How I’m supporting my body as a sports dietitian after being on antibiotics for the 1st time in over 10 years:

Does getting prescribed an antibiotic make you panic about your gut health?! Or about the potential impact on your athletic performance?! 🙋‍♀️

Fear not, I have some tips based on my expertise as a sports dietitian & my experience as a semi-competitive runner in the post below as requested!

While taking antibiotics is not very fun, it can be necessary (as it was for me 3 weeks ago!) & life saving in some cases. 💊 And with some rest, care, & mindfulness about your diet & hydration you can often return to sport quickly! Do not make any changes without first talking to your PCP and/or personal dietitian, though.

1. Continuing a high fiber diet. As a vegan my diet is typically high in fiber, but after antibiotics I’ve been especially mindful since fiber provides food for the good gut bugs. And I want to nurture them as much as possible after a course of antibiotics!

My favorite high fiber foods lately: black beans, peas, broccoli, chickpeas, oatmeal, flaxseeds ( I also love that they contain omega-3s!), frozen wild blueberries, frozen blackberries, frozen raspberries, popcorn, and sunflower seeds.

2. Gradually re-introducing more movement into my days. Exercise can help colonize your gut with new and diverse strains, which is hugely beneficial after a course of antibiotics! After having the virus nearly 2 months ago and infection requiring antibiotics 2 weeks ago, my body has not felt up for as much movement as usual. So I honored that.

The antibiotics especially made me feel tired and my digestive system a bit off, so I took extra rest. But now that I’m done with antibiotics my body is craving movement. I’m easing back into running (my primary sport) and added more walks and stretching into my days. Movement helps with digestion and makes me feel good, but I want to be careful to not overdo it.

3. Staying hydrated. Whenever you eat a lot of fiber and if you lead an active lifestyle this is important for digestive regularity. I noticed I was thirstier after being on antibiotics, but this may also be because I felt well enough after finishing the antibiotic course to increase my activity levels (especially in regards to running) after a few weeks of lower activity.

I typically drink plain water, matcha, herbal teas, coffee, plant-based milks and/or plain sparkling water, but also add in an electrolyte drink on active days.

4. Consuming probiotics. The research is mixed on the benefits of probiotic supplementation during and after a course of antibiotics, but I personally have been taking a supplement. Lactobacillus based probiotics can be beneficial for runners and I knew I wanted to return to running ASAP once I was feeling better and ideally not experience any GI issues on my longer runs in particular. Alternatively, you can consume food based probiotics, such as yogurts, sauerkraut, tempeh, and kombucha.

Work with your PCP and/or Registered Dietitian to determine if probiotic supplementation would be helpful for you during and/or after a course of antibiotics as we are all different!

5. Focusing on rest and stress reduction. We cannot necessarily prevent infections, but it can be good learning opportunity to reflect on any contributing factors leading up to the infection.

For myself personally, the last couple months were the most I had traveled by plane and in general in a short time frame for years. The frequent travel interrupted my sleep, usual/preferred eating patterns, and led to additional stress as a business owner, so I know moving forward in general and the next time I travel I need to be more mindful and protective!

For the reminder of 2024 I am especially focused on 7+ hours of sleep per night, meditation at least a few days per week, and engaging in my favorite leisure activities (outside of running) as much as possible, especially reading and crochet!

What other tips would you add for supporting your gut after antibiotics?!👇🏻