This study by a team from the University of Jyväskylä (Finland) reveals a previously unknown mechanism of endurance exercise, here on a group of overweight women. Endurance training has beneficial effects on the composition of the intestinal microbiota, in particular by reducing bad bacteria and boosting good ones. These data, presented in the journal Frontiers in Biology, confirm, beyond these positive changes in the microbiota, important metabolic benefits.
Previous studies have shown that microbes belonging to the genus Akkermansia, "good bacteria", are more abundant in physically active subjects than in inactive subjects. Akkermansia has recently been the subject of intensive research, and some researchers believe that these bacteria may help prevent obesity and diabetes. This new study associates the genus Akkermansia with the practice of endurance exercise and its positive effects.
The study is conducted on 17 overweight participants, previously sedentary and invited to participate in 3 endurance training sessions, by cycling. Training intensity was controlled by heart rate. During the follow-up study, other lifestyle factors, including diet, were not altered for the specific effects of exercise to be observed. Experience shows that,
- after 6 weeks of training, microbes potentially responsible for inflammation (Proteobacteria) decreased and microbes linked to increased metabolism thrived (Akkermansia) increased.
If participants do not show a significant drop in body weight, other beneficial effects of exercise on health are noted, including:
- decrease in phospholipids and cholesterol in VLDL particles (very low density lipoproteins) in response to exercise; changes beneficial to cardiometabolic health, as VLDL transport lipids from the liver to peripheral tissues, transform into “bad” LDL cholesterol in the circulation and therefore lead to adverse cardiovascular effects;
- a decrease in the activity of vascular adhesion protein-1, ie beneficial anti-inflammatory effects, in particular on the vascular system;
- the abundance of functional genes did not change much, likely due to continuation of the usual diet, however, had the training period been longer, the researchers point out, larger effects would likely have been observed.
Does the Akkermansia bacterial community determine or mediate the health benefits of exercise? The question is being examined, answer the authors who plan other studies to prove the beneficial role of the bacterium, in particular in the case of exercise.
