Sprinters and non-athletes had similar gut diversity, but one key difference emerged

By Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta, Ph.D.Reviewed by Lauren HardakerAug 20 2026

Researchers compared the gut microbiomes and diets of college sprinters and non-athletes to investigate whether high-intensity training leaves a distinctive microbial and metabolic imprint.

Study: Gut microbiota of sprint athletes: signature microbes and dietary links. Image Credit: Sergey Kolesnikov / Shutterstock

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition identifies a distinct gut microbial signature in college sprint athletes that is associated with predicted enrichment of pathways related to energy and amino acid metabolism.

Background

Sprint running is an anaerobic sport that requires explosive power output, rapid energy supply, and efficient metabolic regulation. Endurance running, on the other hand, is an aerobic sport that requires sustained effort and stamina.

Recent evidence highlights a significant role of the gut microbiota in energy metabolism, lactate clearance, nutrient absorption, and inflammation in athletes. Aerobic and anaerobic training modes are associated with distinct physiological adaptations that may differentially affect gut microbiota composition. However, most relevant studies have focused on the impact of endurance training on gut microbiota composition.

To bridge this gap in the literature, researchers at Anhui Medical University in China comprehensively characterized the gut microbiota of college sprint athletes and non-athletic students to identify sprint-specific microbial signatures. They also explored diet-gut microbiota associations in this specialized cohort.

Study design

The study included 20 sprinters who regularly trained at high intensity and 23 non-athletic counterparts from Anhui Medical University. Fecal samples were collected from the participants for metagenomic sequencing of gut microbial DNA and analysis of gut microbiota composition and diversity.

Participants’ dietary intake information was collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered during the same week as fecal sample collection to capture dietary intake for that period.

Key findings

The dietary intake assessment revealed that athletes consumed significantly more dairy products and baked goods per week than non-athletes. Regarding other assessed food items, no significant differences were observed between the groups.

The analysis of gut microbiota composition revealed that both Segatella copri and Bifidobacterium adolescentis were significantly more abundant in athletes than in non-athletes.

The functional analysis of gut microbiota indicated significantly higher predicted enrichment of pathways related to carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism in athletes.

The analysis of diet-gut microbiota associations revealed exploratory, nominal positive associations between dairy product intake and Segatella copri abundance, and between whole grains, soy milk, and soy powder and dairy product intake, and between dairy product intake and Bifidobacterium adolescentis abundance in athletes. These correlations were identified in unadjusted exploratory analyses.

Differential gut microbial taxa between sprint athletes and non-athletes. (A) LEfSe analysis identified differentially abundant taxa with LDA score >3.0 and FDR < 0.2.

Study significance

The study reveals that sprint athletes exhibit gut microbial signatures characterized by higher abundances of two bacterial species, Segatella copri and Bifidobacterium adolescentis. These microbial signatures are accompanied by predicted enrichment of pathways related to energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism.

Unlike some studies of endurance athletes that have reported increased alpha diversity, sprint athletes in this study did not show significant differences in gut microbiota alpha diversity compared with non-athletes, although their overall microbial community structure differed significantly. This may be due to differences in the physiological demands of sprint and endurance training. Aerobic, long-duration endurance training may induce more pronounced changes in gut barrier function and nutrient metabolism, leading to increased microbial diversity. Anaerobic, short-duration sprint training, on the other hand, may primarily alter microbial community structure rather than diversity.

The study found a significantly higher abundance of Segatella copri and Bifidobacterium adolescentis in sprint athletes compared to non-athletes. Existing evidence links Segatella copri to carbohydrate metabolism and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. SCFAs are metabolites produced by gut bacterial communities, which serve as vital energy sources for intestinal epithelial cells and can enhance glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. These observations provide a tentative, correlational rationale linking the metabolic potential of Segatella copri to the availability of glucose as a substrate relevant to the high energy demands of sprinting.

Bifidobacterium adolescentis is a well-documented probiotic that has been reported to improve intestinal barrier integrity, suppress harmful bacterial colonization, and reduce intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress, which are key processes associated with high-intensity exercise. This bacterial species has also been linked to increased absorption and utilization of amino acids, calcium, and other nutrients.

Taken together, these findings suggest that the gut microbiota of sprint athletes exhibits a distinct microbial community structure and predicted functional profile characterized by greater potential for carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism.

The relatively small university-based sample may reduce statistical power and increase the likelihood that variability in individual gut microbiota influenced the findings.

Dietary information was self-reported, which may introduce recall bias. Larger-scale future research with quantitative dietary assessments is therefore needed to validate these findings.

Because the study was observational, it could not determine a causal relationship between gut microbiota and sprint performance. Furthermore, the analyses did not fully adjust for potential confounders, including total energy intake, dietary supplementation, training loads, sleep quality, and stress levels. Future research that accounts for these confounders is therefore needed to clarify whether these bacterial signatures directly influence sprint performance.