It Takes Guts: Rethinking Nutrition for Better Workout Gains
Unlocking good gut health could mean better results; here’s why lactoferrin might be the missing key
Gains are made in the kitchen — spend enough time in the gym and you’re bound to come across a variation of this time-honored adage. Whether it’s a lifting buddy dispensing bro advice on how to get HUGE or a coach planning out a weight loss routine, it seems diet is the universal key to workout success.
While things like meal timing and calorie counting are familiar to many, one less popular — yet no less important — aspect of dieting comes in the form of gut health. Regardless of how much quality food you eat or the supplements you take, all of these nutrients must be successfully absorbed into your body in order to do anything.
Research has shown that one healthy function of the gut microbiota is in facilitating protein synthesis, which means all of those whey shakes might only be effective if your digestive support is already on point! As an additional benefit, good gut health is also pivotal for the absorption of micronutrients like calcium and essential vitamins, which positively impact our athletic health and performance.
A Potent Ally for Gut Health: Enter Lactoferrin
Knowing how important a healthy gut can be, it seems like the idea of gut health support should be a no-brainer. Yet, the question of how to do so is something that the average recreational athlete or weekend warrior might struggle to answer. Thankfully, a promising solution exists in the form of lactoferrin.
First discovered in bovine milk in 1939, lactoferrin is a unique protein that can potentially offer a host of valuable benefits for any athlete. Among its various effects, lactoferrin has been shown to help maintain the health of gut microbiota through a variety of functions, including the promotion of probiotic growth. This is further complemented by regulation of the mucosal layer in our gut, which could support digestion.
Ultimately, by enabling better nutrient absorption and uptake, these various lactoferrin benefits could potentially help you get the very best out of your diet and supplementation. As an added bonus, better gut care and improved athlete health also mean less time away from the gym, track, or field, and more time spent getting in shape or improving at your sport.
Finally, while all of this is impressive enough in its own right, the advantages offered by lactoferrin also extend beyond pure athletic results. Among the many unspoken secrets shared by those who work out, one of the most closely guarded is the fact that protein products can often be difficult to digest, causing a host of problems like bloating. An effective source of digestive support might finally bring us one step closer to avoiding unwelcome protein gas, all while getting stronger, faster, and leaner than ever before. Now, those are results we can all get behind!
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