Physical activity‐induced alterations of the gut microbiota are BMI dependent

Abstract

Physical inactivity is one of the leading causes of chronic metabolic disease including obesity. Increasing physical activity (PA) has been shown to improve cardiometabolic and musculoskeletal health and to be associated with a distinct gut microbiota composition in trained athletes. However, the impact of PA on the gut microbiota is inconclusive for individuals performing PA in their day‐to‐day life. This study examined the role of PA and hand‐grip strength on gut microbiome composition in middle‐aged adults (40–65 years, n = 350) with normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2) and overweight (25–29.9 kg/m2) body mass index (BMI). PA was recorded using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and hand‐grip strength was measured using a dynamometer. Serum samples were assessed for lipidomics while DNA was extracted from fecal samples for microbiome analysis. Overweight participants showed a higher concentration of triacylglycerols, and lower concentrations of cholesteryl esters, sphingomyelin, and lyso‐phosphotidylcholine lipids (p < .05) compared with those with normal BMI. Additionally, overweight participants had a lower abundance of the Oscillibacter genus (p < .05). The impact of PA duration on the gut microbiome was BMI dependent. In normal but not overweight participants, high PA duration showed greater relative abundance of commensal taxa such as Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria phyla, as well as Collinsella and Prevotella genera (p < .05). Furthermore, in males with normal BMI, a stronger grip strength was associated with a higher relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and F. prausnitzii (p < .05) compared with lower grip strength. Taken together, data suggest that BMI plays a significant role in modeling PA‐induced changes in gut microbiota.

Effects of Exercise on Gut Microbiota of Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Moreover, Bifidobacterium could achieve emotional regulation through the brain-gut axis, showing a negative correlation with severe depression in mice [26,55]. Four studies in this review observed a significant difference between groups in Akkermansia [14,29,38,39], which has been previously described to have a high prevalence in the gut microbiome of athletes. It is noteworthy that the abundance of Akkermansia has been reported to inversely correlate with obesity and metabolic disorders in mice and humans (reference).…”

“…However, the dominant gut flora that was associated did increase after the exercise intervention. It is worth noting that greater alpha diversity of gut flora in adults is not always associated with gut health but might result from the growth of potentially harmful microbial [39,47]. Thus, it is important to explore biodiversity indices and interpret them in the context of specific GM composition changes.…”

Dose-Responsive Effects of Iron Supplementation on the Gut Microbiota in Middle-Aged Women

“…This is supported by recent findings showing individualized changes in the gut microbiota following ferrous sulfate supplementation in adults [ 18 ]. These differences are not only influenced by genetics [ 44 ], but also variation in daily routines including sleep and exercise [ 24 , 58 ]. Understanding how such factors impact the gut microbial response to iron supplementation requires further investigation.…”

“…Exclusion criteria included male, pregnant women, those on antibiotics (last 3 months), inflammatory disease, and cancer patients. Eligible participants underwent a battery of measures as previously reported [ 24 ]. Among all participants, 23 participants were identified as taking a low-level iron supplement, mainly in the form of a daily women’s specific multivitamin.…”

Microbial Features Linked to Medication Strategies in Cardiometabolic Disease Management

“…Participants answered questionnaires relating to demographics, lifestyle, diet, eating/drinking behaviors, smoking, medication, and sleeping habits as previously described. 19 Questionnaires were completed independently by the participants. Medication information was curated referring to DrugBank 20 and Drugs.com.…”