Fueling Gut Microbes: A Review of the Interaction between Diet, Exercise, and the Gut Microbiota in Athletes

Abstract

The athlete's goal is to optimize their performance. Towards this end, nutrition has been used to improve the health of athletes’ brains, bones, muscles, and cardiovascular system. However, recent research suggests that the gut and its resident microbiota may also play a role in athlete health and performance. Therefore, athletes should consider dietary strategies in the context of their potential effects on the gut microbiota, including the impact of sports-centric dietary strategies (e.g., protein supplements, carbohydrate loading) on the gut microbiota as well as the effects of gut-centric dietary strategies (e.g., probiotics, prebiotics) on performance. This review provides an overview of the interaction between diet, exercise, and the gut microbiota, focusing on dietary strategies that may impact both the gut microbiota and athletic performance. Current evidence suggests that the gut microbiota could, in theory, contribute to the effects of dietary intake on athletic performance by influencing microbial metabolite production, gastrointestinal physiology, and immune modulation. Common dietary strategies such as high protein and simple carbohydrate intake, low fiber intake, and food avoidance may adversely impact the gut microbiota and, in turn, performance. Conversely, intake of adequate dietary fiber, a variety of protein sources, and emphasis on unsaturated fats, especially omega-3 (ɷ-3) fatty acids, in addition to consumption of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics, have shown promising results in optimizing athlete health and performance. Ultimately, while this is an emerging and promising area of research, more studies are needed that incorporate, control, and manipulate all 3 of these elements (i.e., diet, exercise, and gut microbiome) to provide recommendations for athletes on how to “fuel their microbes.”

Bacillus velezensis A2 Inhibited the Cecal Inflammation Induced by Zearalenone by Regulating Intestinal Flora and Short-Chain Fatty Acids

“…The SCFA content in the ZEA group was significantly decreased compared with the CON group, while the SCFA content was significantly reduced after ZEA-treated mice were fed A2, and the intestinal inflammation of mice was significantly decreased. This effect arises because SCFA plays an important role in intestinal epithelial barrier function in conjunction with tight junction proteins ( 28 ). It has been reported that butyrate can elevate the expression of Claudin-1 and ZO-1 in the colon, promoting the redistribution of Occludin to enhance the barrier function of the intestinal tract, and inhibiting intestinal inflammation ( 29 .…”

Enhancing the Cognitive Effects of Flavonoids With Physical Activity: Is There a Case for the Gut Microbiome?

“…Several underlying mechanisms could explain these results including flavonoid- and exercise-induced changes in gut permeability and transporter function, increases in gut microbiota richness, and altered gastrointestinal motility and transport rate ( Nieman et al, 2018 ). Chronic MVPA can modify the composition and functional capacity of the gut microbiota ( Hughes and Holscher, 2021 ). Cross-sectional human studies have revealed greater α-diversity and an enriched profile of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in athletes compared to sedentary controls ( Barton et al, 2018 ; Mailing et al, 2019 ; Nieman and Pence, 2020 ; Zhu et al, 2020 ).…”

“…As already noted, flavonoids are catabolized by and influence composition of the microbiota, and exercise stimulated the bioavailability of flavonoid metabolites ( Nieman et al, 2018 ). The gut microbiota also has an influence on exercise performance by producing SCFAs that increase muscle blood flow and insulin sensitivity, and can be utilized as fuel ( Hughes and Holscher, 2021 ).…”

Multiomics Approach to Precision Sports Nutrition: Limits, Challenges, and Possibilities

“…The gut microbiota includes a large collection of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and archaea, and the richness or α-diversity varies widely between individuals ( 14 , 68 ). Plant-based dietary patterns and regular exercise training have an influence on the gut microbiota, increasing α-diversity and the production of metabolites such as short chain fatty acids (SCFA) from dietary fiber and gut-derived phenolics from plant polyphenols ( 14 , 68 , 69 ). SCFAs may support athletic performance by influencing fuel utilization and skeletal muscle function, and gut-derived phenolics may improve post-exercise metabolic recovery by mitigating inflammation ( 68 ).…”

“…Plant-based dietary patterns and regular exercise training have an influence on the gut microbiota, increasing α-diversity and the production of metabolites such as short chain fatty acids (SCFA) from dietary fiber and gut-derived phenolics from plant polyphenols ( 14 , 68 , 69 ). SCFAs may support athletic performance by influencing fuel utilization and skeletal muscle function, and gut-derived phenolics may improve post-exercise metabolic recovery by mitigating inflammation ( 68 ). SCFAs are the preferred fuel for colonocytes, and have also been linked to regulation of energy homeostasis, body weight, immune function, and inflammation ( 69 ).…”