A new study found that short-term high protein diets may hinder muscle endurance and short-term high carbohydrate diets may increase endurance (mSystems, May 17, 2022;7(3)). This study found that what elite long-distance runners ate determined which types of bacteria lived in their colons. A diet high in fruits and vegetables (high-carbohydrates) was associated with improved time-trial runs in highly trained competitive runners by 6.5 percent, while a high-meat diet (high-protein) was associated with a performance reduction of 23.3 percent.
The runners who had the least changes in the bacteria in their colons had the greatest improvement in time trial performance. The study found that:
• The high-carbohydrate diet that improved performance was associated with less change in the types of colon bacteria and an increase in the healthful types.
• The high protein diet that slowed exercise performance changed the types of bacteria in the colon (microbiome), reduced the number of different bacteria (diversity), and raised the levels of some types of viruses and bacteria….