Microbial Champions: The Influence of Gut Microbiota on Athletic Performance via the Gut-Brain Axis

Abstract

In recent years, exercise has shown a powerful ability to regulate the gut microbiota received with concern. For instance, compared with the sedentary group, high-level athletes showed a different gut microbiota composition and remarkable capability of physiological metabolism. In addition, different diet patterns (eg, high-fat diet, high carbohydrate diet et.al) have different effects on gut microbiota, which can also affect exercise performance. Furthermore, adaptations to exercise also might be influenced by the gut microbiota, due to its important role in the transformation and expenditure of energy obtained from the diet. Therefore, appropriate dietary supplementation is important during exercise. And exploring the mechanisms by which dietary supplements affect exercise performance by modulating gut microbiota is of considerable interest to athletes wishing to achieve health and athletic performance. In this narrative review, the relationship between gut microbiota, dietary supplements, training adaptations and performance is discussed as follows. (i) The effects of the three main nutritional supplements on gut microbiota and athlete fitness. (ii) Strategies for dietary supplements and how they exerted function through gut microbiota alteration based on the gut-brain axis. (iii) Why dietary supplement interventions on gut microbiota should be tailored to different types of exercise. Our work integrates these factors to elucidate how specific nutritional supplements can modulate gut microbiota composition and, consequently, influence training adaptations and performance outcomes, unlike previous literature that often focuses solely on the effects of exercise or diet independently. And provides a comprehensive framework for athletes seeking to optimize their health and performance through a microbiota-centric approach.

Keywords: athlete performance; exercise; gut microbiota; gut-brain axis; metabolism; nutrition.

Graphical abstract

Figure 1

The mechanism of the gut-brain axis. Dietary nutrients are absorbed in the intestinal tract and interact with gut microbiota (GM) to synthesize neurotransmitters, which reach the central nervous system through the vagus afferent nerve. Neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus secrete corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH, in turn, prompts the adrenal cortex to synthesize glucocorticoids, which act on the skeletal muscle system via the vagus efferent nerve, participating in and enhancing the storage and utilization of skeletal muscle energy.

Figure 2

The three main nutrition effect on GM to provide the energy. The three main nutrition altered the gut microbiota (GM) composition to exert anti-inflammatory properties and provide the energy. Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) play an important role in glucose and lactate metabolism, it has been shown to increase the 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity in liver and muscle tissue then triggers peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma coactivator-1α expression, to control the transcriptional activity of several transcription factors and subsequently to regulate cholesterol, lipid, and glucose metabolism.

Figure 3

The effects of vitamin on athletes. The beneficial gut microbiota (GM) species can help to synthesize the vitamins to decrease the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) accumulation, interrupt lipid peroxidation reactions and remove free oxygen radicals, stabilizing cell membranes to alleviate the muscle injury.

Figure 4

The schematic of how probiotics improves athletic performance through GM alteration.