NUTRITION WITH TARA – IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR GUT HEALTH

Kate Dzienis • September 24, 2019

WELCOME TO NUTRITION WITH TARA DAVENPORT.

Contributed by Tara Davenport, Accredited Sports Dietician
Tara Davenport is an Accredited Sports Dietitian based in Brisbane, Qld. Her experience stems from working with state level sport teams, the Australian Defence Force and every day endurance goers to athletes. Tara has competed in ultra marathons, trail races and is a keen runner. She uses evidenced based practices for her clients to ensure they are receiving the most up-to-date nutrition science, alongside with practical strategies to optimise performance and ensure nutrition is a life long focus.

WHY GUT HEALTH IS CRITICAL

Gut health has become a very popular topic within the sport world and research world. It’s fascinating to learn that our gut is like our second brain, and it’s because our gastrointestinal system is directly connected to our brain by a nerve called the Vagus.

The Vagus nerve produces what we call the ‘happy hormone’, also known as serotonin, so not only does our gut influence our nutrient absorption and reduce the risk of gut conditions, it can impact our mood, and vice versa.

What foods to eat for a healthy gut environment?

Choose a variety of foods that are high in fibre, and aiming for 30g of fibre per day (use a diet app to track fibre intake). Dietary fibre is found in foods such as fruits and vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals (like oats), grains and nuts and seeds.

A good goal here is to aim for variety, so you can try to eat 30 different plants per week – now that’s a challenge for you!

Consuming a variety of high fibre foods means we have different fibres to produce a wide range of microbiome (or bacteria) in our gut. A particular fibre called resistant starch is particularly helpful. With the interaction of our gut microbiome, resistant starch helps to produce butyric acid that helps heal our gut lining to ensure nutrient absorption is optimum.

The production of these short chain fatty acids, like butyric, promotes optimum running performance as it also benefits our overall health. Another example of where our microbiome has epic roles in our body is the production of Vitamin B12.

Generally we can only obtain vitamins and minerals through our diet however certain microbiome can produce Vitamin B12 which has massive roles during our running so we run at our best and beat that PB.

What’s the difference between prebiotics and probiotics?

A prebiotic is a food that will help to feed a diverse range of bacteria in our gut. These foods include high fibre containing foods. I would choose these foods to focus on firstly, and perhaps bring in some of these foods more often that make great prebiotics: oats, sourdough bread, Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, asparagus and barley to name a few.

Probiotics are foods that contain some functioning bacteria or cultures. Foods such as yoghurt, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, tofu and tempeh, pickled vegetables and some soft cheeses like cottage cheese, all have live bacteria. The key here is variety. Aim to consume a variety of these probiotic foods to ensure your microbiome is diverse.

The use of supplements like a prebiotic or probiotic capsule or powder is only really needed if we are suffering from bowel conditions, have had a virus and have been on antibiotics or are suffering from a depressed mood. However, when we are travelling for a running event probiotics are useful to help sustain a healthy immunity.

Gut health vs runners gut

Even if we have an optimum gut environment we can still find we suffer from cramps, bloating or poor timing of bowel movements (mid-race). Having a thorough understanding of what type of foods will sit right in our gut during and outside of training is very important. Aim to enhance your gut health through a focus on prebiotic and probiotic foods, and be familiar with any symptoms that may be present when we are stressed or emotionally down (that Vagus nerve attachment again), or after certain foods.

This awareness will help you to avoid runners gut.

Tara Davenport, Accredited Sports Dietician & Avid Runner

Get in touch with Tara by emailing her at taradavenportapd@outlook.com with any questions. She is available for face-to-face consultations at Milton or online consultations (these can be booked through her website here).

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Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2027

By Jin Kato • July 8, 2026

The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater