Effect of Intensity and Duration of Exercise on Gut Microbiota in Humans: A Systematic Review

Abstract

(1) Background: The gut microbiota might play a part in affecting athletic performance and is of considerable importance to athletes. The aim of this study was to search the recent knowledge of the protagonist played by high-intensity and high-duration aerobic exercise on gut microbiota composition in athletes and how these effects could provide disadvantages in sports performance. (2) Methods: This systematic review follows the PRISMA guidelines. An exhaustive bibliographic search in Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus was conducted considering the articles published in the last 5 years. The selected articles were categorized according to the type of study. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute’s Critical Appraisal Tool for Systematic Reviews. (3) Results: Thirteen studies had negative effects of aerobic exercise on intestinal microbiota such as an upsurge in I-FABP, intestinal distress, and changes in the gut microbiota, such as an increase in Prevotella, intestinal permeability and zonulin. In contrast, seven studies observed positive effects of endurance exercise, including an increase in the level of bacteria such as increased microbial diversity and increased intestinal metabolites. (4) Conclusions: A large part of the studies found reported adverse effects on the intestinal microbiota when performing endurance exercises. In studies carried out on athletes, more negative effects on the microbiota were found than in those carried out on non-athletic subjects.

Physical Activity, Gut Microbiota, and Genetic Background for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Exercise and physical activity have also been shown to change the composition of the gut microbiota, something which is associated with improved energy homeostasis and regulation (for a comprehensive revision, please refer to [ 42 , 104 ]) [ 42 , 104 , 105 , 106 ].…”

Major evidence of clinical studies on the triad gut microbiota, ubiquinone and physical exercise: a systematic review

“…Cumulative data indicate that gut bacteria are sensitive to modulation by physical activity, as demonstrated by studies using models of training and hypoactivity. Sports performance studies have also shown interesting and promising results [3].…”

“…In this sense, the microbiota of the healthy gastrointestinal system has about 800 species of bacteria. Thousands of these microorganisms live in symbiosis with fungi, archaea, and viruses that characterize every human being with maximum concentration in the colon [2,3]. Thus, the human microbiome has about 3 million genes in the gastrointestinal tract, which corresponds to 150 times more than the human genome [1].…”

“…In this scenario, the intestinal microbiota is essential for the host to guarantee digestive and immunological homeostasis [1,2]. However, in the presence of dysbiosis, the malfunction of the epithelial barrier leads to intestinal and systemic disorders [3]. Still, there are many ways in which GM can affect an athlete's health.…”

“…Undesirable genetic makeup has been associated with local inflammatory changes leading to the permeability of the intestinal wall that may allow greater systemic migration of bacterial material. Alterations in GM can lead to psychological stress in conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder [2,3].…”