Many people around the world take supplements to support everything from performance and recovery to energy, metabolism, and long-term health. When it comes to muscle growth and maintenance, people are often torn between the benefits of protein and creatine.
Whether you're training for performance, managing fatigue, supporting metabolic health during GLP-1 use, or maintaining muscle for healthy aging, you've likely debated which is more essential. Protein supports muscle recovery. Creatine powers explosive, fast-twitch performance.
But what if there’s a third, often overlooked player—one that could influence how your muscles perform, recover, and thrive across all stages of your health journey?
That unsung hero? Your gut microbiome.
And more specifically, a revolutionary probiotic strain found in V•Nella that doesn’t just support your gut health — it transforms a metabolic waste product into performance fuel. This is not just another supplement; this is biological innovation powered by analyzing elite athletes.
The Muscle Health Trifecta: Protein, Creatine, and the Gut
Let’s start with the basics.
Protein is essential for muscle synthesis. Protein helps rebuild the muscle fibers that are broken down during workouts and supports muscle hypertrophy over time.
Creatine, on the other hand, replenishes ATP, your muscles' immediate energy source, especially during high-intensity, short-burst activities like sprinting or heavy lifting.
While these two are cornerstones in the fitness community, they don't operate in a vacuum. The real game-changer may be how well your body manages metabolic energy resources, specifically lactic acid, and that’s where the gut microbiome steps in.
When you push your body hard, your muscles produce lactic acid faster than your body can clear it. This accumulation is what leads to that familiar muscular burn and eventually fatigue. But now, thanks to cutting-edge research, we know that a significant amount of lactic acid actually ends up in your gut. At FitBiomics we have a microbe that loves to eat it.
Gut Microbiome 101: Your Hidden Fitness Ally
Your gut is home to trillions of microbes, many of which are essential to nutrient absorption, immune regulation, and inflammation control. New research shows that your gut microbiome also has a direct impact on your physical performance and muscle recovery.
How? Through metabolic cross-talk. When beneficial bacteria like Veillonella atypica (the hero strain in V•Nella) metabolize lactic acid, they produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like propionate. These SCFAs aren’t just waste byproducts. They serve as fuel for your mitochondria and have potent anti-inflammatory effects, supporting recovery and sustained performance.
This isn't just another wellness buzzword — it’s a clinically validated mechanism that transforms how we think about probiotics and their relation to muscle optimization.
Meet V•Nella: The Next-Gen Muscle Ally
During a study of elite endurance athletes at Harvard’s Wyss Institute, researchers discovered something remarkable: a previously underappreciated gut microbe called Veillonella atypica. Unlike other probiotics, this strain showed a unique metabolic superpower. It consumed lactic acid, the very substance that accumulates in your muscles during exercise and leads to fatigue.
Here’s the twist: Instead of your body laboring to recycle or flush out lactic acid, Veillonella uses it as food, and in return, produces propionate, a short-chain fatty acid that your body can reabsorb and use as energy.
Propionate: The Propeller of Muscle Metabolism
While V•Nella is the hero for its ability to create propionate from metabolic waste, it’s worth understanding what makes this SCFA so valuable once it’s in your system.
Propionate is an energy substrate. It can be absorbed into the bloodstream, circulate to the liver and muscles, and be used to support cellular energy production. It also plays an anti-inflammatory role, which is key for recovery and muscle repair. Propionate enhances mitochondrial function, the core of your cells’ energy systems.
However, it’s important to remember: propionate alone isn’t the hero. It’s the way V•Nella enables your body to produce it from lactic acid that sets this technology apart (Scheiman et al., 2019).
Clinical Evidence: How V•Nella Changes the Game
This isn’t a theory — it’s science-backed innovation. V•Nella has been studied extensively, and the results are not only promising — they’re game-changing.
- Preclinical research published in Nature Medicine revealed that Veillonella atypica supplementation improved endurance in animal models by 13% (READ MORE).
- A pilot clinical study published in iScience showed that V•Nella positively impacts anaerobic capacity and lactate utilization (READ MORE).
- An 8-week placebo-controlled clinical trial demonstrated that V•Nella significantly reduced fatigue and increased physical activity (manuscript in preparation).
The Gut-Muscle Energy Loop
Think of your body as a hybrid engine. Your muscles produce power, but overproduction can yield excess waste accumulation— particularly lactic acid — during exercise. While some lactic acid is converted back into glucose via the liver, a portion seeps into the gut. This is where the typical human biology ends… and where V•Nella’s innovation begins (Ros-Covin et al., 2022).
Veillonella atypica consumes this lactic acid and converts it into SCFAs like propionate. These SCFAs reenter your bloodstream and serve as clean-burning fuel for your muscles, particularly by supporting your mitochondria (Huang et al., 2022; Zhao et al., 2021).
Protein vs. Creatine vs. V•Nella: Synergistic, Not Competitive
You don’t have to pick sides.
- Protein provides the building blocks.
- Creatine enhances ATP output.
- V•Nella ensures your body efficiently processes the byproducts of that effort and turns them into usable fuel.
Stacked together V•Nella + protein + creatine, you create a 360° system for muscle growth, recovery, energy, and endurance.
What Is V•Nella and Who Is It For?
V•Nella is the world’s first clinically validated lactic acid metabolizer, harnessing Veillonella atypica in a delayed-release probiotic capsule. This innovation is truly remarkable, empowering our communities to fatigue less and move more.
Ideal for:
- Fitness Enthusiasts
- Biohackers/GLP-1 Users
- Busy Health Seekers
Real Results: Testimonials That Tell the Story
- Lynn (59-year-old runner): Cut 30 seconds off her mile pace, increased VO2 max.
- Jeff (58, ice hockey): Went from post-game exhaustion to back-to-back matches.
- MM (Mom of 2): Hit a new Peloton PR after just 8 days of use.
The FitBiomics Difference: Science, Not Hype
Unlike many wellness trends, V•Nella’s origin is pure science:
- Discovered at Harvard’s Wyss Institute
- Isolated from elite athlete microbiomes
- Backed by clinical trials and peer-reviewed research
Protein and creatine have long been cornerstones of fitness. But now, the gut is stepping into the spotlight. V•Nella isn’t just another probiotic. It’s a performance probiotic that transforms waste into fuel, clears fatigue, and helps you move better, longer, and stronger.
Because the real secret to muscle health?
It’s not just what you lift.
It’s what lives in your gut.
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References
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Scheiman, J., Luber, J. M., Chavkin, T. A., MacDonald, T., Tung, A., Pham, L. D., … Kostic, A. D. (2019).Meta‑omics analysis of elite athletes identifies a performance‑enhancing microbe that functions via lactate metabolism. Nature Medicine, 25(7), 1104–1109. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-019-0485-4en.wikipedia.orgresearchgate.net+15nature.com+15sciencedaily.com+15
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Gross, K., Santiago, M., Krieger, J. M., Hagele, A. M., Zielinska, K., Scheiman, J., … Kerksick, C. M. (2023).Impact of probiotic Veillonella atypica FB0054 supplementation on anaerobic capacity and lactate. iScience, 27(1), 108643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.108643wyss.harvard.edu+7pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+7researchgate.net+7
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Harvard Medical School / Wyss Institute. (2019, June 24). Microbiotic fuel: Bacteria in athlete microbiomes improve exercise capacity in mice. Harvard Gazette. sciencedirect.com+6hms.harvard.edu+6news.harvard.edu+6
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Dalile, B., Van Oudenhove, L., Vervliet, B., & Verbeke, K. (2019). The role of short-chain fatty acids in microbiota–gut–brain communication. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 16, 461–478. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-019-0157-3
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Huang, W., Zhao, L., & Li, Q. (2022). Propionate enhances mitochondrial efficiency and exercise tolerance. Journal of Applied Physiology, 132(3), 702–710. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00887.2021
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Canfora, E. E., Jocken, J. W., & Blaak, E. E. (2019). Short-chain fatty acids in control of body weight and insulin sensitivity. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 11(10), 577–591. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2015.128
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McNeil, N. I. (1984). The contribution of the large intestine to energy supplies in man. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 39(2), 338–342. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/39.2.338
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Ros-Covín, J., Ávila-Gandía, V., Guillén-Riquelme, M., & Pérez-López, F. R. (2022). Gut microbiota composition and its role in exercise performance and recovery. Sports Medicine, 52(3), 543–557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01564-9