Nutrients (Feb 2024)

Dynamics of Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids during a Cycling Grand Tour Are Related to Exercise Performance and Modulated by Dietary Intake

  • Manuel Fernandez-Sanjurjo,
  • Javier Fernandez,
  • Pablo Martinez-Camblor,
  • Manuel Rodriguez-Alonso,
  • Raquel Ortolano-Rios,
  • Paola Pinto-Hernandez,
  • Juan Castilla-Silgado,
  • Almudena Coto-Vilcapoma,
  • Lorena Ruiz,
  • Claudio J. Villar,
  • Cristina Tomas-Zapico,
  • Abelardo Margolles,
  • Benjamin Fernandez-Garcia,
  • Eduardo Iglesias-Gutierrez,
  • Felipe Lombó

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050661
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 5
p. 661

Abstract

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Background: Regular exercise has been described to modify both the diversity and the relative abundance of certain bacterial taxa. To our knowledge, the effect of a cycling stage race, which entails extreme physiological and metabolic demands, on the gut microbiota composition and its metabolic activity has not been analysed. Objective: The aim of this cohort study was to analyse the dynamics of faecal microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) content of professional cyclists over a Grand Tour and their relationship with performance and dietary intake. Methods: 16 professional cyclists competing in La Vuelta 2019 were recruited. Faecal samples were collected at four time points: the day before the first stage (A); after 9 stages (B); after 15 stages (C); and on the last stage (D). Faecal microbiota populations and SCFA content were analysed using 16S rRNA sequencing and gas chromatography, respectively. A principal component analysis (PCA) followed by Generalised Estimating Equation (GEE) models were carried out to explore the dynamics of microbiota and SCFAs and their relationship with performance. Results: Bifidobacteriaceae, Coriobacteriaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, and Sutterellaceae dynamics showed a strong final performance predictive value (r = 0.83, ranking, and r = 0.81, accumulated time). Positive correlations were observed between Coriobacteriaceae with acetate (r = 0.530) and isovalerate (r = 0.664) and between Bifidobacteriaceae with isobutyrate (r = 0.682). No relationship was observed between SCFAs and performance. The abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae at the beginning of La Vuelta was directly related to the previous intake of complex-carbohydrate-rich foods (r = 0.956), while during the competition, the abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae was negatively affected by the intake of simple carbohydrates from supplements (r = −0.650). Conclusions: An ecological perspective represents more realistically the relationship between gut microbiota composition and performance compared to single-taxon approaches. The composition and periodisation of diet and supplementation during a Grand Tour, particularly carbohydrates, could be designed to modulate gut microbiota composition to allow better performance.

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