Recent studies show that antibiotics can also impair athletic performance.
Eliminating gut microbiota reduces motivation and athletic performance.
Recent studies show that antibiotics destroy essential gut bacteria, which destroys athletes’ motivation and endurance. According to a mouse study conducted by the University of California, Riverside, the key factor that distinguishes athletes from couch potatoes is the microbial flora.
This study is one of the few studies to investigate how gut bacteria also affect spontaneous exercise habits. Other studies have looked at how exercise affects the microbial flora, but the opposite is true. Spontaneous exercise requires both athletic performance and motivation.
Researcher results were recently published in a journal Behavioral process.
Aerobic Plate: 10 days of antibiotics reduced the adult gut microbiota from millions of aerobic colony forming units to undetectable amounts. Credits: Monica McNamara / UCR
“We believed that the microbial flora, a collection of animal gut microbiota, influences digestive processes and muscle function, as well as motivation for a variety of behaviors, including exercise,” said the UCR evolutionary physiology study. Said Theodore Garland. “Our research reinforces this belief.”
Using fecal samples, researchers showed that after 10 days of antibiotic treatment, the gut microbiota in two groups of mice (mice reared for high levels of running and mice not) was reduced. ..
Both mouse groups showed no symptoms of the disease after antibiotic therapy. Therefore, researchers were convinced that damage to the microbial flora was the cause when wheel running on exercise mice was reduced by 21%. High-runner mice also failed to recover their running behavior 12 days after the end of antibiotic treatment.
Normal mouse behavior did not change significantly both during and after treatment.
Monica McNamara, the lead author of anaerobic plates. Credits: Monica McNamara / UCR
“Minorly injured casual exercises are less affected, but for world-class athletes, small retreats can be much greater,” said a doctoral student in UCR evolutionary biology. The lead author, Monica McNamara, said. “That’s why I wanted to compare two types of mice.” Knocking out a normal gut flora may be compared to an injury.
One way the microbial flora can affect mouse and human motility is due to its ability to convert carbohydrates into chemicals that travel throughout the body and affect muscle performance.
“The end-of-metabolism from bacteria in the gut is reabsorbed and used as fuel,” Garland said. “Less good bacteria means less fuel is available.”
In the future, researchers want to identify specific bacteria that are involved in improving athletic performance. “If we can identify the right microbes, we could use them as a remedy to help the average person exercise more,” Garland said.
Lack of exercise is known to be a major risk factor for aspects of physical health such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis, as well as mental health such as depression. Many in the public health community want to promote the movement, but few have found a way to make it successful.
“We are studying mice, but their physiology is very similar to humans. The more we learn from them, the more likely we are to improve our own health,” Garland said. I did.
Certain foods can also increase the desired gut bacteria. While research on “probiotics” is underway, Garland recommends that those interested in promoting overall health maintain a balanced diet in addition to regular exercise. ..
“From previous studies, we find that a Western diet high in fat and sugar can adversely affect intestinal biodiversity, which in turn can adversely affect athletic performance and even exercise motivation. I know, “Garland said.
Reference: “Oral antibiotics reduce spontaneous motor behavior in exercise mice” Monica P. McNamara, Marcel D. Cadney, Albert A. Castro, David A. Hillis, Kelly M. Carini, John C. Macbeth, Margaret P. Schmil, Nicole E. Schwartz, Ansel Xiao, Theodore Garland Jr., May 4, 2022, Behavioral process.
DOI: 10.1016 / j.beproc.2022.104650
