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Physical exercise performed at or above World Health Organization recommendations modifies gut microbiota composition by increasing the abundance of health-promoting bacterial species (Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia hominis, Akkermansia muciniphila) in premenopausal women.

If you are a premenopausal woman with a healthy BMI, aiming for at least 3 hours of moderate-intensity exercise per week is associated with a gut microbiota profile richer in beneficial bacteria like Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, and Akkermansia compared to a sedentary lifestyle. This suggests that meeting WHO exercise guidelines may support gut health.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Here we show that physical exercise performed by women to at least the degree recommended by the World Health Organization can modify the composition of gut microbiota... Quantitative PCR analysis revealed higher abundance of health-promoting bacterial species in active women, including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia hominis and Akkermansia muciniphila.
Carlo Bressa et al. · PLoS ONE · 2017

Why this rating

Observational study with a small sample size (n=40) and controlled diet, but lacks a randomized intervention design.

Source

Differences in gut microbiota profile between women with active lifestyle and sedentary women

Carlo Bressa et al. · PLoS ONE · 2017

DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0171352

cross_sectional · n=40Cited 488×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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