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Marathon runners. Credit: © pavel1964 / Fotolia

Scientists have now tapped into the microbiome of exceptional runners and rowers, and have identified particular bacteria that may aid athletic performance. The goal is to develop probiotic supplements that may help athletes – and even amateur fitness enthusiasts – recover from a tough workout or more efficiently convert nutrients to energy. “When we first started thinking about this, I was asked whether we could use genomics to predict the next Michael Jordan,” Jonathan Scheiman, Ph.D., says. “But my response was that a better question is: Can you extract Jordan’s biology and give it to others to help make the next Michael Jordan?”

To answer that question, microbes seemed like a good place to start...