Exercise Changes Our Intestinal Micro-inhabitants

Author: Marko Balašević Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: January 27, 2026

In this article, learn more about Exercise Changes Our Intestinal Micro-inhabitants. Exercise stimulates beneficial microbes in the gut.

It has been established, and perhaps not surprisingly, that the food we eat affects the microbes that inhabit our intestines (the so-called intestinal microflora). However, the word 'microbe' should not scare us. Many intestinal microbes actually have beneficial effects on mammalian energy metabolism . For example, people do not have the enzymes needed to break down most dietary fiber. However, indigestible carbohydrates pass through the upper gastrointestinal tract unaffected and are fermented in the caecum and colon thanks to well-meaning microscopic intestinal tenants.

However, it turns out that exercise has a similar effect to diet. Experiments show that exercise can stimulate the production of short-chain fatty acids, which reduce inflammation and keep the gut healthy. Short chain fatty acids are actually the end products of dietary fiber fermentation that help energy metabolism.

Why is this important? It's no secret that reducing exercise and increasing energy intake, especially in the Western world, upsets people's energy balance and can lead to a complex of symptoms commonly known as metabolic syndrome . The main features of the metabolic syndrome are obesity, loss of glycemic control, dyslipidemia and hypertension.

A publication in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology focuses on whether endurance exercise for six weeks, without changes in diet, can change the intestinal microflora in overweight women . Using techniques for analyzing ribosomal RNA ( 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing ), the researchers were able to study the content and function of bacteria in the participants' bodies. At the end of the program, the team found that the amount of proteobacteria (characterized by the potential to cause inflammation) had decreased, and that of beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia had increased.

The results complement previous studies showing that Akkermansia is more prevalent among people with a more physically active profile. The bacterium is located in the mucous layer of the gastrointestinal tract and generally makes up 3-5% of microbes in mammals. But in the intestines of overweight people, as well as those with type 2 diabetes , its presence is relatively lower.

Exercise Changes Our Intestinal Micro-inhabitants

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