A pilot study on the relationship between Lactobacillus, Bifidibactrium counts and inflammatory factors following exercise training

Abstract

Background

The current pilot study was carried out to examine the effect of aerobic exercise on Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium as a function of weight loss and cytokine changes in overweight women.

Material and Methods

Eighteen women with excessive weight (age = 19–30 years) were randomly assigned into exercise (10 weeks, aerobic exercise training, 3 sessions/week) and control groups. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in stool and inflammatory factors in blood were evaluated before and after the intervention.

Results

The intervention induced significant improvements in body weight and in V_O2 peak. There were significant time effects on Lactobacillus (p = .016) and significant time*exercise interaction effects on Bifidobacterium (p = .025). Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium changes were negatively associated with body weight and IL-6 levels, respectively.

Conclusions

The current results indicate that exercise training associated with weight loss can increase specific bacteria in people with excessive weight. Changes in Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were not significantly associated with cytokines.

Keywords:

• Gut bacteria
• excessive weight
• cytokine
• aerobic exercise

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all participant of this study.

Ethics approval

The ethics committee of Tarbiat Modares University approved the study.

Disclosure statement

The authors of this article have no financial and personal conflict of interest statement.

Data availability statement

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this manuscript.

Author contributions

MMS and BB designed the study. JM and FN supervised exercise training. BB and MMS supervised laboratory exams and data collection. MM, BM, and SK analysed and interpreted the data. MSM and MM wrote the first draft of the paper. QLS edited the paper. All authors contributed to the writing of the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Research Centre of Tarbiat Modares University [TMU].