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Exercise, the Gut Microbiome and Gastrointestinal Diseases: Therapeutic Impact and Molecular Mechanisms
John A. Hawley, Samuel C. Forster, Edward M. Giles. Gastroenterology, 2025-02-17
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The benefits of regular physical activity (PA) on disease prevention and treatment outcomes have been recognized for centuries. However, only recently has interorgan communication triggered by the release of "myokines" from contracting skeletal muscles emerged as a putative mechanism by which exercise confers protection against numerous disease states. Cross-talk between active skeletal muscles and the gut microbiota reveal how regular PA boosts host immunity, facilitates a more diverse gut microbiome and functional metabolome, and plays a positive role in energy homeostasis and metabolic regulation. In contrast, and despite the large interindividual variation in the human gut microbiome, reduced microbial diversity has been implicated in several diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, systemic immune diseases, and cancers. Although prolonged, intense, weight-bearing exercise conducted in extreme conditions can increase intestinal permeability, compromising gut-barrier function and resulting in both upper and lower GI symptoms, these are transient and benign. Accordingly, the gut microbiome has become an attractive target for modulating many of the positive effects of regular PA on GI health and disease, although the precise dose of exercise required to induce favourable changes in the microbiome and enhance host immunity is currently unknown. Future efforts should concentrate on gaining a deeper understanding of the factors involved in exercise-gut interactions through the generation of functional 'omics readouts (ie, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, and metabolomics) that have the potential to identify functional traits of the microbiome that are linked to host health and disease states, and validating these interactions in experimental and preclinical systems. A greater understanding of how PA interacts with the GI tract and the microbiome may enable targeted therapeutic strategies to be developed for individuals and populations at risk for a variety of GI diseases.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Hawley, J. A., Forster, S. C., & Giles, E. M. (2025). Exercise, the Gut Microbiome and Gastrointestinal Diseases: Therapeutic Impact and Molecular Mechanisms. Gastroenterology. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2025.01.224
Vancouver
Hawley JA, Forster SC, Giles EM. Exercise, the Gut Microbiome and Gastrointestinal Diseases: Therapeutic Impact and Molecular Mechanisms. Gastroenterology. 2025. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2025.01.224. PMID: 39978410.
BibTeX
@article{hawley2025-39978410,
author = {Hawley, John A. and Forster, Samuel C. and Giles, Edward M.},
title = {{Exercise, the Gut Microbiome and Gastrointestinal Diseases: Therapeutic Impact and Molecular Mechanisms}},
journal = {Gastroenterology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1053/j.gastro.2025.01.224},
pmid = {39978410},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2025.01.224}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- In contrast, and despite the large interindividual variation in the human gut microbiome, reduced microbial diversity has been implicated in several diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, systemic immune diseases, and cancers.
- Although prolonged, intense, weight-bearing exercise conducted in extreme conditions can increase intestinal permeability, compromising gut-barrier function and resulting in both upper and lower GI symptoms, these are transient and benign.
- Accordingly, the gut microbiome has become an attractive target for modulating many of the positive effects of regular PA on GI health and disease, although the precise dose of exercise required to induce favourable changes in the microbiome and enhance host immunity is currently unknown.
- Future efforts should concentrate on gaining a deeper understanding of the factors involved in exercise-gut interactions through the generation of functional 'omics readouts (ie, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, and metabolomics) that have the potential to identify functional traits of the microbiome that are linked to host health and disease states, and validating these interactions in experimental and preclinical systems.
- A greater understanding of how PA interacts with the GI tract and the microbiome may enable targeted therapeutic strategies to be developed for individuals and populations at risk for a variety of GI diseases.
Why it matters
This review is about exercise, the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal diseases and contains no information on Alzheimer's disease. It reports no findings relevant to treating, curing or preventing dementia.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Gastroenterology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Gastroenterology: journal h-index 586 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 61 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 20.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 15.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 61 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Edward M. Giles: h-index 19 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Monash University: institution h-index 1,146 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39978410) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 49 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2025.01.224
- PubMed: 39978410
- Original source →
- Free full text: Gastroenterology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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