Role of exercise in preventing and restoring gut dysbiosis in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: A review

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) include a spectrum of chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract whose pathogenesis is yet to be elucidated. The intestinal microbiome has been studied as a causal component, with certain microbiotic alterations having been observed in subtypes of IBD. Physical exercise is a modulator of the intestinal microbiome, causing shifts in its composition that are partially corrective of those observed in IBD; furthermore, physical exercise may be beneficial in patients with certain IBD subtypes. This review studies the effects of physical exercise on the human gut microbiome while investigating pathophysiologic mechanisms that could explain physical activity’s clinical effects on patients with IBD.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease; Ulcerative colitis; Crohn’s disease; Pouchitis; Microbiome; Exercise

Core Tip: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are a spectrum of diseases that are characterized by their complex pathogenesis. The intestinal microbiome is thought to be a part of their pathogenesis, with certain alterations having been associated with IBD subtypes. Physical exercise is a modulator of the intestinal microbiome that has, furthermore, been associated with positive clinical outcomes in certain patients with IBD. Herein we discuss certain types of physical exercise, their effect on the intestinal microbiome, and its clinical effects on patients with IBD, as well as investigating underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms that could mediate the observed associations.