In this episode, I talk with Anders Corbett, microbiome researcher and founder of Craft Microbiome, about how the bacteria living inside us may be influencing far more than we realize — from performance and recovery to cognition, mood, and long-term health.
Anders’ journey into microbiome science started at Harvard Medical School, where he sequenced his own microbiome as a former elite rower. What he discovered sparked a much bigger question: do elite athletes carry different microbial patterns than the rest of us?
That curiosity led him to study Olympic athletes, UFC fighters, NBA players, endurance competitors, and high-performing executives — identifying how certain bacterial strains correlate with inflammation control, lactate metabolism, testosterone signaling, VO₂ capacity, and stress resilience.
In this conversation, we explore the rapidly evolving science of the microbiome and human performance, including:
• How the microbiome shifts before and after elite competition
• Inflammation-reducing bacteria found in endurance athletes
• Growth-hormone–associated strains identified in sprinters
• Gut changes after concussive and non-concussive hits
• The gut-brain axis and its impact on mood and decision-making
• How bacteria influence dopamine and serotonin production
• Microbiome changes that tend to happen around 40 and again around 60
• Epigenetics and how microbes may turn genes on or off
• Why sunlight, soil exposure, and environment matter for microbial health
• How stress reshapes bacterial populations in the gut
• The future of performance-focused probiotic formulations
We also talk about something many of us overlook: how modern life — sterile environments, limited food diversity, chronic stress, antibiotics, travel, and poor sleep — may be reducing microbial diversity and resilience.
Anders shares practical ways to begin supporting your microbiome even if you’re not a professional athlete — including simple shifts that may improve sleep, digestion, recovery, focus, and energy.
This conversation bridges cutting-edge science with something more timeless: the idea that our bodies are ecosystems. And it raises a deeper question worth considering:
Who’s really in charge — you or your gut?
CONNECT WITH ANDERS
Craft Microbiome
https://craftmicrobiome.com
(Custom microbiome sequencing and consultations available)
CONNECT WITH ME
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