Relationship between Gut-Microbiota and Sport Activity

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this umbrella review is to bring together the most recent reviews concerning the relationship between gut-microbiota and sport activity. Materials and Methods: A literature search was conducted through PubMed and focused on reviews and systematic reviews published between 2015 and June 2021 that dealt with the topic of microbiota and physical activity. Only articles written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals were considered. Key words related to the term microbiota alone or in conjunction with other terms such as "supplements", "diet", "probiotics", "prebiotics", "health", "physical activity", and "pathogens" were analyzed. The selection process was done first by analyzing the titles, then the abstracts, and finally the full text. Results: After screening the title and abstract, 29 articles were excluded. Therefore, 20 studies were included in the present umbrella review. The figure shows the steps of the selection process (Figure 1). The specifications of the presented articles are listed in Table 2. Conclusions: Exercise appears to be an environmental factor that can determine changes in the gut microbial composition with possible benefits for the host. Increased microbiota diversity improves metabolic profile and immunological responses and may provide a possible biomarker for health improvement. Exercise altered microbiota could be used to look for new approaches in the treatment of metabolic and inflammatory diseases.

Keywords

• endurance; exercise; immune response; microbiota; nutrition; probiotics