FitBiomics has isolated Veillonella from ultramarathoner’s microbiome to turn lactic acid into clean, muscular fuel — delivering faster recovery, deeper rest and real performance gains in a single probiotic capsule
Before he decoded the gut microbiomes of the world’s most elite athletes, Dr. Jonathan Scheiman had his sights set on the NBA. A championship basketball player at St. John’s University, Scheiman’s pivot from hardwood to Harvard would lead him not just to a doctorate in biomedical science, but to one of the most compelling breakthroughs in performance recovery: a probiotic that turns fatigue into fuel.
Now, as the co-founder of FitBiomics, he’s rewriting what it means to train, recover and optimize the body. The company has isolated a powerful strain of beneficial bacteria called Veillonella from elite athletes and turned it into a capsule available to the general public. It’s a bold proposition: if you can’t train like an ultramarathoner, why not borrow their biology?
“FitBiomics is about identifying what works within the most physically fit people in the world and translating it into a health solution that can benefit the broader population,” says Scheiman.
What Makes an Elite Gut?
Gut health may be in vogue, but for FitBiomics, it’s more than a wellness buzzword. It’s a foundation for measurable, science-backed performance.
Our microbiome — the trillions of bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract — affects metabolism, inflammation, neurological signaling, recovery and more. Elite athletes, Scheiman explains, have finely tuned gut environments that support their strength, stamina and resilience. His team has used metagenomic sequencing and machine learning to identify what’s unique in those microbiomes and then translate that data into consumer-facing supplements.
This involves not just mapping which bacteria are present but understanding what those microbes are doing. FitBiomics employs next-gen sequencing tools to analyze metabolic pathways like lactic acid conversion, neurotransmitter synthesis and anti-inflammatory responses. It’s a level of precision rarely seen in consumer supplements.
“When it comes to brain health, muscle health, sleep and recovery — athletes are very quantifiable for those metrics,” he says. “These athletes are so in tune with their bodies, we can leverage their elite physiology to benefit everyone.”
Meet Veillonella: Nature’s Anti-Fatigue Probiotic
The breakthrough came when Scheiman was at Harvard conducting a study of ultramarathon runners. After analyzing microbiome samples collected before and after 100-mile runs, he and his research partners noticed a spike in one specific bacteria: Veillonella. What made it special? It consumed lactic acid — the very substance responsible for fatigue and muscle soreness.
“That was the lightbulb moment,” says Scheiman. “These athletes had a built-in endurance capability. Veillonella doesn’t just clear lactic acid — it converts it into short-chain fatty acids that power our muscles, mitochondria and reduce inflammation.”
In other words, it turns exhaustion into energy.
FitBiomics has transformed that elite-level advantage into a daily supplement called V–Nella which helps reduce fatigue, improve muscle recovery and enhance metabolic function. For people trying to exercise more, age more actively or simply feel better, the effects are tangible.
“Probiotics are often considered nutritional insurance,” he says. “People take them and assume they are helping. What’s cool about our products is that consumers can feel the benefits rapidly. We hear from people saying they don’t need that second cup of coffee anymore, or they’re not sore after a workout.”
Interestingly, consumers are also seeing the impact reflected in their wearables.
“Sleep, heart rate, HRV – those recovery metrics are showing up on Oura rings and Apple Watches,” says Sheiman. “That’s real data confirming real outcomes.”
But recovery isn’t just about muscles — it starts with rest. That’s where FitBiomics’ Nella comes in.
Designed to improve sleep quality through targeted gut health, Nella supports the body’s most essential recovery process: sleep itself.
“Sleep is recovery,” Scheiman says. “It’s when the body repairs, regulates and resets.”
By optimizing the microbiome to promote better rest and reduced inflammation, Nella gives users a head start on the day before they even wake up.
Positioned for the Wellness Room
As recovery becomes a pillar of fitness facilities everywhere, FitBiomics is emerging as the easiest recovery tool to integrate.
“Red light, cold plunges, IVs – they’re all great,” Scheiman says. “But they take time and infrastructure. Our capsules take seconds and require nothing but a glass of water.”
FitBiomics products are already being adopted in gyms, studios and clinics. Whether offered as an upsell or built into recovery programming, they help members feel better, faster and that boosts retention.
“If your members feel more energy, sleep better and are less sore, they’re going to stick with their programs and stick with your facility,” he says. “That’s the real power of integrating gut health into recovery.”
Unlike traditional biotech that focuses on disease management, FitBiomics flips the model. It’s not about fixing what’s broken but amplifying what’s working. Scheiman calls it “performance from the inside out.”
“People exercise to improve metabolic health. So let’s give them tools that support that mission — tools that are fast, functional and affordable,” he says.
Scheiman sees Fitbiomics not just as a supplement company, but as a new paradigm in translational medicine.
Sourced from the highest-performing microbiomes on the planet, Fitbiomics is engineered to deliver real, functional benefits — without the premium price tag. In an industry where it can take a decade and billions of dollars to develop a drug with a 10% success rate, Scheiman sees a different path forward.
“We’re rethinking the system,” he says. “Our mission is to build from the ground up and make health truly accessible — because people don’t want to be patients. They want to move, perform and live well — longer.”
That message is resonating as gyms seek new ways to support their communities. In the same way they’re offering access to recovery modalities or GLP-1 medications, some are now stocking FitBiomics — an efficient intervention for energy, movement and muscle health.
“We have this joke internally … who can benefit from less fatigue and more physical activity?” he says. “Clearly it’s every human being, and clearly that’s a huge opportunity.”
At about $2 per day, FitBiomics isn’t just bringing next-gen science to the wellness room — it’s democratizing it. From elite athletes to everyday movers, this is recovery that starts in the gut and scales with you.
“We’re not selling hope,” Scheiman says. “We’re selling results. Probiotics are often considered nutritional insurance. People take them and assume they are helping. What’s cool about our products is that consumers can feel the benefits rapidly.
This article originally appeared in ATN’s 2025 Wellness Room: The Art & Science of Integrating Recovery, which maps the forces redefining how operators retain members, monetize square footage and prepare their brands for a dynamic future. Download the free report.
