We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Dynamics of Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids during a Cycling Grand Tour Are Related to Exercise Performance and Modulated by Dietary Intake.
- Authors
Fernandez-Sanjurjo, Manuel; Fernandez, Javier; Martinez-Camblor, Pablo; Rodriguez-Alonso, Manuel; Ortolano-Rios, Raquel; Pinto-Hernandez, Paola; Castilla-Silgado, Juan; Coto-Vilcapoma, Almudena; Ruiz, Lorena; Villar, Claudio J.; Tomas-Zapico, Cristina; Margolles, Abelardo; Fernandez-Garcia, Benjamin; Iglesias-Gutierrez, Eduardo; Lombó, Felipe
- Abstract
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.
- Subjects
FECAL analysis; BIFIDOBACTERIUM; PREDICTIVE tests; STATISTICAL correlation; SHORT-chain fatty acids; FOOD consumption; RESEARCH funding; GUT microbiome; PREBIOTICS; STATISTICAL sampling; STRUCTURAL equation modeling; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; CYCLING; LONGITUDINAL method; RNA; GAS chromatography; SPORTS events; RESEARCH; ATHLETIC ability; FACTOR analysis; COMPARATIVE studies; METABOLOMICS; DIETARY carbohydrates; SEQUENCE analysis; GENOMES
- Publication
Nutrients, 2024, Vol 16, Issue 5, p661
- ISSN
2072-6643
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/nu16050661