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Investigation of the Effects of Microbiota on Exercise Physiological Adaption, Performance, and Energy Utilization Using a Gnotobiotic Animal Model

Wen-Ching Huang, Yi-Hsun Chen, Hsiao-Li Chuang, Chien-Chao Chiu, Chi-Chang Huang

Frontiers in Microbiology, 2019

60 citations

Abstract

The wide diversity in gut microbiota that is found among individuals is affected by factors including environment, genetics, dietary habits, and lifestyle after birth. The gastrointestinal tract, the largest and most complicated in vivo ecosystem, is a natural habitat for microbe colonization. Gut microbiota acts as “metabolic organ” that interacts with the human host symbiotically and performs an important role in maintaining health. In addition to the above factors, microbiota distributions/proportions are affected by exercise and other forms of physical activity. However, diet, lifestyle, and nutritional supplementation may impede the actual analytic relationship in practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand the effects of several microbiota on physical fitness, exercise performance, energy metabolism, and biochemistries using the concept of gnotobiote based on a germ-free model. The microbes Eubacterium rectale, Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10, and Clostridium coccoides were separately inoculated into gnotobiotic animal models. Fecal analysis was regularly done for the entire duration of the experiment. The exercise capacities were measured repeatedly with and without aerobic exercise training using an exhaustive swimming test. Various fatigue-associated biochemical variables, including lactate, ammonia, glucose, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase (CK) were also measured to assess physiological adaption. In addition, metabolic phenotype…

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