Train Your Gut for Performance: The Overlooked Secret to Recovery, Strength, and Longevity
A guest post by Dan Churchill on why your gut may be the missing link in your recovery, performance, and long-term health.
Greetings!
Today’s newsletter is written by Dan Churchill. Dan is a performance chef, hybrid athlete, and has a Master’s in Exercise Science. Dan helps people bridge the gap between how they train and how they eat. He’s worked with pro athletes, Olympians, and everyday legends, and today he’s making the case for why your gut may be the missing link in your recovery, performance, and long-term health.
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Don’t Skip Gut Day
G’day legends,
Big thanks to Brady for having me. I’m stoked to be here and bring this conversation to a crew that genuinely values performance, evidence, and longevity.
Let me get right to it: If you care about building muscle, running stronger, or recovering faster, your gut might be the most overlooked piece of your performance puzzle.
We spend so much time fine-tuning macros, tracking protein, and stacking training volume. But none of that works optimally if the system responsible for breaking down, absorbing, and distributing nutrients isn’t running efficiently.
Your gut is a performance organ. And training it—yes, actually training it—can change how well you adapt, recover, and perform.
What Is the Gut-Muscle Axis?
You’ve likely heard of the gut-brain axis, but there’s another communication line just as important for athletes: the gut-muscle axis.
This connection refers to how gut health influences muscle function, repair, and growth. One of the key players here? Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)—compounds that your gut bacteria create when you eat fiber.
SCFAs help:
Stimulate muscle protein synthesis
Reduce inflammation (especially post-training)
Support mitochondrial efficiency (vital for endurance and energy)
Improve insulin sensitivity (which impacts nutrient delivery)
Why Most Athletes Are Falling Short
Here’s the catch: most people simply aren’t feeding their gut well enough to support performance.
Let’s look at fiber:
Recommended intake: ~30–34g/day for active adults
Average intake in the U.S.: ~15g/day or less
Fermented, probiotic-rich foods are often totally missing from the modern diet.
This means many athletes are training hard, eating enough protein, and still recovering poorly or feeling inflamed because their gut isn’t equipped to support the work.
Digestive Conditioning: Training Your Gut Like an Athlete
Your gut, like your muscles, adapts to challenge. If you only ever eat soft, simple meals like shakes, bars, or white rice and chicken, your gut gets weaker, not stronger.
When you introduce more fiber, complexity, and real food, your digestive system builds resilience, leading to:
Less bloating
Better tolerance to pre-workout meals
Improved energy delivery during runs
Better nutrient absorption post-lift
Whole Foods vs. Liquid Nutrition
Think of your digestive system like a muscle group. Shakes and smoothies are like mobility work—great in a pinch, helpful post-session, but they’re not building strength.
Whole foods—fibrous vegetables, lentils, quinoa, lean meats—demand more from your gut. That’s a good thing. The effort builds strength, function, and adaptability.
Use liquid meals strategically, not constantly. They’re a tool, not a foundation.
How to Train Your Gut: 5 Practical Steps
Eat 30–34g of fiber per day
Rotate sources like: cruciferous veggies, legumes, whole grains, berries, seeds, nuts.
Add 1–2 servings of fermented foods daily
Options: yogurt or kefir, kimchi, miso, tempeh, sauerkraut.Chew thoroughly and eat mindfully
Digestion starts in your mouth.
Build up gradually
Start with small servings of complex foods and let your gut adapt.
Use supplements as a backup
Greens powders, digestive enzymes, or AG1 can fill gaps but shouldn’t replace whole foods.
Why This Matters for Long-Term Performance
Recovery starts in the gut. From reducing soreness to improving nutrient partitioning, your gut affects how your body adapts between sessions.
Look at the Blue Zones and other long-living cultures: their diets are full of fiber, diversity, and fermented foods.
Performance now. Resilience for life. The gut ties it all together.
Final Thoughts
If you train hard but ignore your gut, you're missing part of the equation.
You can have the best training plan, supplements, and sleep, but if your gut isn’t absorbing nutrients, managing inflammation, or supporting muscle repair, you’re leaving gains on the table.
Train your gut like you train your body. Challenge it. Nourish it. Give it the same intention.
Huge thanks again to Brady for letting me jump in today–love what he’s building with this audience.
If you want more insights, recipes, and simple strategies to fuel for performance and longevity, subscribe to my weekly newsletter: Legendary by Dan Churchill
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– DC