Differences in Gut Microbiome Composition between Senior Orienteering Athletes and Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) health is an important aspect of general health. Gastrointestinal symptoms are of specific importance for the elderly, an increasing group globally. Hence, promoting the elderly’s health and especially gastrointestinal health is important. Gut microbiota can influence gastrointestinal health by modulation of the immune system and the gut–brain axis. Diverse gut microbiota have been shown to be beneficial; however, for the elderly, the gut microbiota is often less diverse. Nutrition and physical activity, in particular, are two components that have been suggested to influence composition or diversity. Materials and Methods: In this study, we compared gut microbiota between two groups of elderly individuals: community-dwelling older adults and physically active senior orienteering athletes, where the latter group has less gastrointestinal symptoms and a reported better well-being. With this approach, we explored if certain gut microbiota were related to healthy ageing. The participant data and faecal samples were collected from these two groups and the microbiota was whole-genome sequenced and taxonomically classified with MetaPhlAn. Results: The physically active senior orienteers had a more homogeneous microbiota within the group and a higher abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii compared to the community-dwelling older adults. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii has previously shown to have beneficial properties. Senior orienteers also had a lower abundance of Parasutterella excrementihominis and Bilophila unclassified, which have been associated with impaired GI health. We could not observe any difference between the groups in terms of Shannon diversity index. Interestingly, a subgroup of community-dwelling older adults showed an atypical microbiota profile as well as the parameters for gastrointestinal symptoms and well-being closer to senior orienteers. Conclusions: Our results suggest specific composition characteristics of healthy microbiota in the elderly, and show that certain components of nutrition as well as psychological distress are not as tightly connected with composition or diversity variation in faecal microbiota samples.

The Effects of Lifestyle and Diet on Gut Microbiota Composition, Inflammation and Muscle Performance in Our Aging Society

“…In line with the finding in professional athletes [106], the peak oxygen uptake was positively correlated with α-diversity indices also in older adults who were included in a randomized cross-over trial but there was no difference in α-diversity between the exercise and the control period [108]. Additionally, other studies in older adults did not detect differences in the α-diversity by the physical activity level of the participants [109][110][111][112] (Table 1). It has been suggested that the biological age and not the chronological age is mainly associated with a lower gut microbiota diversity [10], which may be one reason why several studies failed to show an association of the physical activity level and the α-diversity of the microbiota in older adults.…”

“…In Japanese communitydwelling older adults, only Bacillaceae and Fusobacteriaceae families were slightly different between the groups with low or high physical activity levels [109]. Two North-European studies compared community-dwelling older adults with high or low physical activity [110] or fitness levels [117]. Fart et al [110] compared the gut microbiota between communitydwelling older adults and physically active senior orienteering athletes in Sweden.…”

“…Two North-European studies compared community-dwelling older adults with high or low physical activity [110] or fitness levels [117]. Fart et al [110] compared the gut microbiota between communitydwelling older adults and physically active senior orienteering athletes in Sweden. The higher activity level of the latter was associated with a potentially healthier microbiota as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which has been associated with favorable effects, was more prevalent, while Parasutterella excrementihominis and Bilophila unclassified, which may have negative effects on gastrointestinal health, were less prevalent [110].…”

“…Fart et al [110] compared the gut microbiota between communitydwelling older adults and physically active senior orienteering athletes in Sweden. The higher activity level of the latter was associated with a potentially healthier microbiota as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which has been associated with favorable effects, was more prevalent, while Parasutterella excrementihominis and Bilophila unclassified, which may have negative effects on gastrointestinal health, were less prevalent [110]. In contrast, the Danish study in older adults assessed the fitness level based on a chair-rise test, BMI, and the DXAmeasured leg-soft-tissue fat percentage, all of which were used to discriminate between groups.…”

Nutrition for Older Athletes: Focus on Sex-Differences

“…Recent findings from the American Gut Project revealed that chronic exercise training benefits older adults by maintaining the stability of the gut microbiota (microbial composition and function) induced by aging [ 277 ]. Recent data demonstrated that masters athletes can be seen as a model of healthy aging also from the perspective of the microbiota [ 278 ]. Compared to community-dwelling older adults, senior orienteering athletes displayed a more homogeneous composition of gut microbiota, with higher levels of F. prausnitzii that is associated with positive health benefits, such as good gastrointestinal health, as well as psychological well-being that is most likely due to changes in the gut–brain axis [ 279 ].…”