{"id":59249,"date":"2015-08-17T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-17T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/\/uncategorized\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut"},"modified":"2021-11-22T01:12:56","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T06:12:56","slug":"want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to Improve Your Gym Performance? Start in Your Gut"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>How is your digestion? Think about it for a moment.<\/strong> If you\u2019re like nine out of ten people, you probably haven\u2019t really thought about it before. So ask yourself:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How does it feel in your gut?<\/li>\n<li>Before and after your meals?<\/li>\n<li>Is constipation, bloating, or nausea common?<\/li>\n<li>Are there particular foods that don\u2019t settle?<\/li>\n<li>Do you walk around often tired despite having slept seven to nine hours most nights?<\/li>\n<li>How much water do you drink a day?<\/li>\n<li>How often do you poop and what does it look like?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>These are all things to assess when considering your digestion.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-essential-function-of-digestion\">The Essential Function of Digestion<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.niddk.nih.gov\/health-information\/health-statistics\/digestive-diseases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61258\">According to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services<\/a>, digestive disorders affect sixty to seventy million people in the United States.<\/strong> These disorders may include GERD, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, gallstones, hypochlorhydria, and leaky gut. Not to mention, indigestion, bloating, constipation, nausea, stomach pains, and more. In other words, if you experience less than optimal digestion, you are not alone.<\/p>\n<p>And if your digestion is not spot on, <strong>it could be impacting your performance and results in the gym<\/strong>. Digestion is an essential aspect to training at your optimal function.<\/p>\n<p>Since 99% of your nutrient assimilation occurs through food moving through your digestive system, <strong>if your digestive system is not functioning optimally, then your nutrient uptake is not optimal either.<\/strong> All the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and supplements you ingest are not being used to their fullest potential for energy, recovery, muscle growth and repair.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"rtecenter\" id=\"digestion-is-an-essential-aspect-to-training-at-your-optimal-function\"><em>&#8220;Digestion is an essential aspect to training at your optimal function.&#8221;<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Whether your goal is to make it to the CrossFit Games, compete in a triathlon, or simply to look good naked and keep up with the grandkids, a <strong>look inward can do wonders for your performance outward.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have to struggle with poor digestion forever.<\/strong> In fact, there are a few\u00a0key\u00a0steps you can do at home, today, to improve it and begin to experience\u00a0more energy, new performance gains, and better\u00a0absorption\u00a0than before.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"rtecenter\" id=\"here-are-a-few-triggers-that-can-make-digestion-go-wrong-and-some-simple-ways-for-turning-things-around\">Here are a <strong>few triggers that can make digestion go wrong<\/strong>, and some simple ways for turning things around.<\/h4>\n<h2 id=\"stress\">Stress<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Stress hurts for many reasons &#8211; digestion included.<\/strong> Since digestion begins first and foremost in our brains, and the brain is also where stress reiterates from, when our brains are stressed, then our digestion can become stressed.<\/p>\n<p>You know how it works: we are on the go, in our cars, or at our desks working, shoveling our food in quickly between appointments, meetings or other to-dos. <strong>We don\u2019t take the time to sit down or sit still to allow the process of digestion to really begin and settle<\/strong>. Consequently, digestion takes a punch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-59247\" src=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/digestionphoto2.jpg\" alt=\"stress, digestion, digestive health\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/digestionphoto2.jpg 600w, https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/digestionphoto2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Our bodies are wired to digest and eat in a parasympathetic state, i.e. not when we are running from a bear, but when we are relaxed. <strong>You\u2019ve already lost the battle if you practice stressful eating habits.<\/strong> So, slow down, and enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds as you saut\u00e9 your veggies or cook up your burger.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"chew-chew-swallow\">Chew, Chew, Swallow<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The digestive process begins in the mouth as your saliva assists in food transport and breakdown.<\/strong> But more often than not, due to our on-the-go lifestyles or improper habits around food consumption, we don\u2019t chew enough.<\/p>\n<p>This poor chewing contributes to the poor formation of a bolus (thoroughly chewed food to be transported to the stomach). <strong>When our food is not properly chewed, then our stomach and intestines are going to struggle<\/strong> with having to break down our food more than they\u2019re designed to.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"rtecenter\" id=\"our-bodies-are-wired-to-digest-and-eat-in-a-parasympathetic-state-i-e-not-when-we-are-running-from-a-bear-but-when-we-are-relaxed\"><em>&#8220;Our bodies are wired to digest and eat in a parasympathetic state, i.e. not when we are running from a bear, but when we are relaxed.&#8221;<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Put your fork down between bites, and chew your food until you can no longer tell what it formerly was. <\/strong>A piece of chicken should still taste like chicken, but look like a wad of saliva-glazed meat after you\u2019re finished chewing. Who knows, your kids might enjoy it if the whole family holds each other accountable on this one.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"low-stomach-acid\">Low Stomach Acid<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The optimal pH (acidity level) of your stomach is 1.5-3 for digestion, i.e. highly acidic, particularly when it comes to dealing with proteins.<\/strong> A nutritional therapy practitioner, integrative medicine professional, or gastrointestinal doctor can help guide you into determining the acidity of your stomach.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Probiotics and digestive enzymes are some digestive supports that give many people a leg up<\/strong> when it comes to a healthy gut flora and enzyme production for the breakdown and assimilation of your nutrients. Some great options for probiotics are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Jarrow-Formulas-Jarro-dophilus-EPS-Capsules\/dp\/B0013OUKTS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61259\">Jarro-dophilus EPS<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Prescript-Assist-Probiotic-90-Caps\/dp\/B00L82H6HY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61260\">Prescript-Assist<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Transformation-Enzymes-Probiotic-60-count\/dp\/B00A2WC7N4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61261\">TransFormation Enzymes Probiotic<\/a>. Transformation also makes a great product called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Transformation-Enzyme-Digest-120-caps\/dp\/B005QS07OU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61262\">Digest<\/a> and Biotics Research\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Biotics-Research-Intenzyme-ForteTM-Proteolytic\/dp\/B07D7G38JJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61263\">Intezyme Forte<\/a> is a great post-meal supplement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-59248\" src=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/digestivesystemphoto3.jpg\" alt=\"digestive system, fitness, digestive health\" width=\"600\" height=\"472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/digestivesystemphoto3.jpg 600w, https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/digestivesystemphoto3-300x236.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"leaky-gut-syndrome-and-dysbiosis\">Leaky Gut Syndrome and Dysbiosis<\/h2>\n<p>When food is not fully digested, instead of being seen as a nourishing nutrient, it is seen as a foreign invader and the body has an autoimmune response. As a result, <strong>the flow of digestion can be disrupted, resulting in things like IBS, constipation, and bloating<\/strong>. This can happen from repeatedly eating foods that don\u2019t agree with us.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Given that, to begin healing your gut, start with consistency in sticking to a clean diet. <\/strong>Incorporate gut-healing foods like bone broth, fermented vegetables, raw full-fat cultured dairy (yogurt), coconut products, and sprouted seeds (chia, hemp, flaxseed).<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"rtecenter\" id=\"while-bars-and-shakes-can-have-a-place-in-an-athletes-diet-they-should-not-make-up-the-bulk-of-your-nutrition\"><em>&#8220;While bars and shakes can have a place in an athlete\u2019s diet, they should not make up the bulk of your nutrition.&#8221;<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>In addition, healthy gut support supplements are a must. The probiotics and enzymes mentioned above can be a great start.<strong> In addition, consider L-glutamine (for healing your intestinal lining) and licorice root<\/strong>, which is an <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adaptogen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61264\">adaptogenic herb <\/a>that helps balance cortisol levels and improves acid production in the stomach.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"poor-food-quality\">Poor Food Quality<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Many of us are kids of a processed-food generation. <\/strong>Our bodies have been exposed to many chemicals and anti-nutrients that never nourished our body in the first place. Even today, many of us rely on fake sources of food (protein, bars, etc.) with claims that they will make us stronger, fitter, or healthier. In truth, they leave us bloated, constipated, and lacking in satiety.<\/p>\n<p>While bars and shakes can have a place in an athlete\u2019s diet, <strong>they should not make up the bulk of your nutrition<\/strong>. Instead, reach for pasture-raised eggs, dark leafy greens, red apples and juicy oranges, or organic grass-fed beef and chicken thighs. Real whole foods from a variety of sources will get you much further on the nutrient train.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"which-change-are-you-going-to-make\">Which Change Are You Going to Make?<\/h2>\n<p>So if you want to amp up your performance in the gym, try the simple changes I&#8217;ve outlined above. <strong>It could mean all the difference in your energy, performance, and even gains.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>More on digestive health:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/1-simple-step-anyone-can-take-to-improve-digestion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61265\"><strong>1 Simple Step Anyone Can Take to Improve Digestion<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/why-you-need-indigestible-carbs-in-your-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61266\"><strong>Why You Need Indigestible Carbs in Your Diet<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/4-tips-for-healthy-digestion-on-summer-vacation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61267\"><strong>4 Tips for Healthy Digestion on Summer Vacation<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>New On Breaking Muscle Today<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 11px;\"><strong><u>References:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 11px;\">1. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niddk.nih.gov\/health-information\/health-statistics\/digestive-diseases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61269\">U.S. Department of Health &amp; Human Services<\/a>. (2014). NIH Publication No. 13\u20133873.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-size: 11px;\">Photos courtesy of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"61270\">Shutterstock<\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How is your digestion? Think about it for a moment. If you\u2019re like nine out of ten people, you probably haven\u2019t really thought about it before. So ask yourself: How does it feel in your gut? Before and after your meals? Is constipation, bloating, or nausea common? Are there particular foods that don\u2019t settle? Do you walk around&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1125,"featured_media":59250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4642],"tags":[1109],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Want to Improve Your Gym Performance? Start in Your Gut - Breaking Muscle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Want to Improve Your Gym Performance? Start in Your Gut - Breaking Muscle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How is your digestion? Think about it for a moment. If you\u2019re like nine out of ten people, you probably haven\u2019t really thought about it before. So ask yourself: How does it feel in your gut? Before and after your meals? Is constipation, bloating, or nausea common? Are there particular foods that don\u2019t settle? Do you walk around...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Breaking Muscle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/breakingmuscle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"drlauryn\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-08-17T13:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-11-22T06:12:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/digestionheader.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lauryn Lax\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BreakingMuscle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BreakingMuscle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lauryn Lax\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lauryn Lax\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/657364b0c48e340ea73ce6c70b2cc1be\"},\"headline\":\"Want to Improve Your Gym Performance? Start in Your Gut\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-08-17T13:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-11-22T06:12:56+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/\"},\"wordCount\":1204,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"digestive health\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Fitness\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/\",\"name\":\"Want to Improve Your Gym Performance? Start in Your Gut - Breaking Muscle\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-08-17T13:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-11-22T06:12:56+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Fitness\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/fitness\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Want to Improve Your Gym Performance? Start in Your Gut\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\",\"name\":\"Breaking Muscle\",\"description\":\"Breaking Muscle\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Breaking Muscle\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/bmlogowhite-red.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/bmlogowhite-red.png\",\"width\":714,\"height\":714,\"caption\":\"Breaking Muscle\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/breakingmuscle\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BreakingMuscle\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/breakingmuscle\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/breakingmuscle\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/BreakingMuscleVideos\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/657364b0c48e340ea73ce6c70b2cc1be\",\"name\":\"Lauryn Lax\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/cropped-laurynlaxbio-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/cropped-laurynlaxbio-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Lauryn Lax\"},\"description\":\"Dr. Lauryn Lax, OTD, NTP, CPT is a Functional Medicine Practitioner, Occupational Therapist, Nutritionist, and Fitness Professional, working with clients worldwide to thrive in their own lives. She is the founder of her company Thrive Wellness &amp; Recovery and avid blogger of DrLauryn.com. Dr. Lauryn is passionate about bringing preventative healthcare to society through functional medicine, lifestyle redesign, real-food nutrition, functional movement, and mindset coaching. She specializes in women and children's health, eating disorder recovery, performance nutrition, digestive health (IBS, SIBO, GERD), anxiety, hormones, autoimmune disease, blood sugar control, weight management and healthy lifestyle improvements. She earned her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and her Bachelor's in Communication from the University of Texas-Austin. After completing her doctoral studies, she went on to complete additional education as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) Certification from the Nutritional Therapy Association, and functional medicine specialty from the Institute for Functional Medicine, The Kresser Institute and the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. In addition, Dr. Lauryn is a Certified Fitness Professional and trainer. She currently lives in Austin, Texas, and when she\u2019s not working on changing the world, she\u2019s enjoying the great outdoors, reading, writing, volunteering, or knocking out some kipping pull ups and handstand push ups in the gym.\",\"sameAs\":[\"drlauryn\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/author\/lauryn-lax\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Want to Improve Your Gym Performance? Start in Your Gut - Breaking Muscle","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Want to Improve Your Gym Performance? Start in Your Gut - Breaking Muscle","og_description":"How is your digestion? Think about it for a moment. If you\u2019re like nine out of ten people, you probably haven\u2019t really thought about it before. So ask yourself: How does it feel in your gut? Before and after your meals? Is constipation, bloating, or nausea common? Are there particular foods that don\u2019t settle? Do you walk around...","og_url":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/","og_site_name":"Breaking Muscle","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/breakingmuscle\/","article_author":"drlauryn","article_published_time":"2015-08-17T13:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-11-22T06:12:56+00:00","og_image":[{"width":400,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/digestionheader.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Lauryn Lax","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@BreakingMuscle","twitter_site":"@BreakingMuscle","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lauryn Lax","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/"},"author":{"name":"Lauryn Lax","@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/657364b0c48e340ea73ce6c70b2cc1be"},"headline":"Want to Improve Your Gym Performance? Start in Your Gut","datePublished":"2015-08-17T13:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-11-22T06:12:56+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/"},"wordCount":1204,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#organization"},"keywords":["digestive health"],"articleSection":["Fitness"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/","url":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/","name":"Want to Improve Your Gym Performance? Start in Your Gut - Breaking Muscle","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2015-08-17T13:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-11-22T06:12:56+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/want-to-improve-your-gym-performance-start-in-your-gut\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Fitness","item":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/fitness\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Want to Improve Your Gym Performance? Start in Your Gut"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/","name":"Breaking Muscle","description":"Breaking Muscle","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#organization","name":"Breaking Muscle","url":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/bmlogowhite-red.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/bmlogowhite-red.png","width":714,"height":714,"caption":"Breaking Muscle"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/breakingmuscle\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/BreakingMuscle","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/breakingmuscle\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/breakingmuscle\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/BreakingMuscleVideos"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/657364b0c48e340ea73ce6c70b2cc1be","name":"Lauryn Lax","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/cropped-laurynlaxbio-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/cropped-laurynlaxbio-96x96.jpg","caption":"Lauryn Lax"},"description":"Dr. Lauryn Lax, OTD, NTP, CPT is a Functional Medicine Practitioner, Occupational Therapist, Nutritionist, and Fitness Professional, working with clients worldwide to thrive in their own lives. She is the founder of her company Thrive Wellness &amp; Recovery and avid blogger of DrLauryn.com. Dr. Lauryn is passionate about bringing preventative healthcare to society through functional medicine, lifestyle redesign, real-food nutrition, functional movement, and mindset coaching. She specializes in women and children's health, eating disorder recovery, performance nutrition, digestive health (IBS, SIBO, GERD), anxiety, hormones, autoimmune disease, blood sugar control, weight management and healthy lifestyle improvements. She earned her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and her Bachelor's in Communication from the University of Texas-Austin. After completing her doctoral studies, she went on to complete additional education as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) Certification from the Nutritional Therapy Association, and functional medicine specialty from the Institute for Functional Medicine, The Kresser Institute and the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. In addition, Dr. Lauryn is a Certified Fitness Professional and trainer. She currently lives in Austin, Texas, and when she\u2019s not working on changing the world, she\u2019s enjoying the great outdoors, reading, writing, volunteering, or knocking out some kipping pull ups and handstand push ups in the gym.","sameAs":["drlauryn"],"url":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/author\/lauryn-lax\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59249"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1125"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59249"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":155051,"href":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59249\/revisions\/155051"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}