This is a good point. It depends on how often and strenuous the exercise routine of someone over 60 is. Moderate exercise will definitely be positive for anyone at any age. It is nice to remember, though, that as we age, the risk of microbiota imbalance increases. This is due to progressive physiological deterioration... So a healthy diet and lifestyle are important to keep this deterioration to the lowest. When it comes to strenuous exercise, the majority of the scientific literature focuses on younger cohorts. I came across a recent study (2024) that looked at the impact of exercise on the gut microbiota in middle-aged (40 to 60), amateur serious runners (25 healthy individuals who ran at least 40 km a week for > 1 year). The authors concluded that long-term exercise could lead to positive changes in the composition of the microbiota (not a surprise for me). These changes have the potential to impact the overall health of the individual by influencing metabolic regulation. Yet, they did not talk about gut distress in this paper. Bottom line: Continue with your exercise routine, and eat plenty of veggies and fruits to get anti-inflammatory and antioxidant molecules in your system. And perhaps as we grow older, ultras get unfashioned naturally.... What do you think? Hope this helps!
It does help... I'm discovering that changing exercise routines and type of exercise is ongoing...for example, I used to run 40-60 km per week, but I'm lucky if I hit that amount in a month these days. The wear and tear on hips and knees is noticeable, so I'm spending time shifting to new challenges, like swimming, increased weight work, and more biking - things that are kinder to my joints. I haven't noticed anything different with my gut - but then again, I do follow a healthy diet with plenty of different fruits and vegetables (30-35 different varieties per week).
No. After all, there are plenty of elite endurance athletes out there pursuing their athletic goals. You gotta be conscious about gut distress, though. And if you suffer from it, definitely you gotta take a closer look. Manage the distress with your diet or supplements, get a medical opinion (sports doctor). You can't constantly put pressure in your guts thinking that it won't affect you in the long run...
Interesting points of discussion - I wonder, what do you think the impact on the microbiome is for aging athletes...say those over 60?
This is a good point. It depends on how often and strenuous the exercise routine of someone over 60 is. Moderate exercise will definitely be positive for anyone at any age. It is nice to remember, though, that as we age, the risk of microbiota imbalance increases. This is due to progressive physiological deterioration... So a healthy diet and lifestyle are important to keep this deterioration to the lowest. When it comes to strenuous exercise, the majority of the scientific literature focuses on younger cohorts. I came across a recent study (2024) that looked at the impact of exercise on the gut microbiota in middle-aged (40 to 60), amateur serious runners (25 healthy individuals who ran at least 40 km a week for > 1 year). The authors concluded that long-term exercise could lead to positive changes in the composition of the microbiota (not a surprise for me). These changes have the potential to impact the overall health of the individual by influencing metabolic regulation. Yet, they did not talk about gut distress in this paper. Bottom line: Continue with your exercise routine, and eat plenty of veggies and fruits to get anti-inflammatory and antioxidant molecules in your system. And perhaps as we grow older, ultras get unfashioned naturally.... What do you think? Hope this helps!
It does help... I'm discovering that changing exercise routines and type of exercise is ongoing...for example, I used to run 40-60 km per week, but I'm lucky if I hit that amount in a month these days. The wear and tear on hips and knees is noticeable, so I'm spending time shifting to new challenges, like swimming, increased weight work, and more biking - things that are kinder to my joints. I haven't noticed anything different with my gut - but then again, I do follow a healthy diet with plenty of different fruits and vegetables (30-35 different varieties per week).
This is definitely the way to go!
Does it mean I should renonce my high intensity workouts?
No. After all, there are plenty of elite endurance athletes out there pursuing their athletic goals. You gotta be conscious about gut distress, though. And if you suffer from it, definitely you gotta take a closer look. Manage the distress with your diet or supplements, get a medical opinion (sports doctor). You can't constantly put pressure in your guts thinking that it won't affect you in the long run...