Figure 6.

Main characteristics of the gut microbiota of a long-term sedentary-behavior subject: dysbiosis, low bacterial alpha diversity, and low concentrations of SCFAs. It may be that after an exercise intervention, the gut microbiota becomes more eubiotic with a greater alpha diversity; SCFAs concentrations may also increase. The gold lines represent the possible cross-talk between the gut and the skeletal muscle (gut-muscle axis). The blue lines represent the possible cross-talk between the skeletal muscle and the gut (muscle-gut axis). However, most of the physiological mechanisms that explain these pathways remain unknown, or at least are not well understood; this is highlighted through the use of a question mark. SCFA, short-chain fatty acids.