INTRODUCTION:
Revealing the association between exercise and the gut environment can substantially contribute to health promotion. Many previous studies evaluating the effect of exercise training intervention in the elderly have focused on skeletal muscle hypertrophy or prevention of atrophy. However, in the present study, we considered the possibility that abdominal pressure training prevents lifestyle diseases by improving the gut environment. Moreover, a recent study reported that lifestyle diseases such as obesity are associated with the type and composition of the gut microbiota. Many studies on exercise training intervention for preventing lifestyle diseases in middle-aged and elderly individuals have been conducted. Recent studies have also suggested that oral bacteria are associated with alveolar pyorrhoea and lifestyle diseases and have relevance with the gut environment. In our study, abdominal pressure training for middle-aged and elderly individuals with exercise habits was conducted for 6 weeks. We examined whether the gut microbiota would change and whether the defaecation status would improve. In addition, the association between the number of oral bacteria and the gut environment was investigated.
METHODS:
This study included 16 subjects who regularly attended exercise classes (11 men and 5 women, mean age: 72.5 ± 6.9 years). The changes in gut microbiota were examined before training, after 6 weeks of regular training (e.g. stretching), and after 6 weeks of abdominal pressure training for a total of three times. In addition, the number of oral bacteria was measured, and a Bristol stool scale was used to evaluate the form of faeces into seven types.
RESULTS:
All subjects had a different gut microbiota. In addition, there was no change in the gut bacteria after abdominal pressure training. However, there was a significant negative correlation between the number of oral bacteria and the Bacteroides, Prevotella spp. and Clostridium cluster IX in the gut microbiota. Six subjects showed an improvement in the form of faeces upon assessment using the Bristol stool scale.
CONCLUSION:
There was no change in the mean levels of gut microbiota after abdominal pressure training in middle-aged and elderly individuals. This result may have been obtained because the gut bacterial flora was basically different in each subject. The results from the survey using the Bristol stool scale suggested that exercise training that enhances the abdominal or intraperitoneal pressure may be effective in improving the defaecation status of individuals who show an improvement in the gut environment.
Kaori Matsuo, Takayuki Kawamura, Shin Fukudo
