Better gut health means better overall athletic performance. Chances are you’ll be stronger, have more endurance and mental focus, and have fewer minor ailments and injuries.

For improving your gut health, I recommend a “5R” program:

1. Remove processed foods, sugar, soy, gluten, lactose, artificial sweeteners, and alcohol from your diet. Stop eating any foods you suspect you are allergic to or cannot tolerate. Stop drinking soda, even the sugar-free kind. If possible, stop taking any unnecessary medications.

2. Replace the foods you removed with a better diet that emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, high-quality protein, and adequate healthy fats. Try to include some fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, or kombucha in your daily diet.

3. Reinoculate your gut with probiotic supplements to help restore and rebalance the beneficial bacteria and crowd out the harmful kind. Even if you feel your diet is good and your gut health is fine, I recommend taking a daily probiotic. The supplement should contain both L. acidophilus and B. lactis strains of bacteria. In addition to taking a probiotic supplement, try to have at least one serving of a fermented food a day. These foods contain beneficial bacteria strains beyond those that can be made into probiotic supplements. 

4. Repair the damage to your intestinal lining with supplements such as the natural anti-inflammatory curcumin and omega-3 fatty acids. The amino acid glutamine is a primary energy source for the cells that line your intestines. Taking supplements may really accelerate healing.

5. Retain the gains. Gut health is an ongoing process. You’ll lose the gains you’ve made if you let processed foods, sugar, and other harmful foods slip back into your diet. Continue with at least nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day; add even more if you can manage to. For maintenance, I recommend adding a daily multivitamin with phytonutrients, vitamin D supplements (2,000 to 5,000 IUs daily), and 2,000 to 4,000 mg fish oil each day.

There’s no off-season for gut health. To keep your athletic edge, it’s important to stick with a healthy diet and take your supplements year-round.

Preventing gut problems and keeping damaging inflammation from getting started can help your athletic performance stay remain at a high-level.