The Paul Weber Podcast

Every Thursday, I will be covering training, nutrition and lifestyle for fitness, hybrid and tactical athletes.

146 Gut Health for Athletes

March 12, 2026 • Paul Weber

0:00 | 1:09:59

In this episode, we cover how nutrition goes deeper than "calories in, calories out."

The body is governed by more than just physics, it is also governed by chemistry.

Our goal is to fuel high amounts of training (eat, digest, utilize, eliminate) while minimizing side effects.

We cover:

Biology of the Gut
Dysfunctions of the Gut
The athlete's gut microbiota
How gut microbiota impacts performance
Performance-oriented fueling strategies and their effects on gut health
- Avoiding fat and fiber pre-competition
- Carb-loading and preference for simple carbohydrates at the exclusion of complex carbohydrates
- High protein diets
Nutrition Best Practices
- Food variety
- Fiber (25-40 g/day)
- Protein diversity
- Long term approach to increasing fuel - "train the gut"
- Managing food volume and food residue in times of high energy need
- Polyphenol-rich foods
Lifestyle Best Practices
- Food hygiene
- Stress management
- Sleep
- Hydration
Supplementation support for:
- Saliva
- Gastric Emptying
- Gut Microbiota
- Mucosal Lining
- Immunity
- Motility

References

[1] Intestinal Microbiota Interventions to Enhance Athletic Performance—A Review

[2] Exercise-induced stress behavior, gut-microbiota-brain axis and diet: a systematic review for athletes

[3] Fueling Gut Microbes: A Review of the Interaction between Diet, Exercise, and the Gut Microbiota in Athletes

[4] Dietary Patterns, Gut Microbiota and Sports Performance in Athletes: A Narrative Review

[5] Gut Microbiota, Probiotics and Physical Performance in Athletes and Physically Active Individuals

[6] The athletic gut microbiota

[7] International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Probiotics

[8] Polyphenols—Gut Microbiota Interrelationship: A Transition to a New Generation of Prebiotics