Dietary Polysaccharides Exert Anti-Fatigue Functions via the Gut-Muscle Axis: Advances and Prospectives
Yaping Zhou,
Zhongxing Chu,
Yi Luo,
Feiyan Yang,
Fuliang Cao,
Feijun Luo,
Qinlu Lin
Affiliations
Yaping Zhou
National Engineering Research Center of Deep Process of Rice and Byproducts, Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-Oil Deep Process and Quality Control, College of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, No. 498, Shaoshan Road, Changsha 410004, China
Zhongxing Chu
National Engineering Research Center of Deep Process of Rice and Byproducts, Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-Oil Deep Process and Quality Control, College of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, No. 498, Shaoshan Road, Changsha 410004, China
Yi Luo
Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical College of Xiangya, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
Feiyan Yang
National Engineering Research Center of Deep Process of Rice and Byproducts, Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-Oil Deep Process and Quality Control, College of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, No. 498, Shaoshan Road, Changsha 410004, China
Fuliang Cao
Co-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Feijun Luo
National Engineering Research Center of Deep Process of Rice and Byproducts, Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-Oil Deep Process and Quality Control, College of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, No. 498, Shaoshan Road, Changsha 410004, China
Qinlu Lin
National Engineering Research Center of Deep Process of Rice and Byproducts, Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-Oil Deep Process and Quality Control, College of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, No. 498, Shaoshan Road, Changsha 410004, China
Due to today’s fast-paced lifestyle, most people are in a state of sub-health and face “unexplained fatigue”, which can seriously affect their health, work efficiency, and quality of life. Fatigue is also a common symptom of several serious diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer, etc. However, the contributing mechanisms are not clear, and there are currently no official recommendations for the treatment of fatigue. Some dietary polysaccharides are often used as health care supplements; these have been reported to have specific anti-fatigue effects, with minor side effects and rich pharmacological activities. Dietary polysaccharides can be activated during food processing or during gastrointestinal transit, exerting unique effects. This review aims to comprehensively summarize and evaluate the latest advances in the biological processes of exercise-induced fatigue, to understand dietary polysaccharides and their possible molecular mechanisms in alleviating exercise-induced fatigue, and to systematically elaborate the roles of gut microbiota and the gut-muscle axis in this process. From the perspective of the gut-muscle axis, investigating the relationship between polysaccharides and fatigue will enhance our understanding of fatigue and may lead to a significant breakthrough regarding the molecular mechanism of fatigue. This paper will provide new perspectives for further research into the use of polysaccharides in food science and food nutrition, which could help develop potential anti-fatigue agents and open up novel therapies for sub-health conditions.