Meta-omics analysis of elite athletes identifies a performance-enhancing microbe that functions via lactate metabolism.

ABSTRACT: The human gut microbiome is linked to many states of human health and disease¹. The metabolic repertoire of the gut microbiome is vast, but the health implications of these bacterial pathways are poorly understood. In this study, we identify a link between members of the genus Veillonella and exercise performance. We observed an increase in Veillonella relative abundance in marathon runners postmarathon and isolated a strain of Veillonella atypica from stool samples. Inoculation of this strain into mice significantly increased exhaustive treadmill run time. Veillonella utilize lactate as their sole carbon source, which prompted us to perform a shotgun metagenomic analysis in a cohort of elite athletes, finding that every gene in a major pathway metabolizing lactate to propionate

SUBMITTER: Scheiman J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7368972 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature