Bacteroides uniformis enhances endurance exercise performance through gluconeogenesis

Abstract

Athletes require high levels of energy to exercise under extreme conditions. Gut microbiota supplies energy to the host; however, the mechanism how gut microbiota contribute in the athlete is unclear. In this study, we determined that gut microbiota of Japanese long-distance runners differed from that of non-athletes, and the Bacteroides uniformis cell number in the feces correlated with 3,000-m race time. Mice administrated with B. unformis extended the swimming time to exhaustion. Furthermore, acetate and propionate concentrations in the cecum increased in B. uniformis-administered mice subjected to weekly exercise. Expression levels of carnitine palmitoyl transferase la and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase genes were elevated in the liver, suggesting that acetate and propionate produced by B. uniformis improve endurance exercise performance, at least in part, through enhancing gluconeogenesis. In addition, -cyclodextrin administration increased B. uniformis and improved the performance in humans and mice, thus it is a candidate substance enhancing exercise performance through modification of gut microbiota.