Could altering Gut Microbiome improve muscle strength? A new study reveals the link between gut health and muscle strength.

Recent scientific research has highlighted the crucial role of the gut microbiome in maintaining good health, including immunity, mental well-being, and digestion. The gut microbiome dysbiosis has been linked to a variety of diseases such as IBD, diabetes, obesity, allergies, neurological disorders, and even cancer.

While it is challenging to evaluate the impact of the gut microbiome on human muscle strength due to genetic factors, recent studies on mice models have revealed valuable insights. In a new study, researchers developed a novel method to evaluate the effect of gut microbiota on muscle strength while eliminating individual genetic variation.

Ten healthy human volunteers provided fecal samples that were used to produce a fecal medium containing a mix of human gut microbiota, which was administered to C57BL/6 mice models through oral gavage twice a week for three months. Mice were weighed, and blood and fecal samples were collected after each round of fecal microbiome transplantation. The researchers analyzed the impact of the gut microbiome on muscle strength using a rotarod apparatus that assessed the strength, motor coordination, and balance of each mouse.

In addition to assessing the mice’s muscle strength through the rotarod apparatus, the researchers also conducted histological analyses of their muscle tissue samples. They also extracted bacterial genome DNA from the mice’s gut microbiomes and conducted metagenome sequencing to amplify the 16s ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) region, allowing them to further analyze the impact of gut microbiome composition on muscle strength.

The study results showed that changes in gut microbiome composition had varied effects on muscle strength. Based on their performance on the rotarod apparatus and histological examinations, mice were classified into three groups – increased muscle strength, unchanged muscle strength, and decreased muscle strength. It was observed that the composition of the gut microbiome varied across the three groups based on changes in muscle strength.

The researchers identified certain bacterial species and phyla that were positively or negatively associated with muscle strength.

For example, certain bacterial species such as Anaeroplasma abactoclasticum, Eisenbergiella massiliensis, and Phocaeicola barnesiae were positively associated with muscle strength, while Ethanoligenens harbinense and Ileibacterium valens had a negative effect on muscle strength.

The presence of bacterial phyla such as Bacteroidetes, Tenericutes, and Firmicutes was associated with improved muscle strength. However, certain bacteria belonging to the Firmicutes phylum were found to have a negative impact on muscle strength.

The study demonstrated a link between gut microbiome composition and muscle strength and presented a novel approach to exploring the impact of gut microbiomes on various physiological factors while controlling for individual genetic variations.

According to the study’s results, specific bacterial phyla, such as Bacteroidetes and Tenericutes, were associated with increased muscle strength. However, distinct species of the Firmicutes phylum had varying effects on muscle strength.

Bacteroidetes thrive on fiber and resistant starches found in vegetables. Several scientific have revealed that consuming a vegetarian or plant-based Mediterranean diet can increase bacteroidetes and decrease firmicutes, whereas a typical Western diet high in meat has the opposite effect.

Therefore, it is recommended to incorporate a variety of vegetables into your diet.

*Please note: The scientific reports published by Research Square are preliminary and have not undergone peer review, and therefore should not be considered definitive, nor should they be used to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior.

Source: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2649903/v1

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