Elite athletes undergo rigorous training and adhere to specialized diets aimed at optimizing performance, often prioritizing carbohydrate loading, high protein intake, and certain performance enhancing supplementation. However, intense exercise can lead to gastrointestinal issues and alterations in gut permeability, leading to risks to an athlete's health. Strategies to prevent gastrointestinal issues include dietary interventions such as dark chocolate consumption and Konjac glucomannan supplementation. Despite this, research suggests that exercise positively impacts the gut microbiome, with certain bacterial species correlating with improved athletic performance. This thesis explores the relationship between elite sports performance and the gut microbiome, investigating how dietary habits, exercise regimes, and microbial composition intersect to influence athlete health and performance. Furthermore, the potential of probiotics, postbiotics, and butyrate-producing bacteria to enhance athletic performance by modulating the gut microbiome is discussed.
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