AUTHOR=Sun Shengyan , Lei On Kei , Nie Jinlei , Shi Qingde , Xu Yuming , Kong Zhaowei 

TITLE=Effects of Low-Carbohydrate Diet and Exercise Training on Gut Microbiota

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.884550

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.884550

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of low-carbohydrate diet (LC) and incorporated high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on gut microbiota, and the associations between changes in gut microbiota and cardiometabolic health-related profiles.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Fifty overweight/obese Chinese females (age 22.2 ± 3.3 years, body mass index 25.1 ± 3.1 kg/m<sup>–2</sup>) were randomized to the groups of LC, LC and HIIT (LC-HIIT, 10 repetitions of 6-s sprints and 9-s rest), and LC and MICT group (LC-MICT, cycling at 50–60% V̇O<sub>2peak</sub> for 30 min). The LC-HIIT and LC-MICT experienced 20 training sessions over 4 weeks.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The 4-week LC intervention with/without additional training failed to change the Shannon, Chao 1, and Simpson indexes (<italic>p</italic> &gt; 0.05), LC increased <italic>Phascolarctobacterium</italic> genus, and LC-HIIT reduced <italic>Bifidobacterium</italic> genus after intervention (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Groups with extra exercise training increased short-chain fatty acid-producing <italic>Blautia</italic> genus (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) and reduced type 2 diabetes-related genus <italic>Alistipes</italic> (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) compared to LC. <italic>Sutterella</italic> (<italic>r</italic> = −0.335) and <italic>Enterobacter</italic> (<italic>r</italic> = 0.334) were associated with changes in body composition (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Changes in <italic>Ruminococcus</italic>, <italic>Eubacterium</italic>, and <italic>Roseburia</italic> genera were positively associated with blood pressure (BP) changes (<italic>r</italic> = 0.392–0.445, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05), whereas the changes in <italic>Bacteroides</italic>, <italic>Faecalibacterium</italic>, and <italic>Parabacteroides</italic> genera were negatively associated with BP changes (<italic>r</italic> = −0.567 to −0.362, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>LC intervention did not change the α-diversity and overall structure of gut microbiota. Combining LC with exercise training may have additional benefits on gut physiology. Specific microbial genera were associated with LC- and exercise-induced regulation of cardiometabolic health.</p></sec>