The Olympics are no ordinary games. They are weeks of travel, intense training, changing meals and mental pressure. While athletes fine-tune everything down to the second, a silent director is at play: the microbiome.

Training and microbiome: the forgotten link

Research in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living (2023) shows that intensive periodization trains not only muscles but also the microbiome.

• With well-timed training cycles, microbial diversity increases → better energy efficiency and recovery.
• Too much load without recovery → dysbiosis: reduced bacterial diversity, higher inflammatory susceptibility and increased risk of overtraining.

Biorhythm and circadian microbiome

The microbiome has a day-night rhythm:

• During the day, bacteria that provide energy (SCFA production) dominate.
• At night, repair bacteria are more active and strengthen mucosal barriers.

Travel or changing training hours can shift this rhythm. Cell Metabolism (2019) showed that a dysregulated circadian microbiome leads to reduced VO₂max adaptation and worse recovery.

Multi-omics in Olympic preparation

A classic exercise test measures lactate or heart rate. My InnerSelfie looks deeper:

• DNA → reveals predisposition to repair, inflammation and circadian type.
• Microbiome → shows whether athletes are prone to dysbiosis or jet lag.
• Metabolites → show real-time adaptation: lactic acid breakdown, SCFA levels, oxidative stress.

This creates a peak profile that helps coaches personalize training, nutrition and recovery to Olympic levels.

Practical biohacks for Olympic athletes

1. Microbiome synchronization
   - Align training cycles with microbiome rhythms → energy during the day, recovery at night.
2. Custom Periodization
   - Not every athlete responds the same to "classic tapering." Metabolites and DNA show who exactly needs more or less rest.
3. Nutrition timed, not gamed
   - Timing of SCFA-stimulating foods and polyphenols can speed recovery and minimize jet lag.
4. Recovery Index
   - Personalized recovery profile prevents athletes from being "over the top" before the start of the Games.

Why My InnerSelfie is unique to Olympic preparation

• Science-based → based on multi-omics insights from Nature, Cell and Frontiers.
• Practical application → translates biomarkers into concrete training and recovery plans.
• Personalized → no generic advice, but customization for each athlete.

Key insights

• Olympic preparation requires not only muscle training, but also microbiome optimization.
• The microbiome follows a day-night rhythm that must be in sync with training and recovery.
• Multi-omics gives coaches and athletes insight into peak performance and recovery capacity.
• My InnerSelfie enables a biorhythm in top form - the silent key to Olympic performance.

Scientific references

• Clauss M, Gérard P, Mosca A, Leclerc M. Interplay between exercise and gut microbiome in the context of human health and performance. Front Sports Act Living. 2023.
• Cell Metabolism. (2019). Circadian rhythms of the gut microbiome and their role in athletic performance.
• Springer Sports Medicine. (2022). Periodization, training load and microbiome adaptation in elite athletes.

Harvard Health. (2022). Chronobiology and sports performance.