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The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level
Open accessAbstract
Objective: It is evident that the gut microbiota and factors that influence its composition and activity effect human metabolic, immunological and developmental processes. We previously reported that extreme physical activity with associated dietary adaptations, such as that pursued by professional athletes, is associated with changes in faecal microbial diversity and composition relative to that of individuals with a more sedentary lifestyle. Here we address the impact of these factors on the functionality/metabolic activity of the microbiota which reveals even greater separation between exercise and a more sedentary state. Design: Metabolic phenotyping and functional metagenomic analysis of the gut microbiome of professional international rugby union players (n=40) and controls (n=46) was carried out and results were correlated with lifestyle parameters and clinical measurements (eg, dietary habit and serum creatine kinase, respectively). Results: Athletes had relative increases in pathways (eg, amino acid and antibiotic biosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism) and faecal metabolites (eg, microbial produced short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate and butyrate) associated with enhanced muscle turnover (fitness) and overall health when compared with control groups. Conclusions: Differences in faecal microbiota between athletes and sedentary controls show even greater separation at the metagenomic and metabolomic than at compositional levels and provide added insight into the diet–exercise–gut microbiota paradigm.
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“The impact of the athletes' increased protein intake compared to both control groups was evident in the metabolomic phenotyping results.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
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“of the total 19,300 pathways, 98 were significantly altered between the three cohorts (p < 0.05)”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Functional structure of the enteric microbiome correlates with athletic state
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“Furthermore, athletes have an enriched profile of SCFAs, previously associated with numerous health benefits and a lean phenotype.[33][34][35]”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
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“The relative abundances of pathways related to fundamental metabolic function-amino acid biosynthesis, vitamin biosynthesis, and lipid biosynthesis-were higher on average within the high BMI control group when compared to the athlete group.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
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“Notably, from a functional perspective, the microbiota of the low BMI group was more similar to the athletes.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
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“Comparing athletes to both high and low BMI controls, a greater number of pathways correlating to specific macronutrients with the controls suggests a shift in the dynamics of these varied metabolic functions.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
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“SCFAs were also correlated with pathway relative abundances, with all SCFAs associating with considerably more pathways in the athletes versus the controls (Fig. 4C).”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Correlating metabonomic and metagenomic results
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“Beta-alanine betaine was higher in both faecal and urine samples of athletes.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Distinct differences between host and microbial metabolites in athletes and controls
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“with the high BMI control group having the lowest average abundance scores across 31 metabolic pathway categories (the exceptions being Vitamin Biosynthesis (VB), Lipid Biosynthesis (LB), and Amino Acid Biosynthesis (AAB) categories).”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Functional structure of the enteric microbiome correlates with athletic state
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“The athlete group had the highest mean abundance across 29 of the 34 metabolic categories”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Functional structure of the enteric microbiome correlates with athletic state
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“Athletes' 1 H-NMR metabolic phenotypes were characterised by higher levels of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), L-carnitine, dimethylglycine, O-acetyl carnitine, proline betaine, creatinine, acetoacetate, 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid, acetone, N-methylnicotinate, N-methylnicotinamide, phenylacetylglutamine (PAG) and 3-methylhistidine in urine samples and higher levels of propionate, acetate, butyrate, tr”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Distinct differences between host and microbial metabolites in athletes and controls
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In the paper
“Athletes have an increased abundance of pathways that-giving an equivalent amount of expression activity-could be exploited by the host for potential health benefit, including biosynthesis of organic cofactors and antibiotics, as well as carbohydrate degradation and secondary metabolite metabolism compared to both control groups.[32]”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [32] source
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In the paper
“Separation according to group membership was further illustrated through Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA), with statistical support of the significant separation between the athletes and both control groups (p < 0.05) (Fig. 2B).”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Functional structure of the enteric microbiome correlates with athletic state
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“Roseburia was positively correlated with acetate (p = 0.004) and butyrate (p = 0.018) while Family XIII Incertae Sedis was positively correlated with isobutyrate (p < 0.001), isovaleric acid (p < 0.001) and valeric acid (p = 0.008)”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Correlating metabonomic and metagenomic results
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“Furthermore, concentrations of propionate strongly correlated to protein intake while butyrate was shown to have a strong association with intake of dietary fibre (Supplementary Table 6).”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Distinct differences between host and microbial metabolites in athletes and controls
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“Likewise, the CV-OPLS-DA models comparing faecal samples, although weaker than the urine models, reveal significant differences between athletes and controls by 1 H-NMR analysis (R 2 Y=0.86, Q 2 Y=0.52, Fig. 2D) and HILIC UPLC-MS positive mode analysis (R 2 Y=0.65, Q 2 Y=0.34, Supplementary Fig 2D).”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Distinct differences between host and microbial metabolites in athletes and controls
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“Subsequently, large-scale functional dissimilarity between athletes and controls was determined and distinct patterns of pathway composition between groups were revealed”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Functional structure of the enteric microbiome correlates with athletic state
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In the paper
“SCFA levels in faeces measured by targeted GC-MS showed significantly higher levels of acetate (p < 0.001), propionate (p < 0.001), butyrate (p < 0.001) and valerate (p = 0.011) in athletes relative to controls.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Distinct differences between host and microbial metabolites in athletes and controls
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In the paper
“By-products of dietary protein metabolism (mostly by microbes) including TMAO, carnitines, trimethylamine, 3-Carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropionic acid, and 3-hydroxy-isovaleric acid are all elevated in the athlete cohort.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
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In the paper
“Each group was represented by distinct association profiles of the correlation between clinical measurements and metagenomic pathways.Dietary factors, sugars and other carbohydrates, as well as energy intake, provide the majority of the correlation for the control groups whereas the athlete group was predominantly correlated with CK, total bilirubin, and total energy intake.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > [CfB], and Energy Metabolism [EM]) (Supplementary table 2).
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In the paper
“Similarly to these populations, the athletes' diet contained a significantly greater proportion of fish.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Two distinct blocks of proportionately discriminant correlations were observed with isobutyric and isovaleric acids, which were more abundant in the athletes while acetic and butyric acids were more proportionately abundant in controls.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Correlating metabonomic and metagenomic results
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In the paper
“Athletes were further characterised by lower levels of glycerate, allantoin and succinate and lower levels of glycine and tyrosine relative to controls in urine and faecal samples, respectively (Supplementary Table 3).”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Distinct differences between host and microbial metabolites in athletes and controls
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In the paper
“The same clusters are observed when correlating with individual taxa, in support of previously observed links between SCFAs and numerous metabolic benefits and a lean phenotype.[33][34][35]”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
What the sources say
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Diversity measures are statistically significant between low BMI and athletes (p < 0.049), with statistical significance between all groups (Kruskal Wallis p < 0.05).”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Additional information
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In the paper
“Furthermore, PAG positively correlates with the genus Erysipelotrichaceae Incertae Sedis, which we have previously noted to be present in relatively higher proportions in the athlete group compared to both control groups.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
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In the paper
“Heat map of bacterial taxa (family, genus, and species level) that correlate with faecal short-chain fatty acid levels using Spearman's correlation.”
- Also stated in: § Additional information · plain
“All taxa shown had a correlation p-value < 0.01.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Additional information
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- Also stated in: § Additional information · plain
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In the paper
“Within the SCFAs, two distinct clusters were observed; acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid correlate with dietary contributors (fibre and protein), while isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid and valeric acid correlate with microbial diversity.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
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In the paper
“associated with enhanced muscle turnover (fitness) and overall health when compared to control groups.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Results
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In the paper
“Elevated TMAO has been observed in patients with cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis, highlighting a potential downside to increased protein intake.[15-17,22, 37]”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
What the sources say
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“On the contrary, the athlete microbiome presents a functional capacity that is primed for tissue repair and to harness energy from the diet with increased capacity for carbohydrate, cell structure and nucleotide biosynthesis, reflecting the significant energy demands and high cell-turnover evident in elite sport.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
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In the paper
“Participants made no report of gastrointestinal (GI) distress or alterations of GI transit time throughout the course of the initial study.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > RESULTS
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In the paper
“Approval for this study was granted by the Cork Clinical Research Ethics Committee.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Study population
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In the paper
“3-hydroxy-isovaleric acid (potentially from egg consumption) which has been demonstrated to have efficacy for inhibiting muscle wasting when used in conjunction of physical exercise.[40]”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [40] Stratton, 2006, Lymphocyte propionyl-CoA carboxylase and its activation by biotin are sensitive indicators of marginal biotin deficiency in humans, Am J Clin Nutr source
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In the paper
“All presented p values were corrected for multiple comparisons using the Benjamini-Hochberg False Discovery Rate (pFDR) method.[47]”
- Also stated in: § Metabolic profiling · plain
“P-values were adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg False Discovery Rate (pFDR) method.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Metagenomic statistical and bioinformatic analysis
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [47] source
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- Also stated in: § Metabolic profiling · plain
In the paper
“It is notable that PAG-a microbial conversion product of phenylalanine-has been associated with a lean phenotype, and is increased in the athletes.[42]”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [42] source
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In the paper
“The compound is also commonly used as a supplement by athletes to increase exercise-induced gains in muscle size, muscle strength, and lean body mass, reduce exercise-induced muscle damage, and speed recovery from highintensity exercise.[41]”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [41] source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper relies on this without support.
The control participants are representative of a more sedentary lifestyle than the athletes.
“The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“These findings support the role of A muciniphila in metabolic regulation.”
From Influence of the Gut Microbiome, Diet, and Environment on Risk of Colorectal Cancer (2020) · cites this paper as [110]
In the citing paper
“For example, levels of SCFAs were significantly higher in athletes compared with controls,”
From Influence of the Gut Microbiome, Diet, and Environment on Risk of Colorectal Cancer (2020) · cites this paper as [110]
In the citing paper
“Among the individual species that differed between athletes and controls, A muciniphila was found to be enriched by 16s rRNA and metagenomic sequencing analyses, as well as in the metabolic pathway analysis.”
From Influence of the Gut Microbiome, Diet, and Environment on Risk of Colorectal Cancer (2020) · cites this paper as [110]
In the citing paper
“The athletes were found to have a more diverse gut microbiome than the controls.”
From Influence of the Gut Microbiome, Diet, and Environment on Risk of Colorectal Cancer (2020) · cites this paper as [110]
In the citing paper
“A high-fiber diet and exercise are associated with increased diversity of the gut microbiota and enrichment of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), both of which have been implicated in improved survival following treatment with ICB”
From Hallmarks of response, resistance, and toxicity to immune checkpoint blockade (2021) · cites this paper as Barton et al., 2018
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Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > Distinct differences between host and microbial metabolites in athletes and controls
“Levels of glutamine, 7methylxanthine, imidazoleacetic acid, isoquinoline / quinolone were lower in athletes' urinary samples relative to controls.”
§ The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level > DISCUSSION
“Metabolites derived from vitamins and recovery supplements common in professional sports, including glutamine, lysine, 4-pyridoxic acid, and nicotinamide, are also raised in the athlete group.”
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ResultThe gut microbiota and nervous system: Age-defined and age-defying
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BackgroundInfluentialExploring the Gut Microbiota–Muscle Axis in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Mostosi, D., Molinaro, M., Saccone, S., Torrente, Y., Villa, C., & Farini, A. (2024) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms25115589 · Cited by 16
“Athletes exhibit distinct gut microbiota due to protein intake differences [13] and consumption habits [14], revealing the potential role of the microbiota as a human health biomarker [5].”
BackgroundGut microbiota and physical activity level: characterization from sedentary to soccer players
Petri, C., Mascherini, G., Izzicupo, P., Rosati, D., Cerboneschi, M., Smeazzetto, S., & Suarez-Arrones, L. J. (2024) · Biology of Sport · doi:10.5114/biolsport.2024.134759 · Cited by 13
“…to be associated with changes in gut micro - bial composition, an increase in butyrate-producing bacteria (e.g., Roseburia hominis, Faecalibacterium pausnitzii, and Ruminococ - caceae) and increases in butyrate concentrations in faeces in rodent models [23] and in humans [24] regardless of diet.”
BackgroundSigns of aging in midlife: physical function and sex differences in microbiota
Tzemah-Shahar, R., Turjeman, S., Sharon, E., Gamliel, G., Hochner, H., Koren, O., & Agmon, M. (2023) · GeroScience · doi:10.1007/s11357-023-00905-3 · Cited by 16
“Previous publications suggest that an active life-style supports microbial changes that result in a health-supporting microbiota phenotype [64]; in contrast, a sedentary lifestyle promotes dysbiosis, loss of bacteria promoting positive metabolic activity, an increase in opportunistic species, and…”
Exercise training modifies xenometabolites in gut and circulation of lean and obese adults
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“Butyrate, a major short-chain fatty acid produced by microbiota in the human gut [6], has been reported to be high in elite rugby players [43].”
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“While studies illustrating a direct correlation between exercise and gut microbial populations are abundant (Barton et al., 2018; Clarke et al., 2014; Mach & Fuster-Botella, 2017; Petersen et al., 2017), the exact mechanisms by which exercise shapes microbial status remain elusive.”
BackgroundPenney, N. C., Yeung, K. T. D., García‐Pérez, I., Posma, J. M., Kopytek, A., Garratt, B., Ashrafian, H., Frost, G. S., Marchesi, J. R., Purkayastha, S., et al. (2022) · Communications Medicine · doi:10.1038/s43856-022-00185-6 · Cited by 16
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“Recent human studies have highlighted that exercise can stimulate changes in the gut microbiota associated with higher SCFA production [75,76].”
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Wang, D., Chen, G., Song, L., Chai, M., Wang, Y., Shui, S., Zhang, H., Sha, Y., & Yao, Y. (2020) · BioMed Research International · doi:10.1155/2020/2610431 · Cited by 11
“In the research on the human gastrointestinal tract, it is also found that the intestinal microbial community is closely related to the energy metabolism, immunity, and oxidative stress of the human body, which in turn affects human health [15].”
BackgroundMetabolic phenotyping of the human microbiome
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Self-citationHuman Gut Microbiota in Heart Failure: Trying to Unmask an Emerging Organ
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BackgroundThe Gut Microbiome and Treatment-Resistance in Schizophrenia
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“Exercise is another promoter of microbial diversity [35, 36].”
BackgroundGut microbiota mediates the beneficial effects of exercise on autism-like behaviors
Zhong, J., Zhu, B., Zou, Z., Li, Y., Feng, Y., Ke, W., & Hou, X. (2026) · BMC Microbiology · doi:10.1186/s12866-025-04632-x · Cited by 10
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Shalmon, G., Ibrahim, R., Israel‐Elgali, I., Grad, M., Shlayem, R., Shapira, G., Shomron, N., Youngster, I., & Scheinowitz, M. (2024) · Life · doi:10.3390/life14111397 · Cited by 11
“Studies investigating the microbiome’s role in athletic performance showed increased microbial diversity and increases in species or metabolites associated with muscle turnover, recovery, and protein breakdown [2,3].”
Bidirectional Link Between Exercise and the Gut Microbiota
Huang, B., Zhao, L., & Campbell, S. C. (2024) · Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews · doi:10.1249/jes.0000000000000343 · Cited by 12
“Athletes typically have improved efficacy of carbohydrate metabolism, tolerance to oxidative stress and insulin sensitivity, muscle tissue repair, and energy harvest (9,17,31,33,40).”
InfluentialChen, Y., Lai, Y., Zheng, J., Liu, Z., Nong, D., Liang, J., Li, Y., & Huang, Z. (2023) · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.3389/fevo.2023.1126243 · Cited by 12
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BackgroundRETRACTED: Cardiovascular Disease and Exercise: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Applications
Wang, B., Gan, L., Deng, Y., Zhu, S., Li, G., Nasser, M. I., Liu, N., & Zhu, P. (2022) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm11247511 · Cited by 16
RetractedZhu, H., Qiang, J., Li, Q., Nie, Z., Gao, J., Sun, Y., & Xu, G. (2022) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2022.974398 · Cited by 12
“Training and regular exercise have been associated with increased fecal SCFA contents in humans (Barton et al., 2018), and specific SCFAs have been associated with improved physical performance in animal studies (Okamoto et al.”
BackgroundShi, Y., Wang, P., Zhou, D., Huang, L., Zhang, L., Gao, X., Maitiabula, G., Wang, S., & Wang, X. (2022) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.827071 · Cited by 14
Anhê, F. F., Zlitni, S., Barra, N. G., Foley, K. P., Nilsson, M. I., Nederveen, J. P., Koch, L. G., Britton, S. L., Tarnopolsky, M. A., & Schertzer, J. D. (2022) · Physiological Reports · doi:10.14814/phy2.15215 · Cited by 9
“It is also noteworthy that exercise performance may be enhanced by gut microbial clearance of lactate or other substrates or metabolic byproducts from host circulation (Barton et al., 2017).”
BackgroundFukuchi, M., Sugita, M., Banjo, M., Yonekura, K., & Sasuga, Y. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0262906 · Cited by 13
Vandecruys, M., Smet, S. D., Beir, J. D., Renier, M., Leunis, S., Criekinge, H. V., Glorieux, G., Raes, J., Wyngaert, K. V., Nagler, E., et al. (2024) · Toxins · doi:10.3390/toxins16060242 · Cited by 10
“Observational data showed that athletes possess a different gut microbiota composition and increased diversity, with a greater abundance of health-associated taxa such as lactate utilizers and SCFA producers, which in turn leads to greater fecal SCFA concentrations [18,26,27].”
BackgroundHadžić, E., Starčević, A., Rupčić, T., Žučko, J., Čvrljak, T., Renko, I., Knjaz, D., & Novak, D. (2023) · Food Technology and Biotechnology · doi:10.17113/ftb.61.03.23.8124 · Cited by 10
“Apart from the mentioned benefits, studies have not reported any ergogenic effects following consumption ( 33 ).”
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Liang, X., Li, X., Jin, Y., Wang, Y., Wei, C., & Zhu, Z. A. (2023) · Metabolites · doi:10.3390/metabo13030361 · Cited by 13
“In addition, extreme exercise improves overall body health by increasing the levels of SCFAs, such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate [43].”
BackgroundKarolkiewicz, J., Nieman, D. C., Cisoń, T., Szurkowska, J., Gałęcka, M., Sitkowski, D., & Szyguła, Z. (2022) · BMC Sports Science Medicine and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1186/s13102-022-00497-z · Cited by 13
“Shifts in core body temperature can impact microbiome function because of the sensitivity of the gut epithelium to temperature, and this may lead to dysbiosis in some athletes [10].”
BackgroundRole of gene regulation and inter species interaction as a key factor in gut microbiota adaptation
Gao, S., Khan, M. I., Kalsoom, F., Liu, Z., Chen, Y., & Chen, Z. (2022) · Archives of Microbiology · doi:10.1007/s00203-022-02935-5 · Cited by 11
“2012; Belkaid and Harrison 2017), which can lead to certain altered genomic pathways in bacterial colonies’ information exchange.”
BackgroundFeng, T., Hilal, M. G., Wang, Y., Zhou, R., Yu, Q., Qu, J., & Li, H. (2021) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms9061152 · Cited by 10
“Some recent studies in athletes, such as rugby players, revealed that exercise affects gut microbiomes [24,25].”
BackgroundEstaki, M., Morck, D. W., Ghosh, S., Quin, C., Pither, J., Barnett, J. A., Gill, S. K., & Gibson, D. L. (2020) · mSystems · doi:10.1128/msystems.00515-20 · Cited by 22
“(57), following exercise training in lean humans (58) and elite athletes (59).”
BackgroundLi, Z., Li, Y., Wang, Y., chen, J., & Liu, Y. (2025) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu17203260 · Cited by 9
“Building on the same rugby cohort, metagenomics and metabolomics revealed that athletes had greater microbial diversity and enriched SCFA-producing pathways, with elevated fecal SCFAs linked to dietary intake, muscle activity, and reduced systemic inflammation [24].”
Li, L., & Tang, L. (2025) · Medical Science Monitor · doi:10.12659/msm.947511 · Cited by 10
“Barton et al [47] and Clarke et al [48] conducted metabolic phenotypic analysis and functional metagenomics analysis on the gut microbiome of international professional rugby league participants and a control group, and the results showed that the microbiome of professional athletes had higher…”
Training load influences gut microbiome of highly trained rowing athletes
Charlesson, B., Jones, J. C., Abbiss, C. R., Peeling, P., Watts, S., & Christophersen, C. T. (2025) · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · doi:10.1080/15502783.2025.2507952 · Cited by 11
“Based upon the current literature, it appears that athletes have a different gut microbiota, when compared with the general population [5–8].”
Sadeghi, R., Hemmatinafar, M., Eftekhari, F., Imanian, B., & Koureshfard, N. (2025) · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · doi:10.1080/15502783.2025.2505184 · Cited by 10
“Recent studies have shown that metabolic activity and pathways related to carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism are increased in the microbiome of athletes compared to sedentary individuals [47].”
Gut microbiota-derived butyrate enhances exercise-induced bone mineral density in humans
Dou, X., Fu, P., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Ning, K., Yang, B., Yang, X., Niu, Y., Wang, D., & Xu, H. (2025) · Mechanobiology in Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.mbm.2025.100124 · Cited by 10
Gao, C., Wei, J., Lu, C., Wang, L., Dong, D. F., & Sun, M. (2024) · Gut Microbes · doi:10.1080/19490976.2024.2404141 · Cited by 11
“99 In addition, exercise-mediated mechanisms may, in part, be responsible for the observed variation in intestinal microecology.”
BackgroundBertuccioli, A., Zonzini, G. B., Cazzaniga, M., Cardinali, M., Pierro, F. D., Gregoretti, A., Zerbinati, N., Guasti, L., Matera, M. R., Cavecchia, I., et al. (2024) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms12040804 · Cited by 11
“…a 6-week resistance training program (consisting of three sessions of 30–60 min of exercise per week) and dietary control revealed BMI-specific microbiota variations: increased Faecalibacterium in lean subjects and decreased in obese subjects, along with a reverse trend in Bacteroides [39,40].”
BackgroundResultInfluentialExercise and microbiome: From big data to therapy
Meng, D., Ai, S., Spanos, M., Shi, X., Li, G., Crețoiu, D., Zhou, Q., & Xiao, J. (2023) · Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal · doi:10.1016/j.csbj.2023.10.034 · Cited by 12
“…metagenomic and metabolomic studies found that the athlete group had significant enrichment in amino acids, antibiotic biosynthesis, and carbon metabolism pathways, in conjunction with high relative content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as propionate, acetate, and butyrate [107].”
BackgroundMicrobiota Mediate Enhanced Exercise Capacity Induced by Exercise Training
Dowden, R. A., Wisniewski, P. J., Longoria, C. R., Oydanich, M. K., McNulty, T., RODRIGUEZ, E., Zhang, J., CAVALLO, M., Guers, J. J., Vatner, D. E., et al. (2023) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000003170 · Cited by 13
Next-generation sequencing of the athletic gut microbiota: a systematic review
Sabater, C., Iglesias‐Gutiérrez, E., Ruíz, L., & Margollés, A. (2023) · Microbiome Research Reports · doi:10.20517/mrr.2022.16 · Cited by 10
Fernández‐Sanjurjo, M., Fernández, J., Martínez‐Camblor, P., Rodríguez-Alonso, M., Ortolano, R., Pinto-Hernández, P., Castilla‐Silgado, J., Coto-Vilcapoma, A., Ruíz, L., Villar, C. J., et al. (2024) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu16050661 · Cited by 13
Duan, X., Xu, J., Yang, P., Liang, X., Zeng, Z., Luo, H., Tang, X., Wu, X., & Xiao, X. (2022) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.14459 · Cited by 10
Gut Mucosal Microbiome Signatures of Colorectal Cancer Differ According to BMI Status
Shaw, S., Berry, S., Thomson, J., Murray, G. I., El-Omar, E. M., & Hold, G. L. (2022) · Frontiers in Medicine · doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.800566 · Cited by 25
Szurkowska, J., Wiącek, J., Laparidis, K., & Karolkiewicz, J. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu13114093 · Cited by 18
“, butyric acid, propionic acid, acetic acid) enhance the intestinal epithelial membrane, support absorption of electrolytes, and regulate glucose metabolism in skeletal muscles [8].”
BackgroundFecal Microbiota Monitoring in Elite Soccer Players Along the 2019–2020 Competitive Season
Viciani, E., Barone, M., Bongiovanni, T., Quercia, S., Gesu, R. D., Pasta, G., Manetti, P., Iaia, F. M., Trecroci, A., Rampelli, S., et al. (2022) · International Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1055/a-1858-1810 · Cited by 9
Wu, J., Zhang, S., Wu, J., Luan, Y., Yao, X., Xu, B., Wang, Y., Sheng, Y., Xue, Y., & Ren, Y. (2026) · International Journal of Molecular Medicine · doi:10.3892/ijmm.2026.5762 · Cited by 6
“SCFAs, secretion of which is promoted by exercise, increase the rate of calcium absorption by bone (132,173,174).”
Interactions Between Gut Microbiota and Brain: Possible Effects on Sport Performance
Carlone, J., Giampaoli, S., & Brancucci, A. (2025) · Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise · doi:10.1007/s42978-025-00344-w · Cited by 8
Imanian, B., Hemmatinafar, M., Maymandinejad, I., Binazade, M. R., Jäger, R., Jahan, Z., Naseri, K., Rezaei, R., & Suzuki, K. (2025) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu17182959 · Cited by 10
Davies, R. G., Wood, L. A., Hengist, A., O’Donovan, C. M., Barton, W., Crispie, F., Walhin, J., Valdivia‐Garcia, M., García‐Pérez, I., Frost, G. S., et al. (2025) · The Journal of Physiology · doi:10.1113/jp287424 · Cited by 11
“Previous evidence from rodent studies (Allen et al., 2015; Fernández et al., 2021), observational studies (Barton et al., 2018; Clarke et al., 2014) and human interventions (Allen et al., 2018; Kern et al., 2020) suggests that regular exercise may modulate the composition of the gut microbiome.”
Self-citationHu, X., Feng, J., Lü, J., Pang, R., Zhang, A., Liu, J., Gou, X., Bai, X., Wang, J., Chang, C., et al. (2024) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2024.1395671 · Cited by 8
Research Progress on the Correlation Between Hypertension and Gut Microbiota
Cui, X.-M., Zhang, T., Xie, T., Guo, F.-X., Zhang, Y., Deng, Y.-J., Wang, Q., Guo, Y.-X., Dong, M.-H., & Luo, X. (2024) · Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare · doi:10.2147/jmdh.s463880 · Cited by 11
“25,26 Although the extreme dietary and behavioural patterns of elite athletes limit the generalizability of the findings, studies in the general population have similarly shown that a combination of aerobic and resistance training can be effective in lowering BP and promoting gut microbiota…”
BackgroundJadhav, P. A., Thomas, A. B., Nanda, R. K., & Chitlange, S. S. (2024) · Egyptian Liver Journal · doi:10.1186/s43066-024-00327-6 · Cited by 9
“Interestingly, Barton et al. [40] found that athletes with active workout regimens had higher levels of Akker-mansia spp . than those who were more sedentary.”
BackgroundSalas‐Espejo, E., Terron-Camero, L. C., Ruiz, J. L., Molina, N. M., & Andrés‐León, E. (2023) · Seminars in Reproductive Medicine · doi:10.1055/s-0044-1779025 · Cited by 9
“2 and ► Boxes 1 – 7 ).”
BackgroundExercise Changes Gut Microbiota: A New Idea to Explain that Exercise Improves Autism
Xue, Y., An, S., Qiu, W., Zhang, W., Li-min, F., & Zhen, Z. (2023) · International Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1055/a-2018-2477 · Cited by 9
“There is a relative increase in fecal metabolites such as: shortchain fatty acid (SCFA), acetate, pro pionate and butyrate produced by microorganisms [98].”
BackgroundGALNTL6 rs558129: A Novel Polymorphism for Swimming Performance?
Żmijewski, P., Trybek, G., Czarny, W., & Leońska‐Duniec, A. (2021) · Journal of Human Kinetics · doi:10.2478/hukin-2021-0098 · Cited by 9
Leigh, S., Kaakoush, N. O., Escorihuela, R. M., Westbrook, R. F., & Morris, M. J. (2020) · Nutrition & Metabolism · doi:10.1186/s12986-020-00492-6 · Cited by 13
“This is in line with metagenomic results where fecal microbiome from male elite athletes exhibited increased amino acid biosynthesis and overall energy metabolism relative to sedentary, normal-weight controls [40].”
ResultMemili, A., Lulla, A., Liu, H., Shikany, J. M., Jacobs, D. R., Langsetmo, L., North, K. E., Jones, C. D., Launer, L. J., & Meyer, K. A. (2022) · Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2022.12.019 · Cited by 8
Exercise and the gut microbiome: implications for supportive care in cancer
Hart, N. H., Wallen, M. P., Farley, M. J., Haywood, D., Boytar, A. N., Secombe, K. R., Joseph, R., Chan, R. J., Kenkhuis, M., Buffart, L. M., et al. (2023) · Supportive Care in Cancer · doi:10.1007/s00520-023-08183-7 · Cited by 9
“Nevertheless, this research demonstrates that individuals reporting higher levels of physical activity or exercise, or possessing a greater degree of cardiores-piratory fitness, have a greater alpha or beta diversity [87, 90, 91].”
The Impact of Dietary Patterns on the Human Gut Microbiome and Its Health Significance: A Review
Muigano, M. N., Liu, J., Liu, X., Luo, P., Li, Z., & Li, J. (2025) · The FASEB Journal · doi:10.1096/fj.202502040r · Cited by 14
“Athletes have generally been shown to exhibit higher gut microbiota diversity [169, 170].”
Carlone, J., Giampaoli, S., Alladio, E., Rosellini, G., Barni, F., Salata, E., Parisi, A., Fasano, A., & Tessitore, A. (2025) · Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · doi:10.3389/fspor.2025.1662964 · Cited by 6
Human gut microbiome determining athletes’ performance: An insight from genomic analysis
Cheng, S. C., Chang, C., Chen, Y., Gojobori, T., & Chiu, P.-K. (2025) · Ecological Genetics and Genomics · doi:10.1016/j.egg.2025.100327 · Cited by 6
Santarossa, S., Sitarik, A. R., Cassidy‐Bushrow, A. E., & Comstock, S. S. (2023) · Physical Activity and Nutrition · doi:10.20463/pan.2023.0011 · Cited by 8
Wang, W., Xu, Y., Wang, X., Chu, Y., Zhang, H., Zhou, L., Zhu, H., Ji, L., Kuai, R., Zhou, F., et al. (2022) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.929092 · Cited by 8
Dairy consumption and physical fitness tests associated with fecal microbiome in a Chinese cohort
Jie, Z., Liang, S., Ding, Q., Li, F., Sun, X., Lin, Y., Chen, P., Cai, K., Wang, X., Zhang, T., et al. (2021) · Medicine in Microecology · doi:10.1016/j.medmic.2021.100038 · Cited by 17
“Accumulating evidence suggests that exercise influenced the gut microbiota [3] [–] [5].”
BackgroundCook, M. D., & Hogue, T. (2021) · mSystems · doi:10.1128/msystems.00650-21 · Cited by 7
“Gut microbial composition is significantly different in athletes compared to sedentary individuals (14), yet both experience HTN.”
BackgroundCorrelation Between Stress, Immunity and Intestinal Microbiota
Николаевна, К. О., & Хавкин, А. И. (2020) · Педиатрическая фармакология · doi:10.15690/pf.v17i1.2078 · Cited by 20
“Это может быть повышенное потребление пребиотиков, полифенолов или полиненасыщенных жирных кислот [31].”
Exercise as a modulator of gut microbiota for improvement of sleep quality: a narrative review
Zhao, B., Sun, J., Xiang, L., & Su, Z. (2025) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2025.1639099 · Cited by 6
Carlone, J., Parisi, A., & Fasano, A. (2025) · Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · doi:10.3389/fspor.2025.1641923 · Cited by 8
Mazur-Kurach, P., Monika, S., Rzeszutko-Bełzowska, A., Andrzej, K., Maria, G., & Frączek, B. (2025) · Journal of Health Population and Nutrition · doi:10.1186/s41043-025-00775-9 · Cited by 6
“A healthy microbiota may be an important factor in improving health, performance and energy availability and controlling oxidative stress in athletes [14–18].”
Lee, M., Chiu, C., Liao, Y.-C., Cheng, Y.-C., Lee, C., Ho, C.-S., Hsu, Y.-J., Chang, H.-Y., Lin, J., & Huang, C. (2024) · Current Research in Food Science · doi:10.1016/j.crfs.2024.100917 · Cited by 10
“Akker-mansiaceae is known to improve intestinal health by adhering to intestinal epithelial cells and enhancing the integrity of the intestinal epithelial monolayer, and it is related to the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) (Barton et al., 2018).”
Dinetz, E., & Bocharova, N. (2024) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.72720 · Cited by 6
“Supplements can be used to address various situations, such as deficiencies and genetic variants, and further enhance performance and recovery by reducing inflammation [13,21].”
The athlete gut microbiota: state of the art and practical guidance
Pérez-Castillo, Í. M., Sabag-Daigle, A., Chicharro, J. L., Mihic, N., Rueda, R., & Bouzamondo, H. (2024) · Beneficial Microbes · doi:10.1163/18762891-bja00007 · Cited by 8
Duan, R., Liu, Y., Zhang, Y., Shi, J., Xue, R., Liu, R., Miao, Y., Zhou, X., Lv, Y., Shen, H., et al. (2024) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2024.1343219 · Cited by 8
Association between exercise and changes in gut microbiota profile: a review
Khaledi, M., Darvishi, M., Sameni, F., Shahrjerdi, S., Karami, E., Barahui, N., Hemmati, J., Hasheminasab, M. S., Sanae, M.-J., Akhavan‐Sigari, R., et al. (2023) · Sport Sciences for Health · doi:10.1007/s11332-023-01132-1 · Cited by 5
“Piece of evidence brings up that exercise increases α-diversity and microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) [21–23].”
McAuley, A. B. T., Hughes, D. C., Tsaprouni, L., Varley, I., Suraci, B., Bradley, B., Baker, J. R., Herbert, A. J., & Kelly, A. L. (2023) · The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000004634 · Cited by 8
Is There a Universal Endurance Microbiota?
Olbricht, H., Twadell, K., Sandel, B., Stephens, C. M., & Whittall, J. B. (2022) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms10112213 · Cited by 9
New therapeutic approaches to target gut-brain axis dysfunction during anorexia nervosa
Achamrah, N., Déchelotte, P., & Coëffier, M. (2019) · Clinical Nutrition Experimental · doi:10.1016/j.yclnex.2019.01.006 · Cited by 10
Hogue, T., Hampton‐Marcell, J., Carroll, I. M., Purdom, T. M., Colleran, H. L., Exford, T., Brown, M., & Cook, M. D. (2024) · Physiological Reports · doi:10.14814/phy2.15982 · Cited by 6
“…shows optimal microbial diversity associated with greater efficiency in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism, and enhanced SCFA production (Barton et al., 2018) which was associated with fitness, overall health, and more recently with athletic performance (Clauss et al., 2021; Furber et…”
BackgroundWei, Q., Wang, H., Liu, Y., Wang, F., Wu, X., Xu, C., Cui, G., & Xiang, J. (2025) · Frontiers in Neurology · doi:10.3389/fneur.2025.1658162 · Cited by 5
“Subsequent studies further demonstrated significant differences in gut flora between rugby players and sedentary healthy control populations at both functional and genetic levels (44).”
Unique Athletic Gut Microbiomes and Their Role in Sports Performance: A Narrative Review
Zielińska, K., Łabaj, P. P., & Humińska-Lisowska, K. (2025) · Journal of Human Kinetics · doi:10.5114/jhk/202642 · Cited by 3
“In a continuation study, Barton et al. (2018) compared athletes and controls at the functional metabolic level to identify diet-influenced pathways specific to highly trained individuals.”
Metadata
- Authors
- Barton, W., Penney, N. C., Cronin, O., Garcia-Perez, I., Molloy, M. G., Holmes, E., Shanahan, F., Cotter, P. D., & O'Sullivan, O.
- Affiliations
- Teagasc - The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (IE)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- National University of Ireland (IE)
- Section of Biomolecular Medicine, Division of Computational Systems Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Cork, Ireland
- Corresponding author
- Shanahan, Fergus
- ORCID
- Venue
- Gut
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2017-03-30
- Volume
- 67
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 625-633
- ISSN
- 0017-5749 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-3288
- OpenAlex
- W2597526148
- Cited by
- 647
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 73 · 2025: 73 · 2024: 79 · 2023: 84 · 2022: 92 · 2021: 89 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 61 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 12
- FWCI
- 17.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- Gut (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Cork Open Research Archive (University College Cork, Ireland) (submittedVersion)
- Arrow@dit (Dublin Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Science Foundation Ireland (11/PI/1137, 13/SIRG/2160, SFI/12/RC/2273)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
- Keywords
- gut microbiota, professional athletes, rugby union players, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, microbial metabolic functions, short-chain fatty acids, fecal metabolites, amino acid biosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, antibiotic biosynthesis, serum creatine kinase, functional metagenomics
- MeSH terms
- Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Feces, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Male, Exercise, Body Mass Index, Case-Control Studies, Young Adult, Athletes
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