Your Body Is Home to Millions of Bacterial Pilots | feat. Anders Corbett

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 formulationsWe 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 ANDERSCraft Microbiomehttps://craftmicrobiome.com(Custom microbiome sequencing and consultations available)CONNECT WITH MEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreeceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GabbyReeceIf you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with someone who might benefit from it. Your support helps us keep these conversations going.Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegabbyreeceshow.substack.com