Reply to “Is physical performance (in mice) increased by Veillonella atypica or decreased by Lactobacillus bulgaricus?”

摘要

In a recent longitudinal metagenomic study of the gutmicrobiome in elite athletes, 1 we conducted multiple, repeatedsampling from runners in the 2015 Boston Marathon as well assedentary controls approximately 1 week prior to and 1 weekafter marathon day. We also analyzed an independent cohortof endurance athletes, including Olympic-caliber rowers,marathoners, and ultramarathoners, all in a longitudinal fash-ion, obtaining stool samples before and after intense exercisesessions. Across the athlete cohorts, we identified a significantincrease in the relative abundance (i.e., relative DNA copynumber) of genes belonging to the methylmalonyl-coenzymeA (CoA) pathway after exercise, suggestive of a “bloom” inthe metabolic capacity of the gut microbiome for metabolismof muscle-derived L-lactate into the short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs) acetate and propionate. This metabolic phenomenonwas correlated with increased relative abundance of the bacte-rial genus Veillonella species, which is relatively unusualamong human gut microbes in its ability to metabolize L-lac-tate into propionate. We also observed that Veillonella wasincreased in abundance in athletes pre-exercise relative to sed-entary controls. Notably, a previous study identified a higherabundance of the family Veillonellaceae in the gut microbiomeof cyclists relative to both low body mass index and high bodymass index control individuals, though approximately 11 otherbacterial families were similarly correlated.