Microbiome potentiates endurance exercise through intestinal acetate production
Abstract
The intestinal microbiome produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from dietary fiber and has specific effects on other organs. During endurance exercise, fatty acids, glucose, and amino acids are major energy substrates. However, little is known about the role of SCFAs during exercise. To investigate this, mice were administered either multiple antibiotics or a low microbiome-accessible carbohydrate (LMC) diet, before endurance testing on a treadmill. Two-week antibiotic treatment significantly reduced endurance capacity versus the untreated group. In the cecum acetate, propionate, and butyrate became almost undetectable in the antibiotic-treated group, plasma SCFA concentrations were lower, and the microbiome was disrupted. Similarly, 6-wk LMC treatment significantly reduced exercise capacity, and fecal and plasma SCFA concentrations. Continuous acetate but not saline infusion in antibiotic-treated mice restored their exercise capacity ( P < 0.05), suggesting that plasma acetate may be an important energy substrate during endurance exercise. In addition, running time was significantly improved in LMC-fed mice by fecal microbiome transplantation from others fed a high microbiome-accessible carbohydrate diet and administered a single portion of fermentable fiber ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, the microbiome can contribute to endurance exercise by producing SCFAs. Our findings provide new insight into the effects of the microbiome on systemic metabolism.
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Observational studies indicate that exercise changes gut microbiome composition in mice and humans.
“Observational studies show exercise alters gut microbiome composition in mice14 and humans15–18.”
From Exercise-induced microbiota metabolite enhances CD8 T cell antitumor immunity promoting immunotherapy efficacy (2025) · cites this paper as [14]
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- Authors
- Okamoto, T., Morino, K., Ugi, S., Nakagawa, F., Lemecha, M., Ida, S., Ohashi, N., Sato, D., Fujita, Y., & Maegawa, H.
- Affiliations
- Shiga University of Medical Science (JP)
- Corresponding author
- Morino, Katsutaro
- ORCID
- Venue
- American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Published
- 2019-05-01
- Volume
- 316
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- E956-E966
- ISSN
- 0193-1849 (ISSN-L)
- 1522-1555
- OpenAlex
- W2920857698
- Cited by
- 210
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 35 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 5
- FWCI
- 7.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Microbial Metabolites in Food Biotechnology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- gut microbiota, endurance exercise, short-chain fatty acids, acetate, dietary fiber fermentation, antibiotic-induced dysbiosis, fecal microbiota transplantation, exercise capacity, energy metabolism, plasma acetate
- MeSH terms
- Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Fecal Microbiota Transplantation, Acetates, Animals, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Butyrates, Dietary Fiber, Fatty Acids, Volatile, Physical Conditioning, Animal, Physical Endurance, Propionates, Mice
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