For football fans, it’s been a busy couple of weeks with kick-off nights and late-night finishes. But while all eyes are on the field, our digestive systems are taking a beating behind the scenes. in fact, Google Trends data searches for “How to Improve Gut Health” during the competition it increased by +77 percentindicating that many fans were red-carded after the final whistle due to the difficulty of the match.
Whether it’s staying up late to watch the game and have extra time, reaching for dinner, celebrating with a few extra drinks, or experiencing every twist and turn of an intense game, big tournaments often throw our normal routines out of balance. Individually, these habits are unlikely to have a permanent effect, but together they can collide like England and Argentina – affecting digestion and the balance of bacteria that live in the gut microbiome.
Holly Kaske, registered dietitian at Biomel, the UK’s number one plant-based gut health brand reveals five reasons why big football matches can be tough on your gut – with five simple ways fans can restore their gut health at the game
Kaske says: “The gut microbiome – the trillions of bacteria that live in our digestive tract – affects many aspects of our lifestyle, including what we eat, how much we sleep and our stress levels. Our normal routines often change during big sporting events, with more alcohol, less fiber, late nights and irregular eating. Constipation, reflux or just feeling a little ‘off’ after weeks football celebrations.”
1. Game day nerves affect you more than your mind
Ever notice your stomach churning before kick-off or during a penalty shootout? This is because your gut and brain are constantly communicating through the gut-brain axis.
When we feel stressed, hormones released by the body can affect how quickly food moves through the digestive system. For some people, this can lead to diarrhea, while others may experience constipation, bloating or abdominal discomfort.
How to help: While you can’t control your gut, you can help your gut by managing stress. Getting some fresh air before the game, taking a short walk during a break, or practicing a few minutes of mindful breathing can all help your body de-stress and ease digestive discomfort.
2. A month of disrupted sleep can wreak havoc on your microbiome
Whether it’s watching late games, staying up in overtime, or celebrating a victory until the wee hours, sleep often suffers during big tournaments. While the occasional late night isn’t a problem, new research suggests that regularly disrupting your sleep routine can affect the balance of bacteria living in your gut.
Poor sleep is also linked to increased cravings for ultra-processed foods and sugary snacks, making it easy to fall into habits that aren’t doing your gut any favors.
How to help: Don’t ignore restorative sleep. Even a night or two of quality sleep after a late game can help your body recover. Returning to a regular bedtime after a race can benefit both your gut and overall well-being.
3. Alcohol doesn’t just leave you with a hangover
For many fans, watching football goes hand in hand with a few drinks, but alcohol can disrupt the balance of the gut microbiome and also irritate the lining of the digestive tract. Combined with dehydration and poor nutrition, this can contribute to bloating, poor digestion and changes in bowel habits the next day.
How to help: Just as soccer players pay attention to hydration during a game, so should fans. Replacing alcoholic beverages with water can help keep you hydrated and can reduce some of the digestive discomfort associated with a heavy evening.
4. Your game day buffet can starve your gut bacteria
Pizza, crisps, burgers and junk food may be delicious football food, but they are not friendly to the microbes that aid in digestion. Beneficial gut bacteria rely on fiber from plant foods to grow. As fiber intake decreases and ultra-processed foods increase, those beneficial microbes get less of the fuel they need.
The average UK adult already falls well below the recommended fiber intake*, so a few days off on match day could widen that gap even further.
How to help: Improve your meals by adding more plant varieties. Make a sharing platter with hummus, carrots, cucumbers, olives, mixed nuts and fresh fruit – all of which can help increase your fiber intake while leaving room for your favorite day treats. For a delicious drink that supports gut health while feeling like a treat, Biomel’s Gut health shots & drinks It’s packed with billions of active live cultures, chicory root fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals to help support digestion, regularity, and immune health—without compromising taste.
5. Eating at odd times is more important than people realize
Evening meals often mean that meals are pushed later than usual. Like many body systems, the gut operates according to its internal body clock. Although the occasional late meal is not a concern, frequent changes in your eating schedule can cause digestive discomfort in some people.
How to help: Feed your germs before you start. Try to eat a balanced meal before the game, instead of relying on lunch. Include plenty of fiber-rich foods throughout the day, such as oats, beans, lentils, vegetables, berries and nuts, to nourish your gut microbiome. BiomelPrebiotic Colon Health Bars are a great choice because they’re packed with 12 grams of fiber, plus essential vitamins and minerals to help maintain daily gut health and immunity and taste great.
Someone concludes; “Big sporting events naturally encourage us to relax our routines, and we should enjoy that. The important thing is not to say no to pizza or celebratory drinks – it’s to make sure these habits don’t completely replace everyday behaviors that support a healthy gut.
“Small actions like staying hydrated, getting back to regular sleep between meals, and including more fiber can make a big difference to how your digestive system feels. In many cases, it’s more about what you add to your diet than what you take in — think extra fiber, a wide variety of plant foods, and live cultures in the right place.”
So, when football fever hits its peak, supporting your gut doesn’t mean missing out on the fun. By making a few small adjustments on game days, fans can enjoy every goal without leaving their microbiome.
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Our editorial team are writers and experts in their field. Their views and opinions are not necessarily those of Wellbeing Magazine. If you are under medical supervision, talk to your doctor or therapist before following the advice and recommendations in this article.
