Why do elite athletes have such extraordinary physical capacity? Without a doubt, training and perseverance are key aspects, but science also looks for the physical and physiological characteristics that differentiate them from other mortals. Now, a study published in the journal Nature Medicine reveals that a small ally hides in the microbiome of athletes that helps them improve their athletic performance.
We are talking about Veillonella , a genus of bacteria that is capable of metabolizing lactic acid produced during physical activity and transforming it into propionate, a short-chain fatty acid that can help improve performance. Previous experiments have shown that this compound improves cardiorespiratory capacity in mice and caloric expenditure at rest in humans.
Stool samples from the Boston Marathon
In 2015, a team of researchers from the Joslin Diabetes Center collected fecal samples a week before and after the Boston Marathon, with the aim of comparing the species of bacteria present in them. In addition, samples were collected from sedentary people.
“One of the things that caught our attention was that immediately after the marathon, the abundance of Veillonella in the runners increased dramatically,” explained Aleksandar D. Kostic, one of the authors. “And we also observed a greater abundance of the bacteria. of this gender in athletes with respect to sedentary individuals ”.
The next step was to verify that, in animal models, the presence of Veillonella improved performance in physical activity. When going into detail to find out the reason for this relationship, the researchers realized a characteristic of this bacterium that makes it unique in the human microbiome: it uses lactic acid, produced by exercising, as the only source of carbon.
Although lactate has traditionally been considered responsible for the sensation of fatigue when exercising, this idea has subsequently been disproved, so Veillonella’s ability to metabolize it could not be the cause of the excellent performance of athletes.
The key is in the propionate
Through a metagenomic analysis of all organisms present in the microbiome of the samples, the researchers found that the enzymes associated with the conversion of lactic acid to propionate were much more abundant after exercise.
“We did some experiments to introduce propionate into mice and we tested if that was enough for this phenotype to have a greater physical capacity. And it was,” explains Kostic.
The microbiome, a powerful ally
We have more and more evidence that indicates that the microbes that reside in our body are powerful allies that improve our health and without which, probably, we would not be able to survive.
” The microbiome is a very powerful metabolic engine ,” says Dr. Kostic, whose work is a strong and direct example of symbiosis between microbes and their human host. “The host is producing something that favors this particular microbe. Then, in return, the microbe is creating something that benefits the host, “says the expert.” This is a really important example of how the microbiome has evolved to become this symbiotic presence in the human host. “
Probiotic supplements to give us a boost
One of the applications of this research would be the development of probiotic capsules containing Veillonella to help improve physical capacity in people with metabolic disorders who may benefit especially from the practice of a sport but who are not able to exercise while required level. Direct dosing with the propionate pill would not work as the fatty acid would be broken down by digestive juices before it could take effect.
“Greater exercise capacity is a guarantee of health and protection against cardiovascular diseases and diabetes”, explained the researcher. “This supplement would increase the ability to do significant exercise and therefore offer protection against chronic diseases .”
