Intense Exercise and Aerobic Conditioning Associated with Chromium or L-Carnitine Supplementation Modified the Fecal Microbiota of Fillies.
Abstract: Recent studies performed in humans and rats have reported that exercise can alter the intestinal microbiota. Athletic horses perform intense exercise regularly, but studies characterizing horse microbiome during aerobic conditioning programs are still limited. Evidence has indicated that this microbial community is involved in the metabolic homeostasis of the host. Research on ergogenic substances using new sequencing technologies have been limited to the intestinal microbiota and there is a considerable demand for scientific studies that verify the effectiveness of these supplements in horses. L-carnitine and chromium are potentially ergogenic substances for athletic humans and horses since they are possibly able to modify the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids. This study aimed to assess the impact of acute exercise and aerobic conditioning, associated either with L-carnitine or chromium supplementation, on the intestinal microbiota of fillies. Twelve "Mangalarga Marchador" fillies in the incipient fitness stage were distributed into four groups: control (no exercise), exercise, L-carnitine (10g/day) and chelated chromium (10mg/day). In order to investigate the impact of acute exercise or aerobic conditioning on fecal microbiota all fillies undergoing the conditioning program were analyzed as a separate treatment. The fillies underwent two incremental exercise tests before and after training on a treadmill for 42 days at 70-80% of the lactate threshold intensity. Fecal samples were obtained before and 48 h after acute exercise (incremental exercise test). Bacterial populations were characterized by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene using the MiSeq Illumina platform, and 5,224,389 sequences were obtained from 48 samples. The results showed that, overall, the two most abundant phyla were Firmicutes (50.22%) followed by Verrucomicrobia (15.13%). The taxa with the highest relative abundances were unclassified Clostridiales (17.06%) and "5 genus incertae sedis" from the phylum Verrucomicrobia (12.98%). There was a decrease in the phylum Chlamydiae and in the genus Mycobacterium after the second incremental exercise test. Intense exercise changed the community's structure and aerobic conditioning was associated with changes in the composition and structure of the intestinal bacterial population of fillies. The intra-group comparison showed that chromium or L-carnitine induced moderate changes in the fecal microbiota of fillies, but the microbiota did not differ from the control group, which was exercised with no supplementation. Fecal pH correlated positively with Simpson's index, while plasma pH correlated negatively. Our results show that exercise and aerobic conditioning can change in the microbiota and provide a basis for further studies enrolling a larger number of horses at different fitness levels to better understand the effects of exercise and training on the intestinal microbiota of horses.
Publication Date: 2016-12-09 PubMed ID: 27935992PubMed Central: PMC5147854DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167108Google 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
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 study investigated the effects of intense exercise and aerobic conditioning, along with the supplementation of chromium or L-carnitine, on the gut microbiota of young female horses. The researchers found that exercise and conditioning can change the structure and composition of the gut bacteria in these horses, suggesting that these changes can potentially affect their metabolic health and their ability to process and use nutrients.
Background and Objectives
- The study begins by acknowledging the influence of exercise on intestinal microbiota in humans and rats, and the consequent effects it could potentially have on metabolic homeostasis. Despite this, similar research on horses is still inadequate.
- The researchers aim to investigate the effect of acute exercise and aerobic conditioning, in conjunction with chromium or L-carnitine supplementation, on the gut microbiota of young female horses, also called fillies. The motivation behind this is the understanding that these supplements may help modify carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in athletic humans and horses.
Methodology
- Twelve fillies at the beginning stages of fitness were divided into four groups. The control group did not undergo any exercise, while the other groups underwent exercise with and without the addition of L-carnitine (10g/day) or chelated chromium (10mg/day).
- The exercise regimen, spanning over 42 days, involved the use of a treadmill set at 70-80% of the lactate threshold intensity.
- Fecal samples were collected before and 48 hours after acute exercise bouts (incremental exercise test), and subsequently analyzed using the MiSeq Illumina platform for bacterial population characterization.
Results and Findings
- The analysis of the bacterial population showed the dominance of Firmicutes (50.22%) followed by Verrucomicrobia (15.13%). The most abundant taxa found were unclassified Clostridiales (17.06%) and “5 genus incertae sedis” from the phylum Verrucomicrobia (12.98%).
- Upon the second incremental exercise test, there was a decrease in the phylum Chlamydiae and in the genus Mycobacterium.
- The study also found that intense exercise initiated changes in the community’s structure and aerobic conditioning led to alterations in the composition and structure of the intestinal bacterial population of fillies.
- Intra-group comparison showed moderate changes in the fecal microbiota of fillies supplemented with chromium or L-carnitine, but these changes weren’t significantly different from the control group.
- The study found a positive correlation between fecal pH and Simpson’s index, a measure of diversity in the microbial community, and a negative correlation with plasma pH.
Conclusions
- These results corroborate the initial hypothesis that exercise and aerobic conditioning can prompt changes in the microbiota, thus influencing the metabolic health of the horses.
- However, the authors advocate for additional studies with larger number of horses at varying fitness levels to better understand the effects of exercise, conditioning, and supplementation on the intestinal microbiota of horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Almeida ML, Feringer WH, Carvalho JR, Rodrigues IM, Jordão LR, Fonseca MG, Carneiro de Rezende AS, de Queiroz Neto A, Weese JS, Costa MC, Lemos EG, Ferraz GC.
(2016).
Intense Exercise and Aerobic Conditioning Associated with Chromium or L-Carnitine Supplementation Modified the Fecal Microbiota of Fillies.
PLoS One, 11(12), e0167108.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0167108 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Technology, Faculdades de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Bioquímica de Microrganismos e Plantas, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Faculdades de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Farmacologia e Fisiologia do Exercício Equino (LAFEQ), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Faculdades de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Farmacologia e Fisiologia do Exercício Equino (LAFEQ), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Faculdades de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Farmacologia e Fisiologia do Exercício Equino (LAFEQ), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Department of Animal Sciences, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Department of Animal Sciences, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Department of Animal Sciences, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Faculdades de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Farmacologia e Fisiologia do Exercício Equino (LAFEQ), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Technology, Faculdades de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Bioquímica de Microrganismos e Plantas, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Faculdades de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Farmacologia e Fisiologia do Exercício Equino (LAFEQ), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
MeSH Terms
- Aerobiosis
- Animals
- Aspartate Aminotransferases / blood
- Bacteria / classification
- Bacteria / genetics
- Carnitine / administration & dosage
- Carnitine / pharmacology
- Chromium / administration & dosage
- Chromium / pharmacology
- Creatine Kinase / blood
- Dietary Supplements
- Feces / microbiology
- Female
- Firmicutes / classification
- Firmicutes / genetics
- Horses
- Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
- Lactates / blood
- Oxygen Consumption / physiology
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Principal Component Analysis
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Time Factors
- Verrucomicrobia / classification
- Verrucomicrobia / genetics
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
References
This article includes 33 references
- Costa MC, Arroyo LG, Allen-Vercoe E, Stämpfli HR, Kim PT, Sturgeon A, Weese JS. Comparison of the fecal microbiota of healthy horses and horses with colitis by high throughput sequencing of the V3-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene.. PLoS One 2012;7(7):e41484.
- van den Berg M, Hoskin SO, Rogers CW, Grinberg A. Fecal pH and microbial populations in thoroughbred horses during transition from pasture to concentrate feeding. J Equine Vet Sci 2013;33: 215–222.
- Costa MC, Stämpfli HR, Arroyo LG, Allen-Vercoe E, Gomes RG, Weese JS. Changes in the equine fecal microbiota associated with the use of systemic antimicrobial drugs.. BMC Vet Res 2015 Feb 3;11:19.
- Harlow BE, Lawrence LM, Flythe MD. Diarrhea-associated pathogens, lactobacilli and cellulolytic bacteria in equine feces: responses to antibiotic challenge.. Vet Microbiol 2013 Sep 27;166(1-2):225-32.
- Grønvold AM, L'abée-Lund TM, Sørum H, Skancke E, Yannarell AC, Mackie RI. Changes in fecal microbiota of healthy dogs administered amoxicillin.. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2010 Feb;71(2):313-26.
- Weese JS, Holcombe SJ, Embertson RM, Kurtz KA, Roessner HA, Jalali M, Wismer SE. Changes in the faecal microbiota of mares precede the development of post partum colic.. Equine Vet J 2015 Nov;47(6):641-9.
- Hold GL. The gut microbiota, dietary extremes and exercise.. Gut 2014 Dec;63(12):1838-9.
- Queipo-Ortuño MI, Seoane LM, Murri M, Pardo M, Gomez-Zumaquero JM, Cardona F, Casanueva F, Tinahones FJ. Gut microbiota composition in male rat models under different nutritional status and physical activity and its association with serum leptin and ghrelin levels.. PLoS One 2013;8(5):e65465.
- Allen JM, Berg Miller ME, Pence BD, Whitlock K, Nehra V, Gaskins HR, White BA, Fryer JD, Woods JA. Voluntary and forced exercise differentially alters the gut microbiome in C57BL/6J mice.. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2015 Apr 15;118(8):1059-66.
- Lambert JE, Myslicki JP, Bomhof MR, Belke DD, Shearer J, Reimer RA. Exercise training modifies gut microbiota in normal and diabetic mice.. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2015 Jul;40(7):749-52.
- Ferraz GC, Soares OA, Foz NS, Pereira MC, Queiroz-Neto A. The workload and plasma ion concentration in a training match session of high-goal (elite) polo ponies.. Equine Vet J Suppl 2010 Nov;(38):191-5.
- Robergs RA, Ghiasvand F, Parker D. Reply: the wandering argument favoring a lactic acidosis. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2006;291: R238–R239.
- Brancaccio P, Maffulli N, Limongelli FM. Creatine kinase monitoring in sport medicine.. Br Med Bull 2007;81-82:209-30.
- O'Sullivan O, Cronin O, Clarke SF, Murphy EF, Molloy MG, Shanahan F, Cotter PD. Exercise and the microbiota.. Gut Microbes 2015;6(2):131-6.
- Clarke SF, Murphy EF, O'Sullivan O, Lucey AJ, Humphreys M, Hogan A, Hayes P, O'Reilly M, Jeffery IB, Wood-Martin R, Kerins DM, Quigley E, Ross RP, O'Toole PW, Molloy MG, Falvey E, Shanahan F, Cotter PD. Exercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversity.. Gut 2014 Dec;63(12):1913-20.
- Pagan JD, Jackson SG, Duren SE. The effect of chromium supplementation on metabolic response to exercise in thoroughbred horses. Equine Nutrition and physiology society 1995;14: 96–101.
- Rivero JL, Sporleder HP, Quiroz-Rothe E, Vervuert I, Coenen M, Harmeyer J. Oral L-carnitine combined with training promotes changes in skeletal muscle.. Equine Vet J Suppl 2002 Sep;(34):269-74.
- Fonseca MG, Rezende ASC, Jordão LR, Lage J, Almeida MLM, Andrade JM. Chromium or L-carnitine supplementation during an aerobic conditioning program mildly modified the energy metabolism biomarker response in Mangalarga Marchador fillies. Livest Sci 2015;177: 165–174.
- Nutrient Requirements of Horses. 6 ed Washington: The National Academies Press; 2007.
- Klindworth A, Pruesse E, Schweer T, Peplies J, Quast C, Horn M, Glöckner FO. Evaluation of general 16S ribosomal RNA gene PCR primers for classical and next-generation sequencing-based diversity studies.. Nucleic Acids Res 2013 Jan 7;41(1):e1.
- Kozich JJ, Westcott SL, Baxter NT, Highlander SK, Schloss PD. Development of a dual-index sequencing strategy and curation pipeline for analyzing amplicon sequence data on the MiSeq Illumina sequencing platform.. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013 Sep;79(17):5112-20.
- Cole JR, Wang Q, Fish JA, Chai B, McGarrell DM, Sun Y, Brown CT, Porras-Alfaro A, Kuske CR, Tiedje JM. Ribosomal Database Project: data and tools for high throughput rRNA analysis.. Nucleic Acids Res 2014 Jan;42(Database issue):D633-42.
- Edgar RC, Haas BJ, Clemente JC, Quince C, Knight R. UCHIME improves sensitivity and speed of chimera detection.. Bioinformatics 2011 Aug 15;27(16):2194-200.
- Bunge J. Estimating the number of species with CatchAll.. Pac Symp Biocomput 2011;:121-30.
- Evans CC, LePard KJ, Kwak JW, Stancukas MC, Laskowski S, Dougherty J, Moulton L, Glawe A, Wang Y, Leone V, Antonopoulos DA, Smith D, Chang EB, Ciancio MJ. Exercise prevents weight gain and alters the gut microbiota in a mouse model of high fat diet-induced obesity.. PLoS One 2014;9(3):e92193.
- Costa MC, Stämpfli HR, Allen-Vercoe E, Weese JS. Development of the faecal microbiota in foals.. Equine Vet J 2016 Nov;48(6):681-688.
- Costa MC, Silva G, Ramos RV, Staempfli HR, Arroyo LG, Kim P, Weese JS. Characterization and comparison of the bacterial microbiota in different gastrointestinal tract compartments in horses.. Vet J 2015 Jul;205(1):74-80.
- O' Donnell MM, Harris HM, Jeffery IB, Claesson MJ, Younge B, O' Toole PW, Ross RP. The core faecal bacterial microbiome of Irish Thoroughbred racehorses.. Lett Appl Microbiol 2013 Dec;57(6):492-501.
- Proudman CJ, Hunter JO, Darby AC, Escalona EE, Batty C, Turner C. Characterisation of the faecal metabolome and microbiome of Thoroughbred racehorses.. Equine Vet J 2015 Sep;47(5):580-6.
- Jost L. Partitioning diversity into independent alpha and beta components.. Ecology 2007 Oct;88(10):2427-39.
- Lennon JT, Jones SE. Microbial seed banks: the ecological and evolutionary implications of dormancy.. Nat Rev Microbiol 2011 Feb;9(2):119-30.
- Janabi AHD, Biddle AS, Klein D, McKeever KH. Exercise training-induced changes in the gut microbiota of Standardbred racehorses. Comp Exer Physio 2016:12: 119–130.
- Ferraz GC, Teixeira-Neto AR, Mataqueiro MI, Lacerda-Neto JC, Queiroz-Neto A. Effects of intravenous administration of caffeine on physiologic variables in exercising horses.. Am J Vet Res 2008 Dec;69(12):1670-5.
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Bustamante CC, de Paula VB, Rabelo IP, Fernandes CC, Kishi LT, Canola PA, Lemos EGM, Valadão CAA. Effects of Starch Overload and Cecal Buffering on Fecal Microbiota of Horses.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Dec 6;12(23).
- Arnold CE, Pilla R, Chaffin MK, Leatherwood JL, Wickersham TA, Callaway TR, Lawhon SD, Lidbury JA, Steiner JM, Suchodolski JS. The effects of signalment, diet, geographic location, season, and colitis associated with antimicrobial use or Salmonella infection on the fecal microbiome of horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Sep;35(5):2437-2448.
- Theelen MJP, Luiken REC, Wagenaar JA, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Rossen JWA, Zomer AL. The Equine Faecal Microbiota of Healthy Horses and Ponies in The Netherlands: Impact of Host and Environmental Factors.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jun 12;11(6).
- Boshuizen B, Moreno de Vega CV, De Maré L, de Meeûs C, de Oliveira JE, Hosotani G, Gansemans Y, Deforce D, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Delesalle C. Effects of Aleurone Supplementation on Glucose-Insulin Metabolism and Gut Microbiome in Untrained Healthy Horses.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:642809.
- Kauter A, Epping L, Semmler T, Antao EM, Kannapin D, Stoeckle SD, Gehlen H, Lübke-Becker A, Günther S, Wieler LH, Walther B. The gut microbiome of horses: current research on equine enteral microbiota and future perspectives.. Anim Microbiome 2019 Nov 13;1(1):14.
- 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).
- Mach N, Ruet A, Clark A, Bars-Cortina D, Ramayo-Caldas Y, Crisci E, Pennarun S, Dhorne-Pollet S, Foury A, Moisan MP, Lansade L. Priming for welfare: gut microbiota is associated with equitation conditions and behavior in horse athletes.. Sci Rep 2020 May 20;10(1):8311.
- Peachey LE, Castro C, Molena RA, Jenkins TP, Griffin JL, Cantacessi C. Dysbiosis associated with acute helminth infections in herbivorous youngstock - observations and implications.. Sci Rep 2019 Jul 31;9(1):11121.
- Vengust M, Knapic T, Weese JS. The fecal bacterial microbiota of bats; Slovenia.. PLoS One 2018;13(5):e0196728.
- Beckers KF, Schulz CJ, Childers GW. Rapid regrowth and detection of microbial contaminants in equine fecal microbiome samples.. PLoS One 2017;12(11):e0187044.
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