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Increasing evidence has suggested that physical activity may modulate gut microbiome composition. We investigated associations of long-term regular exercise with gut microbiota among middle-aged and older urban Chinese individuals. Gut microbiota was assessed using 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing of stool samples from 2,151 participants from the Shanghai Women’s Health Study and Shanghai Men’s Health Study. Participants were free of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases at the time of stool sample collection. Physical activity was assessed in repeat surveys between 1996 and 2015 using validated questionnaires. Regular exercise was defined as any type of leisure-time physical activity with a standard metabolic equivalent score >3.0. Stool samples were collected using the 95% ethanol method between 2015 and 2018 with an average of 3.0 years (SD = 0.9) after the latest exposure assessment. General linear regression and permutational multivariate analysis of variance were carried out to evaluate associations of microbial α- and β-diversity with regular exercise participation. Logistic regression and linear regression models were used to evaluate the prevalence and relative abundance of individual taxa in association with regular exercise. Regular exercise was significantly associated with β-diversity (Bray–Curtis and Jaccard dissimilarities, both false discovery rates = 0.03%, 0.12% and 0.09% variance explained, respectively) but not with α-diversity. Relative abundance of genus Ruminococcus was significantly lower among regular exercisers compared with nonexercisers (median relative abundance: 0.64% vs. 0.81%, false discovery rate <0.10). Further studies are needed to validate the findings from this study and evaluate health benefits of regular exercise on gut microbiota.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of supplementation of whey protein (WP) versus leucine-matched collagen peptides (CP) on muscle thickness MT and performance after a resistance training (RT) program in young adults. Twenty-two healthy untrained participants were randomly assigned to either a WP (n = 11) or leucine-matched CP (n = 11) group and then submitted to a supervised 10-week RT program (3 days/week). The groups were supplemented with an equivalent amount of WP (35 g, containing 3.0 g of leucine) and CP (35 g, containing 1.0 g of leucine and 2.0 g of free leucine) during the intervention period (after each workout and in the evening on nontraining days). MT of the vastus lateralis and biceps brachii, isokinetic peak torque and mean power output of the elbow flexors, and peak power output of the lower body were assessed before and after the RT program. The WP group experienced a greater (interaction, p < .05) increase in the vastus lateralis (effect size, WP = 0.68 vs. CP = 0.38; % Δ, WP = 8.4 ± 2.5 vs. CP = 5.6 ± 2.6%) and biceps brachii muscle thickness (effect size, WP = 0.61 vs. CP = 0.35; % , WP = 10.1 ± 3.8 vs. CP = 6.0 ± 3.2%), with a similar increase in muscle performance (peak torque, mean power output, and peak power output) between groups (time p < .05). Supplementation with WP was superior to leucine content-matched CP supplementation in increasing muscle size, but not strength and power, after a 10-week RT program in young adults.

There is some controversy regarding the interactions between creatine (CRE) and caffeine (CAF) supplements. The aim of this systematic review was to study whether such ergogenic interaction occurs and to analyze the protocol to optimize their synchronous use. The PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus databases were searched until November 2021 following the PRISMA guidelines. Ten studies were included. Three studies observed that CRE loading before an acute dose of CAF before exercise did not interfere in the beneficial effect of CAF, whereas one study reported that only an acute supplementation (SUP) of CAF was beneficial but not the acute SUP of both. When chronic SUP with CRE + CAF was used, two studies reported that CAF interfered in the beneficial effect of CRE, whereas three studies did not report interaction between concurrent SUP, and one study reported synergy. Possible mechanisms of interaction are opposite effects on relaxation time and gastrointestinal distress derived from concurrent SUP. CRE loading does not seem to interfere in the acute effect of CAF. However, chronic SUP of CAF during CRE loading could interfere in the beneficial effect of CRE.

Few studies have investigated the dose–response relationship between exercise and weight control. This study aimed to assess the effects of different types of supervised exercise training on weight control and other metabolic outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and explore the dose–response relationship between exercise volume/duration and these outcomes. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies between January 1980 and June 2019. Randomized control trials in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with supervised exercise training versus control treatment were included. The primary outcome was changes in body weight (kg). The secondary outcomes included changes in waist circumference (cm) and total body fat percentage (%). Forty-two randomized control trials, including 3,625 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included. Overall, exercise treatment was associated with significant reduction in body weight (weighted mean differences, −1.10 kg; 95% CI [−1.58, −0.62], p < .01), waist circumference (weighted mean differences, −2.51 cm; 95% CI [−3.25, −1.77], p < .01), and total body fat (weighted mean differences, −1.16%; 95% CI [−1.58%, −0.75%], p < .01). The percentage of total body fat was reduced by all types of exercise, with a significant difference between aerobic exercise and resistance exercise (p = .02) and a significant difference between combined exercise and resistance exercise (p < .01). A higher volume of aerobic exercise and a higher volume of resistance exercise were superior in reducing body weight. In conclusion, supervised exercise training improved metabolic outcomes in general, while different types and volume of exercises have their own merits.