Does Exercise Alter Gut Microbial Composition? A Systematic Review.
Abstract: The objective of this systematic review of literature was to evaluate and summarize published research that has investigated the association between exercise and gut microbial composition in mammals. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The databases searched for this review included: PubMed; PubMed Central; Medline; Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature; Web of Science; Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux Direct; Health Source: Nursing Academic Edition; Clinicaltrials.gov; International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO); and the Cochrane Library. Twenty-five articles met the inclusion criteria: 17 rodent, one canine, two equine, and five human studies. All studies in rodents and equines included control groups; whereas only one study in humans included a control group. The remaining were cross-sectional or cohort studies. All studies in rodents controlled for dietary intake and one study in humans implemented a 3-d dietary control. Eleven studies assessed voluntary exercise and 13 studies used forced exercise. Diversification within the Firmicutes phylum was consistently observed in exercise groups across studies. There were no consistent trends within Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, or Proteobacteria phyla. In general, the potential interactions between exercise and diet composition and their respective influences on the intestinal microbiome were not well characterized. Exercise was associated with changes in gut microbial composition, an increase in butyrate producing bacteria and an increase in fecal butyrate concentrations independent of diet in rodents and humans. The overall quality of evidence in the studies in humans was low and the risk of bias was unclear. Future studies with standardized reporting and rigorous dietary control in larger samples are needed to further determine the influence of exercise on gut microbial composition.
Publication Date: 2018-08-30 PubMed ID: 30157109DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001760Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Systematic Review
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This research review investigates the link between exercise and changes in gut bacteria in animals, with a special focus on studying variations within the Firmicutes phylum of microbe species in mammals. The study concluded that exercise is associated with alterations in gut microbial constitution and a rise in bacteria that produce butyrate, regardless of diet.
Research Methodology
- The study is a systematic review and analysis of previous research conducted on the relationship between exercise and gut microbial composition in mammals.
- This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, ensuring a systematic and standardized approach to collecting, evaluating, and interpreting research articles.
- To gather relevant articles, multiple databases were used including PubMed, PubMed Central, Medline, the Cochrane Library, and others.
- The inclusion criteria were met by 25 studies that varied across rodents, dogs, horses, and humans.
Type of Studies Reviewed
- Among the selected articles, the majority were studies on rodents and horses, and a few were based on human subjects.
- Only one human study consisted of a control group. The rest were either cross-sectional or cohort studies.
- Various aspects of exercise were studied – while 11 studies evaluated voluntary exercise, 13 others focused on enforced physical activities.
- All rodent studies controlled for dietary intake. In human studies, only one implemented a diet control for 3 days.
Findings of the Review
- A common finding across the studies was a diversification within the Firmicutes phylum of microbes in respects to exercise. It was found that exercise was associated with a change in the gut microbial composition.
- There wasn’t a noticeable trend in the Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, or Proteobacteria phyla.
- The interactions between exercise and diet and their respective influences on the intestinal microbiome were generally not well studied.
- In both rodents and humans, exercise was associated with an increase in the bacteria that produce butyrate and an increase in fecal butyrate concentrations, regardless of diet.
Quality of Evidence and Recommendations
- The overall quality of evidence in the studies was low and at risk of bias, undermining the generalizability of the findings.
- More future studies are necessitated to further explore the influence of exercise on gut microbial composition. These studies should involve standardized reporting, rigorous dietary control, and larger sample sizes to deliver better evidence and more reliable conclusions.
Cite This Article
APA
Mitchell CM, Davy BM, Hulver MW, Neilson AP, Bennett BJ, Davy KP.
(2018).
Does Exercise Alter Gut Microbial Composition? A Systematic Review.
Med Sci Sports Exerc, 51(1), 160-167.
https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001760 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
- Translational Obesity Research Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
- Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
- Translational Obesity Research Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
- Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
- Translational Obesity Research Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
- Translational Obesity Research Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
- Obesity and Metabolism Unit, Western Human Nutrition Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Davis, CA.
- Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
- Translational Obesity Research Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bacteria / metabolism
- Butyrates / analysis
- Butyrates / metabolism
- Diet
- Exercise / physiology
- Feces / chemistry
- Gastrointestinal Microbiome / physiology
- Humans
Citations
This article has been cited 63 times.- Morgado MC, Sousa M, Coelho AB, Costa JA, Seabra A. Exploring Gut Microbiota and the Influence of Physical Activity Interventions on Overweight and Obese Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel) 2023 Sep 3;11(17).
- Somnuk S, Komindr S, Monkhai S, Poolsawat T, Nakphaichit M, Wanikorn B. Metabolic and inflammatory profiles, gut microbiota and lifestyle factors in overweight and normal weight young thai adults. PLoS One 2023;18(7):e0288286.
- Boytar AN, Skinner TL, Wallen RE, Jenkins DG, Dekker Nitert M. The Effect of Exercise Prescription on the Human Gut Microbiota and Comparison between Clinical and Apparently Healthy Populations: A Systematic Review. Nutrients 2023 Mar 22;15(6).
- Aoi W, Inoue R, Mizushima K, Honda A, Björnholm M, Takagi T, Naito Y. Exercise-acclimated microbiota improves skeletal muscle metabolism via circulating bile acid deconjugation. iScience 2023 Mar 17;26(3):106251.
- Tuska RM, Helm SM, Graf CF, James C, Kong G, Stiemsma LT, Green DB, Helm SE. Surfeit folic acid, protein, and exercise modify oncogenic inflammatory biomarkers and fecal microbiota. Front Nutr 2022;9:1060212.
- Kulecka M, Fraczek B, Balabas A, Czarnowski P, Zeber-Lubecka N, Zapala B, Baginska K, Glowienka M, Szot M, Skorko M, Kluska A, Piatkowska M, Mikula M, Ostrowski J. Characteristics of the gut microbiome in esports players compared with those in physical education students and professional athletes. Front Nutr 2022;9:1092846.
- Jankowska MM, Gaulton K, Knight R, Patrick K, Sears DD. Neighborhoods to Nucleotides - Advances and gaps for an obesity disparities systems epidemiology model. Curr Epidemiol Rep 2019 Dec;6(4):476-485.
- Olbricht H, Twadell K, Sandel B, Stephens C, Whittall JB. Is There a Universal Endurance Microbiota?. Microorganisms 2022 Nov 9;10(11).
- Cammisuli DM, Fusi J, Scarfò G, Daniele S, Castelnuovo G, Franzoni F. A Minireview Exploring the Interplay of the Muscle-Gut-Brain (MGB) Axis to Improve Knowledge on Mental Disorders: Implications for Clinical Neuroscience Research and Therapeutics. Oxid Med Cell Longev 2022;2022:8806009.
- Martín-Grau C, Díaz-López A, Aparicio E, Arija V. Short-Chain Fatty Acid Reference Ranges in Pregnant Women from a Mediterranean Region of Northern Spain: ECLIPSES Study. Nutrients 2022 Sep 15;14(18).
- Koblinsky ND, Power KA, Middleton L, Ferland G, Anderson ND. The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Diet and Exercise Effects on Cognition: A Review of the Intervention Literature. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2023 Feb 24;78(2):195-205.
- Ribeiro FM, Silva MA, Lyssa V, Marques G, Lima HK, Franco OL, Petriz B. The molecular signaling of exercise and obesity in the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022;13:927170.
- Tarawneh R, Penhos E. The gut microbiome and Alzheimer's disease: Complex and bidirectional interactions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022 Oct;141:104814.
- Grace-Farfaglia P, Frazier H, Iversen MD. Essential Factors for a Healthy Microbiome: A Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Jul 8;19(14).
- Dziewiecka H, Buttar HS, Kasperska A, Ostapiuk-Karolczuk J, Domagalska M, Cichoń J, Skarpańska-Stejnborn A. Physical activity induced alterations of gut microbiota in humans: a systematic review. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 2022 Jul 7;14(1):122.
- Gubert C, Gasparotto J, H Morais L. Convergent pathways of the gut microbiota-brain axis and neurodegenerative disorders. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf) 2022;10:goac017.
- Sawicka-Śmiarowska E, Moniuszko-Malinowska A, Kamiński KA. Why Do These Microbes Like Me and How Could There Be a Link with Cardiovascular Risk Factors?. J Clin Med 2022 Jan 25;11(3).
- Magzal F, Shochat T, Haimov I, Tamir S, Asraf K, Tuchner-Arieli M, Even C, Agmon M. Increased physical activity improves gut microbiota composition and reduces short-chain fatty acid concentrations in older adults with insomnia. Sci Rep 2022 Feb 10;12(1):2265.
- Cella V, Bimonte VM, Sabato C, Paoli A, Baldari C, Campanella M, Lenzi A, Ferretti E, Migliaccio S. Nutrition and Physical Activity-Induced Changes in Gut Microbiota: Possible Implications for Human Health and Athletic Performance. Foods 2021 Dec 10;10(12).
- Donati Zeppa S, Amatori S, Sisti D, Gervasi M, Agostini D, Piccoli G, Pazienza V, Gobbi P, Rocchi MBL, Sestili P, Stocchi V. Nine weeks of high-intensity indoor cycling training induced changes in the microbiota composition in non-athlete healthy male college students. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2021 Dec 18;18(1):74.
- Aragón-Vela J, Solis-Urra P, Ruiz-Ojeda FJ, Álvarez-Mercado AI, Olivares-Arancibia J, Plaza-Diaz J. Impact of Exercise on Gut Microbiota in Obesity. Nutrients 2021 Nov 10;13(11).
- Lensu S, Pekkala S. Gut Microbiota, Microbial Metabolites and Human Physical Performance. Metabolites 2021 Oct 21;11(11).
- Lee MC, Hsu YJ, Ho HH, Kuo YW, Lin WY, Tsai SY, Chen WL, Lin CL, Huang CC. Effectiveness of human-origin Lactobacillus plantarum PL-02 in improving muscle mass, exercise performance and anti-fatigue. Sci Rep 2021 Sep 30;11(1):19469.
- Steele CN, Baugh ME, Griffin LE, Neilson AP, Davy BM, Hulver MW, Davy KP. Fasting and postprandial trimethylamine N-oxide in sedentary and endurance-trained males following a short-term high-fat diet. Physiol Rep 2021 Aug;9(16):e14970.
- Erlandson KM, Liu J, Johnson R, Dillon S, Jankowski CM, Kroehl M, Robertson CE, Frank DN, Tuncil Y, Higgins J, Hamaker B, Wilson CC. An exercise intervention alters stool microbiota and metabolites among older, sedentary adults. Ther Adv Infect Dis 2021 Jan-Dec;8:20499361211027067.
- Clauss M, Gérard P, Mosca A, Leclerc M. Interplay Between Exercise and Gut Microbiome in the Context of Human Health and Performance. Front Nutr 2021;8:637010.
- Gubert C, Hannan AJ. Exercise mimetics: harnessing the therapeutic effects of physical activity. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2021 Nov;20(11):862-879.
- Dorelli B, Gallè F, De Vito C, Duranti G, Iachini M, Zaccarin M, Preziosi Standoli J, Ceci R, Romano F, Liguori G, Romano Spica V, Sabatini S, Valeriani F, Cattaruzza MS. Can Physical Activity Influence Human Gut Microbiota Composition Independently of Diet? A Systematic Review. Nutrients 2021 May 31;13(6).
- Chopra S, Myers Z, Sekhon H, Dufour A. The Nerves to Conduct a Multiple Sclerosis Crime Investigation. Int J Mol Sci 2021 Mar 2;22(5).
- Ribeiro FM, Petriz B, Marques G, Kamilla LH, Franco OL. Is There an Exercise-Intensity Threshold Capable of Avoiding the Leaky Gut?. Front Nutr 2021;8:627289.
- Górniak W, Cholewińska P, Szeligowska N, Wołoszyńska M, Soroko M, Czyż K. Effect of Intense Exercise on the Level of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes Phyla in the Digestive System of Thoroughbred Racehorses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jan 24;11(2).
- Bycura D, Santos AC, Shiffer A, Kyman S, Winfree K, Sutliffe J, Pearson T, Sonderegger D, Cope E, Caporaso JG. Impact of Different Exercise Modalities on the Human Gut Microbiome. Sports (Basel) 2021 Jan 21;9(2).
- Fart F, Rajan SK, Wall R, Rangel I, Ganda-Mall JP, Tingö L, Brummer RJ, Repsilber D, Schoultz I, Lindqvist CM. Differences in Gut Microbiome Composition between Senior Orienteering Athletes and Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Nutrients 2020 Aug 27;12(9).
- Leigh SJ, Kaakoush NO, Escorihuela RM, Westbrook RF, Morris MJ. Treadmill exercise has minimal impact on obesogenic diet-related gut microbiome changes but alters adipose and hypothalamic gene expression in rats. Nutr Metab (Lond) 2020;17:71.
- Aoki T, Oyanagi E, Watanabe C, Kobiki N, Miura S, Yokogawa Y, Kitamura H, Teramoto F, Kremenik MJ, Yano H. The Effect of Voluntary Exercise on Gut Microbiota in Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum Intake Mice under High-Fat Diet Feeding. Nutrients 2020 Aug 19;12(9).
- Quiroga R, Nistal E, Estébanez B, Porras D, Juárez-Fernández M, Martínez-Flórez S, García-Mediavilla MV, de Paz JA, González-Gallego J, Sánchez-Campos S, Cuevas MJ. Exercise training modulates the gut microbiota profile and impairs inflammatory signaling pathways in obese children. Exp Mol Med 2020 Jul;52(7):1048-1061.
- Ortiz-Alvarez L, Xu H, Martinez-Tellez B. Influence of Exercise on the Human Gut Microbiota of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review. Clin Transl Gastroenterol 2020 Feb;11(2):e00126.
- Donati Zeppa S, Agostini D, Gervasi M, Annibalini G, Amatori S, Ferrini F, Sisti D, Piccoli G, Barbieri E, Sestili P, Stocchi V. Mutual Interactions among Exercise, Sport Supplements and Microbiota. Nutrients 2019 Dec 20;12(1).
- Davy KP, Davy BM. Advances in Nutrition Science and Integrative Physiology: Insights From Controlled Feeding Studies. Front Physiol 2019;10:1341.
- Motiani KK, Collado MC, Eskelinen JJ, Virtanen KA, Löyttyniemi E, Salminen S, Nuutila P, Kalliokoski KK, Hannukainen JC. Exercise Training Modulates Gut Microbiota Profile and Improves Endotoxemia. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2020 Jan;52(1):94-104.
- Ribeiro FM, Ribeiro CFA, G ACM, Castro AP, Almeida JA, Franco OL, Petriz BA. Limited Effects of Low-to-Moderate Aerobic Exercise on the Gut Microbiota of Mice Subjected to a High-Fat Diet. Nutrients 2019 Jan 11;11(1).
- Whisner CM, Maldonado J, Dente B, Krajmalnik-Brown R, Bruening M. Diet, physical activity and screen time but not body mass index are associated with the gut microbiome of a diverse cohort of college students living in university housing: a cross-sectional study. BMC Microbiol 2018 Dec 12;18(1):210.
- Onu A, Tutu A, Trofin DM, Onu I, Galaction AI, Onita CA, Iordan DA, Matei DV. Diet, Physical Exercise, and Gut Microbiota Modulation in Metabolic Syndrome: A Narrative Review. Life (Basel) 2026 Jan 10;16(1).
- Zheng Y, Qu Y, Yao M, Li K, Dong Y, Xing X, Yang T, Guo H, Huang P. Mechanisms of aerobic exercise effects on the gut microbiota and its metabolites in anxiety disorders. Front Microbiol 2025;16:1721497.
- Muguerza-Rodríguez L, Mier A, Ponce-González JG, Casals C, Corral-Pérez J. Systematic Review on the Importance of Gut Microbiota in the Regulation of Type 2 Diabetes Through Physical Activity and Exercise. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2025 Jul 1;47(7).
- Ruan S, Liu J, Yuan X, Ye X, Zhang Q. Aerobic exercise alleviates cognitive impairment in T2DM mice through gut microbiota. Sci Rep 2025 Jul 4;15(1):23917.
- Peng Z, Hou T, Yang K, Zhang J, Mao YH, Hou X. Microecologics and Exercise: Targeting the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis for Central Nervous System Disease Intervention. Nutrients 2025 May 23;17(11).
- Wilson AC, Pountney DL, Khoo TK. Therapeutic Mechanisms of Exercise in Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2025 May 19;26(10).
- Torquati L, Power H, Pons T, Bowtell J. The Role of Fermentable Fibre on Endurance Exercise Capacity: A Randomised Crossover Trial of Inulin Supplementation. Nutr Bull 2025 Sep;50(3):447-458.
- Ortiz-Alvarez L, Xu H, Ruiz-Campos S, Acosta FM, Migueles JH, Vilchez-Vargas R, Link A, Plaza-Díaz J, Gil A, Labayen I, Ruiz JR, Martinez-Tellez B. Higher physical activity levels are related to faecal microbiota diversity and composition in young adults. Biol Sport 2025 Jan;42(1):123-135.
- Tebar WR, Aguilar BAS, Delfino LD, Beretta VS, Brazo-Sayavera J, Silva DRP, Silva CCM, Ferrari G, Werneck AO, Christofaro DGD. Association of meeting 24-hour movement guidelines with anxiety and depressive symptoms in adults. BMC Public Health 2024 Dec 18;24(1):3509.
- Aoi W, Koyama T, Honda A, Takagi T, Naito Y. Association of Serum Bile Acid Profile with Diet and Physical Activity Habits in Japanese Middle-Aged Men. Nutrients 2024 Oct 4;16(19).
- Molska M, Mruczyk K, Cisek-Woźniak A, Prokopowicz W, Szydełko P, Jakuszewska Z, Marzec K, Trocholepsza M. The Influence of Intestinal Microbiota on BDNF Levels. Nutrients 2024 Aug 29;16(17).
- Deli CK, Fatouros IG, Poulios A, Liakou CA, Draganidis D, Papanikolaou K, Rosvoglou A, Gatsas A, Georgakouli K, Tsimeas P, Jamurtas AZ. Gut Microbiota in the Progression of Type 2 Diabetes and the Potential Role of Exercise: A Critical Review. Life (Basel) 2024 Aug 15;14(8).
- Ghaffar T, Ubaldi F, Volpini V, Valeriani F, Romano Spica V. The Role of Gut Microbiota in Different Types of Physical Activity and Their Intensity: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports (Basel) 2024 Aug 14;12(8).
- Leng J, Moller-Levet C, Mansergh RI, O'Flaherty R, Cooke R, Sells P, Pinkham C, Pynn O, Smith C, Wise Z, Ellis R, Couto Alves A, La Ragione R, Proudman C. Early-life gut bacterial community structure predicts disease risk and athletic performance in horses bred for racing. Sci Rep 2024 Aug 7;14(1):17124.
- Nicastro E, D'Antiga L. Nutritional Interventions, Probiotics, Synbiotics and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Steatotic Liver Disease : Pediatric Fatty Liver and Probiotics. Adv Exp Med Biol 2024;1449:113-133.
- Caruso MG, Nicolas S, Lucassen PJ, Mul JD, O'Leary OF, Nolan YM. Ageing, Cognitive Decline, and Effects of Physical Exercise: Complexities, and Considerations from Animal Models. Brain Plast 2024;9(1-2):43-73.
- Liang Y, Liu C, Cheng M, Geng L, Li J, Du W, Song M, Chen N, Yeleen TAN, Song L, Wang X, Han Y, Sheng C. The link between gut microbiome and Alzheimer's disease: From the perspective of new revised criteria for diagnosis and staging of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2024 Aug;20(8):5771-5788.
- Nicolas S, Dohm-Hansen S, Lavelle A, Bastiaanssen TFS, English JA, Cryan JF, Nolan YM. Exercise mitigates a gut microbiota-mediated reduction in adult hippocampal neurogenesis and associated behaviours in rats. Transl Psychiatry 2024 Apr 24;14(1):195.
- Cullen JMA, Shahzad S, Dhillon J. A systematic review on the effects of exercise on gut microbial diversity, taxonomic composition, and microbial metabolites: identifying research gaps and future directions. Front Physiol 2023;14:1292673.
- Wagner A, Kapounková K, Struhár I. The relationship between the gut microbiome and resistance training: a rapid review. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 2024 Jan 2;16(1):4.
- Zhuang Z, Zhou P, Wang J, Lu X, Chen Y. The Characteristics, Mechanisms and Therapeutics: Exploring the Role of Gut Microbiota in Obesity. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes 2023;16:3691-3705.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists