Hello Runner,
Welcome back to your weekly moment of endurance nutrition!
Happy Weekend!
How are you?
I’m just fine!
My week was busy. I worked hard and created a lot of content. I'm starting to lose my fear of filming myself talking... I confess that it's really difficult for me. Even more so because I speak in English (which is not my native language). But little by little, I'm getting more comfortable.
By the way, if you haven't followed me on Instagram yet, please go there and give me some support! Click here
As for training, I successfully completed the workout plan, with a lot of muscle pain, hahahah.
Today, I want to discuss the role of gut health in immunity and how it can influence your training and running.
Have you noticed that people who make poor nutritional choices tend to get sick more easily?
It may seem crazy, but nowadays many young people (and even children) are developing chronic diseases—which in the past only older people developed—due to poor nutritional choices.
In addition to young people and children, I see many runners with recurring colds and flu. And I can tell you it's not because they caught a “breeze” when they went out for a run!
The point is that taking care of what you put into your body and taking care of your gut health is key to having a strong immune system that will fight off external and internal agents, and that will rid you of colds, flu, food poisoning, and other unpleasant things.
Your gut microbiome—the billions of tiny critters living in your intestines—acts like your personal security team. When it’s diverse and well-fed, your immune system stays calm, responsive, and strong. When it’s stressed, inflamed, or poorly nourished…your immune system becomes weak and unable to fight off “bad” things.
For runners, gut health matters even more:
1. Your immunity depends on it
A strong gut = fewer bugs getting through.
A weak gut = inflammation, poor nutrient absorption, and more missed runs.
Runners who stay healthy train better, period.
2. Your ability to fuel during long runs depends on it
Ever tried to take a gel after 1.5 hours of running and your stomach just… rejected the idea?
That’s often a gut that hasn’t been trained—or is inflamed, or is leaking.
A calm, healthy gut can absorb glucose more efficiently and quickly.
Which means more energy, fewer cramps, and less of that “ugh, everything feels sloshy” feeling.
3. Your race-day GI stability depends on it
I’m pretty sure you’ve heard the horror stories. Or maybe even lived it.
A healthy gut = less urgency, less nausea, fewer mid-race surprises.
There’s a reason elite runners talk about “training the gut” just as much as they talk about VO₂max.
To Help You Understand Science More Easily
Your gut is lined with immune cells. They react to whatever comes through.
Good bacteria help reinforce the gut wall, coaching your immune system to stay calm and balanced.
When the gut gets irritated—low-fiber diet, stress, lack of sleep, too many processed foods, too much alcohol, excess artificial sweeteners, chronic underfueling—it becomes more permeable (“leaky”).
That permeability lets inflammatory molecules escape into the bloodstream.
Chronic inflammation = slower recovery + higher illness risk + more GI distress on runs.
So gut health isn’t “nice to have.”
It’s foundational training infrastructure.
Here's How You Can Strengthen Your Gut
This is where things get practical. And honestly… simple. The gut responds beautifully to consistent, gentle care.
Nutritional Strategies
Eat more plant diversity (aim for 400g of different veggies and fruits/day—sounds crazy, but it’s easy: herbs count, nuts count, beans count, seeds count, whole-grains count.
Every plant feeds different bacteria → more balance → stronger immunity.
Include fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso.
Add prebiotic fibers: garlic, onions, leeks, bananas, oats, beans, apples, and asparagus.
These feed your good bacteria, or in other words, nourish your microbiome.
Use resistant starches (potatoes or rice cooked then cooled).
Prioritize whole foods over ultra-processed foods.
Hydrate steadily
Regular hydration helps bowel movements, nutrient absorption, and energy availability.
Train your gut during long runs: practice eating 30–60g carbs/hour.
Start small, increase gradually. The gut adapts just like muscles adapt.
Add anti-inflammatory strategies: berries, turmeric, extra virgin olive oil, fatty fish.
Non-Nutritional Strategies
Sleep. Magic for the microbiome.
Learn ways to manage stress.
Avoid unnecessary NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin. They are common gut irritants.
Don’t make huge, sudden diet changes.
Gradually increase fiber intake.
CHALLENGE
What you can do TODAY to improve your gut
Try 3–5 of these right now:
Today
Eat 1 fermented food.
Add 2 plants to your meals (eg, berries + nuts).
Drink water consistently (not only when thirsty).
Go for a 15-minute easy walk after dinner.
Swap one ultra-processed snack for a whole food snack.
Gif by MasterChefAU on Giphy
This week
Make overnight oats or yogurt bowls.
Cook a colorful “plant bowl” (even frozen veggies count!).
Practice fueling during one long workout.
Reduce alcohol for 7 days.
Giphy
This month
Aim for at least 15 different veggies + fruits weekly.
Add one fermented food 3 times per week.
Develop a stress-relief habit you actually enjoy.
Reduce scroll time before sleep
Gif by dinnertwist on Giphy
The more I work with runners, the more I see the same pattern:
The runners who take their gut seriously get sick less, recover better, and run stronger. Not because they’re genetically gifted… but because they’ve built a foundation that supports the entire training cycle.
A healthy gut is a performance tool.
A consistency tool.
A longevity tool.
And you can start improving it today.
Product of the Week
This week's Product of the Week is Hivital's Probiotic supplement.
Since I talked about intestinal health today, I thought it was important to suggest a probiotic supplement that can help improve the digestive system.
This formula is particularly interesting because it contains 20 different strains of probiotics, a small amount of prebiotic fiber, and zinc.
Track of the Week 🎧️
This week's Track of the Week it's a remix of a song that was a big hit a while ago by a band I love!
I’ve chosen Shots - Broiler Remix - by Imagine Dragons, Broiler
Any questions or something you would like to share, drop me an email
Wishing you a great weekend and week ahead!
Here’s to health and good runs⚡️
Ana Paula Alonso