Using Food as Medicine: Exercise and the Gut
The Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food are delighted to announce the release of their new e-recipe book, Using Food as Medicine: Exercise and the Gut. This new recipe book was developed as a practical guide on how to prevent or manage exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome.
So what is exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome and why is it important to think about?
At the onset of any exercise activity, two primary physiological changes occur that compromise the structure and function of the gut. Firstly, blood is redistributed to working muscles, and secondly, an increase in the natural stress response to exercise increases ‘sympathetic activation’. These can lead to secondary outcomes that include: erosion of the mucus lining the gut wall, damage to the actual cells of the gut wall, increased permeability of bacterial content of the gut into blood circulation, increases in local gut and/or whole body inflammation, and reduction in the gut’s functional capacity (e.g., stomach emptying, digestion, and absorption). Such secondary outcomes can lead to acute onset or delayed gut symptoms during or after exercise. On a more concerning note, such gut disturbance has been linked to acute and chronic health issues of clinical concern.
Recipes to help support the gut when exercising
There is now well established and emerging evidence that certain dietary strategies before and/or during exercise may also be beneficial in supporting gut health of individuals partaking in strenuous exercise. We have developed the Using Food as Medicine: Exercise and the Gut recipes to contain a variety of nutritional components with properties to assist in reducing exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome and associated symptoms, and to show you practical ways to incorporate these foods into your daily diet.
This book was inspired by the hundreds of athletes, from a wide range of sports (i.e., endurance, ultra-endurance, teams, aquatic, racquet, aesthetic, combat, strength and speed), competitive levels (i.e., elite, development, masters, amateur, and recreational), and countries, who have contacted the Monash University Sports Dietetic Research Team to request advice and guidance into the prevention and management of their debilitating exercise-associated gastrointestinal symptoms affecting their training and competition. It is also inspired by the hundreds of exercise and nutrition practitioners that have completed our online course, Food as Medicine: Food, Exercise and the Gut.
What’s included in this new e-book?
- 40 easy to prepare recipes for main meals, snacks and pre/post exercise, with nutritional properties to support the gut in response to exercise stress
- Information on how exercise effects the gut
- Practical tips
Cost: AUD$9.90 inc GST
To purchase your own e-copy of Using Food as Medicine: Exercise and the Gut please CLICK HERE