals with a bitter food (rocket, chicory) or 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar in water

• Focus on warm, cooked meals post-workout (soups, roasted veg, rice bowls)

• A small cup of bone broth before a main meal can also help stimulate digestion and soothe the gut lining

• Eat slowly, breathe before meals, and avoid cold smoothies right after intense sessions

🥤 Recovering slowly despite eating well?

Training depletes minerals, not just calories.

Try this:

• Prioritize post-training meals with carbs + protein + color (like oats with seeds and berries, or rice with fish and greens) — this combo refuels glycogen stores and supports recovery

• Include magnesium-rich foods like cacao, pumpkin seeds, dark leafy greens

• Sip on bone broth, which is rich in glutamine, glycine, and collagen — all supportive for gut lining repair

• Use coconut water with a pinch of sea salt to rehydrate more effectively than plain water

🚴‍♀️ Feeling off from processed sports fuel?

Gels and drinks are tools — but not everyday food.

Try this:

• Use processed fuels only during sessions longer than 90 minutes

• Outside of that, focus on gut-friendly carbs: sweet potato, oats, legumes, rice

• Feed your gut microbes: rotate in fermented foods (yogurt, kefir, kimchi) and prebiotic vegetables like leeks, onions, and asparagus

🌿 Getting sick more often or feeling inflamed?

A stressed gut = a taxed immune system.

Try this:

• Add anti-inflammatory herbs like ginger, turmeric, rosemary to meals

• Support your gut lining with zinc-rich foods (like pumpkin seeds and seafood), cooked cabbage, and regular servings of bone broth

• Prioritize rest and deep sleep — your gut regenerates best when you’re well-rested

A Gut That Can Adapt = A Body That Can Perform

Your gut doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to be supported.

Whether you're training for performance or simply trying to feel good in your body again, taking care of your digestion will enhance your energy, resilience, and long-term health — without sacrificing the activities you love.

If you’re ready to start supporting your gut in a simple, structured way, my 21-Day Gut Health Challenge is a great place to begin. It’s self-paced, athlete-friendly, and designed to fit into your life — not take it over.

📩 Questions or want to join the challenge? Email me: info@karellelaurentnutrition.com

Your journey to wellness starts now.

Karelle