NYP: "Poop pill could be the secret to crushing it at the gym"

My friend Jeanne Marie told me about something similar to this years ago. Sounds like crap to me.

Within weeks of starting it, he said he could increase the time he spent working out by 10%. Now, a year into his regimen, Gallagher’s workouts are 40% longer and significantly more intense. He is also down 7 pounds, even though his weight has rarely fluctuated in the past. “I’m a believer,” he said.

What he’s come to believe in, specifically, isn’t just any old gut health vitamin. Gallagher was part of a trial for a pill, which is being marketed under the name Nella, that contains bacteria harvested from the poop of high-performing athletes.

“We’re looking for what’s in the eco-system of super-healthy people,” said Dr. Jonathan Scheiman, the inventor of Nella and the CEO of its parents company Fitbiomics, by way of explanation. He believes the answer to true sporting prowess isn’t just a great trainer or a strict diet. Superstar athletes have something in common, and the way he found it out was via their poop.

Over the last decade or so, it’s become increasingly accepted that the microbiome — the bacteria in your gut — directly impacts our overall health, both mental and physical. Per the American Psychological Association, 95% of the body’s serotonin is produced by gut bacteria, and 70% of our immune system is found in the intestines, too. The idea behind Fitbiomics is to hijack an average Joe’s GI system and bio-hack it with bacteria until it resembles that of a pro-athlete. Once you’re digesting at Olympic levels, Scheiman believes the health benefits could be great.