And those substances lead to changes in the intestinal flora, which in turn result in a decrease in inflammation.

Regular exercise or intensive exercise is healthy. Everyone knows that. But exactly how our toil in the gym or attic leaves a positive mark on our health is not always clear. For example, long and broad research has shown that regular exercise reduces chronic inflammation. This also reduces the risk of (serious) conditions that can result from these inflammations, such as cancer, arthritis and heart disease. But exactly how exercise reduces inflammation is unclear.

Endocannabinoids

At least: until recently. Because in the leaf Gut Microbes Scientists reveal that they have discovered how exercise can reduce chronic inflammation. And a key role appears to be played by so-called endocannabinoids. “These are cannabis-like molecules that are produced by our bodies,” said researcher Amrita Vijay.

intestinal flora

Experiments show that regular exercise leads the body to produce more of these cannabis-like compounds. And that in turn leads to a decrease in inflammation via a change in the intestinal flora. “What we show in our study is that endocannabinoids and the gut microbiome together regulate inflammation,” Vijay said. “Our research shows that when we exercise, we produce more endocannabinoids. And that leads to a change in the intestinal flora: the number of inflammatory bacteria decreases and the number of good bacteria – which produce anti-inflammatory molecules – increases. And thus inflammation is reduced.”

Experiment

The researchers based their conclusions on a study of 78 people with arthritis (a long-lasting and therefore actually chronic disease in which the joints are inflamed). 38 of the subjects performed muscle-strengthening exercises for 15 minutes every day for six weeks. The other 40 subjects did nothing and formed the so-called control group. After six weeks, the subjects who had done muscle exercises every day appeared to experience less pain than the control group. In addition, more bacteria that produce anti-inflammatory substances were found in their intestines. The 38 subjects were also found to have produced more endocannabinoids and to have fewer inflammatory substances (so-called cytokines).

As mentioned, there appeared to be a strong connection between the increase in endocannabinoids and the changes in the gut bacteria. In fact, at least a third of the anti-inflammatory effects that the altered gut flora had for the 38 subjects turned out to be traceable to the increase in endocannabinoids. “We’ve discovered how substances produced by gut bacteria interact with substances produced by our own bodies, which in turn tells us more about how exercise reduces inflammation.”

Implications

The findings are certainly not only interesting for people with inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis, Vijay emphasizes. Healthy people can also benefit from it. “Chronic inflammation leads to various diseases. And keeping that inflammation under control is important if you want to live a healthy and balanced life.”

Small investment, big result

What is striking in the study by Vijay and colleagues is that the subjects only needed 15 minutes a day with their muscle exercises to produce more endocannabinoids and the resulting positive changes in their gut flora. “Short-term physical exercise was indeed enough to see positive effects among people with arthritis,” Vijay confirms when asked. But it is unclear whether healthy people can achieve the same level of effort with fifteen minutes of comparable effort. “Healthy individuals may need to exercise longer or do other types of exercise to see similar effects. That is something that needs further investigation.” In anticipation of this, it is of course never a bad idea to exercise enough on a daily basis. “Our study clearly shows that exercise leads to an increase in the body’s own cannabis-like compounds,” says Vijay. “And that can have a positive effect on various conditions.”

The research is not only very interesting, but also very topical. In recent years, in particular, we have seen that interest in cannabis oil and other similar supplements has taken off. “It’s good to know that simple lifestyle changes – like getting more exercise – can also modulate endocannabinoids.”