Toon Ampe

CURRENT (AND PREVIOUS) FUNCTION: Toon Ampe is a tenure-track assistant at the Human Physiology and Sport Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty LK of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. In 2019, he graduated as Master in Physical Education and Movement Sciences with the graduation option Physical Activity, Fitness and Health, combined with the Research Minor, at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

RESEARCH AREA: Toon's research focuses on the interaction between the gut microbiome and physical activity. More specifically, this line of research aims to investigate whether performing acute and/or chronic exercise can induce changes in the gut microbiome. Why is this interesting? Because the gut microbiome is very strongly correlated with several other systems in the body, such as the immune system, the energy metabolism, the digestive process, the hormonal system, the brain,... An unhealthy and disturbed gut microbiome can therefore have negative effects on these systems. Investigating how physical exertion affects the gut microbiome in a positive and/or negative way can give us interesting insights to obtain positive health effects in both healthy people and different patient groups.

CURRENT RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

• Can physical activity be used as a therapeutic tool for relieving symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome?

• What changes occur in the gut microbiome of trained athletes after running an ultra-endurance event? 

• Do pro-, pre- and/or postbiotics have performance-enhancing effects?