Microbiome Diversity

The gut microbiome is a vast ecosystem of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, fungi and viruses which live in our digestive tracts.

Gut microbes are key to many aspects of human health including the development of obesity, maintaining the immune system, increasing skeletal muscle mass, and influencing the development of inflammatory arthritis.

Studies in human twins have shown that, although there is a heritable component to gut microbiota, environmental factors related to diet, drugs, and body size and shape measurements are larger determinants of microbiota composition.

Investigating the effect of endurance and power athletic training on gut microbiome composition

There is evidence to suggest that exercise exerts some influence over the gut microbial composition and function, and that many of the compositional changes seen in gut microbiome associated with exercise are of benefit to the host.

The compositional changes associated with regular physical activity include microbial diversity and increased abundance of beneficial bacteria.

However, the influence of different types of exercise, such as power and endurance, on the gut microbiota and the difference compared to the microbiota of sedentary individuals is unknown.  

We are undertaking a pilot study to compare endurance athletes’ bacterial strains with bacterial strains from power athletes, specifically sprinters.

We are also investigating whether genetics or environment are involved in the composition of the microbiome, through asking non-competitive siblings, parents or housemates of the athletes to donate a stool sample.

Thus, this study will look at the adaptions of the microbiome with respect to training and diet.

Investigating the gut microbiome composition of a UK Afro-Caribbean cohort

Current research often uses a predominantly Caucasian study population. Elite sprint athletes often have an Afro-Caribbean background and we also wish to recruit parents, siblings and household members of these athletes to provide a stool sample for analysis.

This will lead to the possibility of many different analyses; to see if genetics, ageing or envioronment are involved in the differences in gut microbiota; if different diets containing alternative probiotic foods have an influence compared to traditional British diets; and also through comparing with the Caucasian population to see if ethnicity plays a role in musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis, fatigue or frailty.