Exercise Helps Protect the Brain from Gut Health Issues

A recent study found that exercise can protect the brain from the negative effects of gut microbiota disruption. This research, conducted on rats, showed that exercise helps maintain the brain’s ability to produce new neurons in the hippocampus, a region crucial for memory and learning. The study was published in Translational Psychiatry.

The Importance of the Hippocampus

The hippocampus is a part of the brain involved in memory and navigation. Unlike most brain regions, the hippocampus can produce new neurons even in adulthood. This process, known as adult hippocampal neurogenesis, is vital for learning, memory, and mood regulation.

Gut Microbiota and Brain Health

The gut microbiota consists of trillions of microorganisms living in our intestines. These microorganisms can affect brain processes through the microbiota-gut-brain axis, a communication pathway between the gut and the brain.

The Study

Researchers, led by Sarah Nicolas, studied the effects of exercise on rats with disrupted gut microbiota. They used 9-week old Sprague-Dawley rats, divided into four groups:

1. Sedentary with normal gut microbiota
2. Sedentary with disrupted gut microbiota (antibiotic treatment)
3. Exercise with normal gut microbiota
4. Exercise with disrupted gut microbiota (antibiotic treatment)

The exercise group had access to a running wheel, while the sedentary group did not. The rats were observed for three weeks, during which their cognitive abilities and hippocampal neurogenesis were assessed.

Findings

• Disrupted gut microbiota did not affect the rats’ body weight or running activity but caused low-grade inflammation.
• Sedentary rats with disrupted gut microbiota showed poorer cognitive performance and more anxiety-like behaviors.
• Exercise mitigated these negative effects. Rats with disrupted microbiota that exercised performed better on cognitive tests and showed less anxiety.
• Gut microbiota disruption reduced hippocampal neurogenesis, but exercise attenuated this reduction.

The researchers identified a biochemical compound, ethyl 2-(4-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazol-2-yl) acetate, associated with the observed changes.

Conclusion

The study concluded that exercise can partially reverse the negative effects of gut microbiota disruption on brain health. This highlights the importance of gut microbiota in behaviors related to hippocampal neurogenesis and shows how lifestyle factors like exercise can mitigate these effects.

While this research provides valuable insights, it was conducted on rats. Human physiology is similar but not identical, so further research is needed to confirm these findings in humans.

References

• Nicolas, S., Dohm-Hansen, S., Lavelle, A., Bastiaanssen, T. F. S., English, J. A., Cryan, J. F., & Nolan, Y. M. (Year). “Exercise mitigates a gut microbiota-mediated reduction in adult hippocampal neurogenesis and associated behaviours in rats.” Translational Psychiatry.