The effects of race and probiotic supplementation on the intestinal microbiota of 10-km open-water swimmers

Xuehan Li; Yihsuan Lin; Yue Chen; Hongtao Sui; Jianhao Chen; Jiaqi Li; Guoqing Zhang; Yi Yan

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22735

The effects of race and probiotic supplementation on the intestinal microbiota of 10-km open-water swimmers

Heliyon. 2023 Nov 30;9(12):e22735. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22735. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Xuehan Li¹, Yihsuan Lin¹, Yue Chen¹, Hongtao Sui¹, Jianhao Chen¹, Jiaqi Li¹, Guoqing Zhang², Yi Yan^{1

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Sport Science School, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.
² Shandong Swimming Sports Management Center, Shandong, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Exercise and Physical Fitness (Beijing Sport University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.
⁴ Laboratory of Sports Stress and Adaptation of General Administration of Sport, Beijing, China.

Abstract

This study collected the stools of 10-km open-water swimmers after race and probiotic supplementation, and 16S rRNA sequencing and metabolomic analysis were performed to clarify their intestinal microbiota characteristics. The findings revealed a relatively high proportion of Firmicutes in all the athletes. Firmicutes in female athletes were significantly higher after probiotic supplementation. The intestinal microbiota of athletes was closely associated with the pathways of exercise against cancer, exercise against aging, exercise for improving cognition, sphingolipid metabolism and endocrine resistance. Future research should focus on the relationship between Firmicutes and Proteobacteria with super class metabolites in athletes. This report initially explored the changes in intestinal microbiota involved in metabolic pathways in athletes after race and after probiotic supplementation and provided a theoretical basis for the further improvement of the monitoring of their physical function after race and selection of nutritional strategies during exercise training.

Keywords: 10-km open-water swim; Athletes; Intestinal microbiota; Metabolomics.