Table 1.
Study design and participant characteristics.
| Reference | Study Design | Study Quality | Sample Size | Groups, Male/Female (%) | Age (Years) | BMI (kg/m2) | Condition/ Intervention Group |
Control Group | Classification | Microbiota Change (Diversity and Relative Abundance of Genera) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craven et al., 2021 [18] | Single-arm | 66.7% | 14 | Male 57% | F: 22 ± 3.4 M: 20.7 ± 3.2 |
F: 20.0 M: 21.43 (calculated) |
Middle-distance runners (competitive) |
NA | Athlete | Alpha-diversity—NR Beta-diversity—NR ↓ Haemophilus |
| Tabone et al., 2021 [19] |
Single-arm | 50% | 40 | Male 100% | 35.79 ± 8.01 | 22.75 ± 2.12 | Cross-country runners (elite) | NA | Athletes | ~Alpha-diversity ~Beta-diversity ↑ Blautia, Ruminococcus, Romboutsia ↓ Clostridium |
| Zeppa et al., 2021 [20] | Single-arm | 66.7% | 18 | Male 100% | 22 ± 2 | 22.3 ± 2.7 | Healthy (sedentary) | NA | Healthy | ~Alpha-diversity ↑ Beta-diversity ↑ Dorea, Ruminoccus, Bifidobacterium ↓ Roseburia, Prevotella |
| Karl et al., 2017 [21] |
Randomised Controlled Trial (Single-arm for exercise) |
83.3% | 18 | NR | 19 ± 2 | 23.6 ± 1.8 | Healthy (military) | No: 73 participants in remainder of study | Military |
↑ Alpha-diversity Beta-diversity—NR ↑ Dorea, Ruminococcus, Streptococcus,Paraprevotella, Eggerthella, Akkermansia, Fusobacterium ↓ Roseburia, Lachnospira, Blautia, Blautia, Faecalibacterium, Odoribacter, Bacteroides, Collinsella |
| Zhao et al., 2018 [22] |
Observational | 66.7% | 20 | Male 80% | 31.6 ± 6.1 | 22.6 ± 2.1 | Runners (amateur) | NA | Athletes | ~Alpha-diversity Beta-diversity—NR ↑ Ruminiclostridium, Coprococcus, Pseudobutyrivibrio, Ruminococcus, Romboutsia, Mitsuokella, Collinsella, Actinobacilus ↓ Roseburia |
| Grosicki et al., 2019 [23] |
Observational | 50% | 1 | Male 100% | 32 | 22.14 | Ultra-marathon runner | NA | Athletes |
↑ Alpha-diversity Beta diversity—NR ↑ Faecalibacterium, Streptococcus, Veillonella, Haemophilus ↓ Subdoligranulum, Alloprevotella |
| Keohane et al., 2019 [24] |
Observational | 50% | 4 | Male 100% | 25.5 ± 1.3 | 24.4 ± 1.4 | Endurance rowers | NA | Athletes |
↑ Alpha-diversity Beta-diversity—NR ↑ Roseburia, Dorea, Subdolilogranulum, Prevotella ↓ Bacteroides |
| Barton et al., 2020 * [25] |
Observational | 83.3% | 2 | Male 100% | 31.5 (30–33) | 30.2 (28.6–31.7) |
Marathon participant and triathlete | NA | Athlete |
↑ Alpha-diversity ↑ Beta-diversity ↑ Veillonella, Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium |
| Oliveira et al., 2022 [26] |
Observational | 66.7% | 17 | Male 0% | 24.1 ± 3.4 | 21.4 ± 1.7 | Athletes (elite) | NA | Athletes | ~Alpha-diversity ~Beta-diversity |
| Bycura et al., 2021 [27] |
Controlled trial | 83.3% | 56 | AT: 28 Male 25% RT: 28 Male 46% |
AT: 20.54 ± 1.93 RT: 21.28 ± 3.85 |
AT: 24.41 ± 4.20 RT: 23.77 ± 4.15 |
Healthy young adults (Aerobic) | Healthy young adults (Resistance) | Healthy | Alpha-diveristy—NR AT: ↑ Beta-diversity |
| Erlandson et al., 2021 * [28] |
Controlled trial | 83.3% | 22 | Male 95% | 58 (55, 63.8) | 27.4 (24.6, 31) | Healthy (sedentary) High-intensity exercise |
Healthy (sedentary) Moderate intensity exercise |
Healthy | ~ Alpha-diversity ↑ Beta-diversity ↑ Oscillospira, Bifidobacterium, Succinivibria ↓ Prevotella, Oribacter |
| Resende et al., 2021 [29] |
Randomised Controlled Trial | 100% | 28 | I: 14 Male 100% C: 14 Male 100% |
I: 25.58 ± 5.07 C: 25.5 ± 4.66 |
I: 25.28 ± 4.11 C: 23.68 ± 3.29 |
Healthy (sedentary) | Healthy (sedentary, no exercise intervention) | Healthy | ~Alpha-diversity ~Beta-diversity |
| Huber et al., 2019 * [30] | Single-arm | 66.7% | 44 | Male 65.9% | 41 (24–61) | 31.3 (27.3,34) | NAFLD | NA | Clinical | Alpha-diversity—NR ↑ Beta-diversity Abundance—NR |
| Verheggen et al., 2021 [31] |
Single-arm | 66.7% | 14 | Male 50% | 51 ± 11 | 34.9 ± 4.9 | Obese (sedentary) | NA | Clinical | ~Alpha-diversity ~Beta-diversity ↑ Lachnospira, Ruminococcus |
| Cronin et al., 2018 * [32] |
Randomised Controlled Trial (Single-arm for exercise) |
100% | 30 | Male 44% | 35 (28, 38) | 27.9 (25.1, 29.2) | Obese (sedentary) | No: 90 participants in remainder of study | Clinical |
↑ Alpha-diversity ↑ Beta-diversty |
| Shukla et al., 2015 [33] |
Observational | 66.7% | 20 | ME/CFS: 10 Male 20% C: 10 Male 20% |
ME: 48.6 ± 10.5 C: 46.5 ± 13 |
ME: 23.9 ± 4.3 C: 24.6 ± 3.3 |
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | Healthy Control | Clinical | Alpha-diversity—NR Beta-diversity—NR ↑ Lachnospira |
| Allen et al., 2018 [34] |
Controlled trial | 83.3% | 32 | L: Male 50% O: Male 21% |
L: 25.1 ± 6.52 O: 31.14 ± 8.57 |
L: 22.21 ± 2.76 O: 35.71 ± 5.11 |
Obese (sedentary) | Lean (sedentary) | Clinical | ~Alpha-diversity ↑ Beta-diversity O: ↑ Lachnospira, Bacteroides, Collinsella ↓ Faecalibacterium L: ↑ Lachnospira, Faecalibacterium, “Butyrate producers” ↓ Bacteroides |
| Morita et al., 2019 * [35] |
Controlled trial | 100% | 32 | I: 15 Male 100% C: 14 Male 100% |
I: 70 (66–75) C: 70 (66–77) |
I: 21.7 (18.9–23.1) C: 20.6 (18.7–24) |
Elderly women (sedentary) Aerobic exercise |
Elderly women (Sedentary) Trunk exercise |
Clinical | Alpha-diveristy—NR Beta-diversity—NR ↑ Bacteoides ↓ Closdrium |
| Rettedal et al., 2020 [36] |
Controlled trial | 83.3% | 32 | I: 15 Male 100% C: 14 Male 100% |
20–45 | I: 29.6 ± 2.7 C: 22.7 ± 2.1 |
Overweight men (sedentary) |
Lean men | Clinical | ~Alpha-diversity ~Beta-diversity I: ↓ Subdoligranulum C: ↑ Subdoligranulum |
| Taniguchi et al., 2018 [37] |
Randomised Controlled Trial | 83.3% | 33 | I: 15 Male 100% C: 17 Male 100% |
62–76 | I: 22.9 ± 2.5 C: 22.9 ± 2.5 |
Diabetic (T2D) and pre diabetic |
Diabetic (T2D) and prediabetic (Crossover) |
Clinical | ~Alpha-diversity ~Beta-diversity ↑ Oscilllospira ↓ Clostridium |
| Munukka et al., 2018 [38] |
Randomised Controlled Trial | 83.3% | 22 | Male 0% | 36.8 ± 3.9 | 31.8 ± 4.4 | Overweight (sedentary) | Overweight (sedentary) (Waitlist) |
Clinical | ~Alpha-diversity ↑ Beta-diversity ↑ Dorea, Akkermansia ↓ Odoribacter |
| Cronin et al., 2019 * [39] |
Randomised Controlled Trial | 83.3% | 17 | I: 8 Male 68.2% C: 9 Male 85.7% |
I: 33 (31,36) C: 31 (31,36) |
I: 28.1 (26.2, 32.4) C: 27.2 (24.5, 33.7) |
Inflammatory bowel disease (Chron’s and UC) |
Inflammatory bowel disease (crossover) |
Clinical | ~Alpha-diversity ~beta-diversity |
| Kern et al., 2020 * [40] |
Randomised Controlled Trial | 66.7% | 130 | Bike: 19 Male 42% Mod: 31 Male 55% Vig: 24 Male 50% C: 14 Male 57% |
Bike: 35 (28, 43) Mod: 33 (27, 38) Vig: 39 (33, 42) C: 38 (30, 42) |
Bike: 30.0 (28.3, 33.9) Mod: 29.3 (27.4, 30.5) Vig: 29.9 (28.2, 32.1) C: 29.9 (27.6, 32.3) |
Overweight/obesity (sedentary) (Exercise Intensity x 3 groups) |
Overweight/obesity (sedentary) (Usual care) |
Clinical |
↑ Alpha-diversity ~Beta-diversity |
| Motiani et al., 2020 [41] |
Randomised Controlled Trial | 66.7% | 26 | SIT: 13 MICT: 13 Male 61% |
40–55 | NR | Diabetic (T2D) and prediabetic (sedentary) SIT |
Diabetic (T2D) and prediabetic (sedentary) MICT |
Clinical | ~Alpha-diversity Beta-diversity—NR SIT: ↑ Lachnospira ↓ Blautia, Clostridium MICT: ↑ Faecalibacterium, Veillonella ↓ Blautia, Clostridium |
| Warbeck et al., 2020 [42] |
Randomised Controlled Trial | 100% | 41 | I: 20 Male 20% C: 21 Male 10% |
I: 42 ± 12.3 C: 36.2 ± 10.2 |
I: 27.0 ± 5.2 C: 28.7 ± 6.1 |
Celiac (sedentary) | Celiac (sedentary) waitlist | Clinical | ~Alpha-diversity ↑ Beta-diversity I: ↑ Roseburia, Adlercretzia C (waitlist): ↑ Veillonella, Bifidobacterium |
| Dupuit et al., 2021 [43] |
Randomised Controlled Trial | 100% | 29 | I: 14 Male 0% C: 15 Male 0% |
I: 58.8 ± 5.3 C: 60.9 ± 4.8 |
I: 30.3 ± 3.5 C: 31.5 ± 3.4 |
Post-menopausal women with overweight or obesity (sedentary) | Post-menopausal women with overweight or obesity (sedentary, no intervention) | Clinical | ~Alpha-diversity ↑ Beta-diversity |
| Mahdieh et al., 2021 [44] |
Randomised Controlled Trial (pilot study) | 83.3% | 18 | I: 9 Male 0% C: 9 Male 0% |
I: 23.87 ± 3.13 C: 26.37 ± 1.68 |
I: 27.76 ± 1.60 C: 28.41 ± 2.81 |
Overweight Women | Overweight Women (no exercise intervention) | Clinical | Alpha-diversity—NR Beta-diversity—NR I: ↑ Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium C: ↑ Lactobacillus |
| Mokhtarzade et al., 2021 [45] | Randomised Controlled Trial | 83.3% | 42 | I: 21 Male 0% C: 21 Male 0% |
I: 35.06 ± 8.18 C: 36.38 ± 9.13 |
I: 23.47 ± 2.61 C: 22.62 ± 2.00 |
Multiple Sclerosis | Multiple Sclerosis (no exercise intervention) |
Clinical | Alpha-diversity—NR Beta-diveristy—NR I: ↑ Prevotella ~Bacteroides |
Data are mean ± SD unless otherwise stated, * Mean (total range reported); I = Intervention, C = Comparator, BMI = Body mass index, NAFLD = Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NA = Not available, F = Female, M = Male, NR = Not reported, ME/CFS = Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, L = lean, O: Obese, AT = Aerobic training, RT = Resistance training, HI = High-intensity, Mod = Moderate intensity, Vig = Vigorous intensity, SIT = Sprint interval training, MICT = Moderate intensity continuous training, T2D = Type two diabetes mellitus, UC = Ulcerative Colitis.