The gut microbiota has gained great popularity in recent years, to the point that some have classified it as a new "organ". The term gut microbiota refers to the set of bacteria and other organisms that inhabit our intestine, thus modulating the metabolism of all nutrients and our body in general. Recent studies show that impaired function of these bacteria or alterations in the composition of the intestinal microbiota (a situation known as 'intestinal dysbiosis' and which can occur due to numerous factors such as a poor or unvaried diet rich in ultra-processed foods, or the abuse of antibiotics) play a fundamental role in health and may contribute to multiple metabolic and inflammatory conditions.
In addition to its relevance for health, recent evidence shows that the gut microbiota could also play an important role in sports performance. In 2019, a study was published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine that opened the doors to this new field of research.1 In this study, the researchers used stool samples (a non-invasive way to analyze the microbiota) from Boston Marathon participants to observe that, after the competition, the runners had a greater amount of intestinal bacteria characterized by metabolizing large amounts of lactate (Veillonella). These results suggest that exercise can modulate the gut microbiota, but the researchers went a step further. Trying to go further, in an experiment carried out on mice they inoculated the Veillonella bacteria that they had obtained from the runners to the animals, and compared the effects with those produced after inoculating another type of bacteria that does not metabolize lactate (Lactobacillus bulgaricus gavage). Surprisingly, the mice inoculated with the runners' bacteria improved their physical performance, being able to run for a longer time (13% improvement) until fatigue.
More recently, another study published in the Journal of Physiology showed that the microbiota not only affects sports performance, but also the adaptations that occur with training.3 In this study, researchers subjected a group of mice to a training program aimed at increasing their muscle mass, some of these mice being treated with antibiotics in order to "alter" their gut microbiota. After completing the training program, the researchers observed that antibiotic treatment had indeed altered the functioning and composition of the gut microbiota, reducing the diversity of bacteria present. In addition, the most relevant finding was that, despite the fact that both the antibiotic and non-antibiotic groups performed the same training, the antibiotic-treated mice showed fewer muscular adaptations (lower muscle mass gain and lower abundance of satellite cells, i.e., less capacity for muscle regeneration).
Therefore, these results – preliminary when carried out in animals – show that the alteration of the microbiota can negatively affect not only health, but also performance, and even reduce the muscle adaptations produced with training. These findings thus open the door to new interventions that seek to improve the diversity of the gut microbiota (including microbiota transplantation between people, something that is already being studied in some pathologies). For example, it has been observed that the most active people generally have a healthier and more diverse composition of the microbiota.2 On the other hand, following a varied diet rich in fiber (e.g., fruits and vegetables) and probiotic foods could also promote the diversity of the microbiota. On the contrary, factors such as psychological stress, the overuse of antibiotics, or diets rich in ultra-processed foods could have the opposite effect. If you want to improve your performance, don't forget to take care of all your organs, including your microbiota.
AUTHOR
Pedro Valenzuela
Researcher in the Physiology Unit of the University of Alcalá and in the Performance Control Unit at the Sports Medicine Center (AEPSAD, CAR of Madrid).
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References
- Scheiman J, Luber JM, Chavkin TA, et al. Meta-omics analysis of elite athletes identifies a performance-enhancing microbe that functions via lactate metabolism. Nat Med. 2019;25(7):1104-1109. doi:10.1038/s41591-019-0485-4
- Ortiz-Alvarez L, Xu H, Martinez-Tellez B. Influence of Exercise on the Human Gut Microbiota of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2020;11(2):e00126. doi:10.14309/ctg.0000000000000126
- Valentino TR, Vechetti IJ, Mobley CB, et al. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome impairs mouse skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise. J Physiol. 2021;21:4845-4863. doi:10.1113/JP281788
