Torquati L, Power H, Pons T, Bowtell J
Public Health and Sport Sciences, Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Natural Sciences, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Nutr Bull. 2025 Sep;50(3):447-458. doi: 10.1111/nbu.70010. Epub 2025 May 21.
Manipulation of the mouse gut microbiome has been shown to increase gut-derived short-chain fatty acids and improve exercise capacity. Associations between exercise performance and gut microbiome composition and metabolites have also been identified in human studies. Yet there is little direct evidence that prebiotics are able to increase acetate production and improve exercise capacity in human participants. We conducted a randomised controlled cross-over trial with 21 healthy and active males (35.0 ± 6.9 years; 24.4 ± 2.7 kg/m) to investigate the effect of 15 g of inulin (prebiotic) on exercise performance (15 km cycle time trial), compared to placebo. Time to completion of a 15 km time trial was the primary outcome, while plasma acetate concentration and markers of inulin fermentation (breath H concentration) and muscle oxygenation were measured to explore potential mechanisms of action. Time to complete the 15 km time trial was not affected by inulin mean difference between inulin and placebo trials: (-10.37 s, 95% CI [-150.8, 130.1 s], p = 0.884). The marker of inulin fermentation (H concentration increase from baseline) was significantly higher in inulin compared to placebo condition (+42.61 ppm, 95% CI [30.04, 55.19], p = 0.001 and +31.13 ppm, 95% CI [3.73, 58.51], p = 0.029, respectively), but plasma acetate concentration did not differ between conditions. Likewise, markers of muscle oxygenation were not different between inulin and placebo. Our current results do not support the acute use of prebiotics to improve exercise performance in adults. Possible explanations for the absence of ergogenic effects may be that the timing between prebiotic ingestion and exercise was too short to allow for complete fermentation into acetate, participants were in a fasted rather than a fed state, or that the single dose of supplement was insufficient. These factors, together with advanced methods (stable isotope studies) should be investigated in a follow-up study to elucidate the fate and role of colonic-derived acetate during exercise.
对小鼠肠道微生物群的调控已被证明可增加肠道来源的短链脂肪酸并提高运动能力。在人体研究中也发现了运动表现与肠道微生物群组成及代谢物之间的关联。然而，几乎没有直接证据表明益生元能够增加人体受试者的乙酸盐生成并提高运动能力。我们进行了一项随机对照交叉试验，招募了21名健康且活跃的男性（年龄35.0±6.9岁；体重指数24.4±2.7kg/m），以研究15克菊粉（益生元）与安慰剂相比对运动表现（15公里骑行计时赛）的影响。15公里计时赛的完成时间是主要结果，同时测量血浆乙酸盐浓度、菊粉发酵标志物（呼气氢气浓度）和肌肉氧合，以探索潜在的作用机制。完成15公里计时赛的时间不受菊粉影响，菊粉试验与安慰剂试验之间的平均差异为：（-10.37秒，95%置信区间[-150.8,130.1秒]，p=0.884）。与安慰剂组相比，菊粉组中菊粉发酵标志物（氢气浓度相对于基线的增加）显著更高（分别为+42.61ppm，95%置信区间[30.04,55.19]，p=0.001和+31.13ppm，95%置信区间[3.73,58.51]，p=0.029），但不同组间血浆乙酸盐浓度无差异。同样，菊粉组和安慰剂组之间的肌肉氧合标志物也没有差异。我们目前的结果不支持在成年人中急性使用益生元来提高运动表现。缺乏促力作用的可能解释可能是，益生元摄入与运动之间的时间间隔太短，无法完全发酵成乙酸盐，参与者处于空腹而非饱腹状态，或者单次补充剂量不足。在后续研究中应结合先进方法（稳定同位素研究）对这些因素进行调查，以阐明运动期间结肠来源乙酸盐的去向和作用。
