All things Gut Health with TYG!

TYG (Train Your Gut) is a gut-health sports drink packed with functional ingredients and live bio-cultures to help optimise your performance. 

 

If you purchased a March Lifebox you will have already received a can of Train your Gut Probiotic Drink!

Haven’t got your box yet? Get one here

TYG is the the world’s first probiotic sports drink.

TYG (Train Your Gut) is a gut-health sports drink packed with functional ingredients and live bio-cultures to help optimise your performance. 

Read on to find out about why gut health is pivotal to general wellbeing and why knowing the difference between probiotic strains is so important.

Probiotics

What they are:

Put simply, probiotics are good bacteria. We have a mix of both good and bad bacteria in our gut microbiome and the goal for optimal gut health is to maintain a healthy balance. We can do this by introducing and supporting the growth of the good bacteria through consumption of both probiotics and prebiotics. Prebiotics feed the good bacteria and are found in food sources such as green apples, bananas and oats. 

Why are prebiotics & probiotics important?

Your gut is often referred to as your second brain. It’s proven to influence your athleticism, immunity (70% of your immune system is housed in the gut), metabolism and even the way you think – a whopping 90% of your serotonin (the happy hormone) is said to be produced in the gut. Inside you right now are trillions of microorganisms, some of which are supporting your health, while others could be harming your health – giving you breakouts, making you feel sick, bloated, and sluggish.

How you feel really does come down to the overall balance of bacteria in your gut. 

What affects the balance? 

Antibiotics are known to suppress the beneficial bacteria and change the balance. Stress also has a big impact. Stress comes in all shapes and sizes, from your emotional state (like when you’re trying to homeschool, whilst working full time and keeping your home in some kind of order!) to your physical wellbeing (like overloading the body with sugar or toxins or even going for an intense training session, which is where TYG is your ally). 

Sources of probiotics:

Fermented drinks have become increasingly popular, with kombucha and kefir available in most supermarkets, but do we actually know why we’re drinking them and their benefits? Interestingly, whilst kombucha is a great soft drink or even alcohol alternative, the probiotics found in kombucha aren’t native to the gut microbiome, meaning you’re not going to be replacing any good bacteria that you might be missing. Given it’s tea based, arguably one of the key benefits are its antioxidant properties. Kefir on the other hand does contain good bacteria, native to the microbiome and is a great source of B vitamins, which are key for energy production. Other sources include yoghurts, TYG and of course probiotic supplements. 

What to consider with the strain of probiotic:

One of the biggest questions to ask yourself when it comes to probiotics is: will they actually reach my gut alive so I experience their benefits? After consumption, they’ve got to pass through the stomach to reach your gut. Our stomachs are highly acidic, as this is where chemical digestion of our food takes place. This acidic environment can kill probiotics before they even get to the gut if they’re not properly encapsulated. Most reputable brands will inform you of how their probiotic withstands stomach acid, like we do with TYG.

How long does it take for probiotic supplements to work?

The short answer: It depends. There are several factors that come into play, like why you’re taking the probiotic, the state of your health, and the strains you’re taking, to name a few. That being said, researchers have looked at the timeline for several common conditions that probiotics are known to support and found some similarities. If you put all the research together, the general consensus is that it can take anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks for your probiotics to start working. Consistency is key, supporting optimal gut health is all about creating healthy sustainable habits, there are no quick fixes sadly. 

How you know if they’re working:

The best way to know if a probiotic is working for you is trying it consistently for a number of weeks and keeping track of any changes to your symptoms. Try keeping a symptom journal, so you can see if things are improving. The more severe or significant your symptoms before starting a probiotic, the easier it is to notice changes. Since probiotics are taken orally and must pass through the digestive tract, digestive symptoms are often the first ones to improve such as bowel movement consistency, frequency and gas, but don’t be surprised if you start to notice things like your skin improving, mood and even sleep patterns! 

TYG is available now in three distinct flavours from Amazon and their website.

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“I am thrilled to have discovered TYG drinks – something I actually look forward to drinking as soon as I’m off the bike or back from a run. It’s so nice knowing I am doing something for my gut health and recovery, both of which are crucial to athletic performance and so easy to get wrong! I’m a convert and TYG is now firmly a part of my training routine”

– Olivia Ross-Hurst, Triathlete and Adidas Runners Coach –