(OR06-03-23) Beyond Diet: How 6 Weeks of Resistance Training Can Alter the Gut Microbiome in Overweight and Obesity

Objectives: The gut microbiome has recently been linked to obesity and its related health complications. Exercise is frequently utilized as a therapeutic intervention to manage obesity-associated complications such as insulin resistance. The purpose of this research was to investigate how a 6-week resistance training (RT) exercise program influenced diet, insulin sensitivity, and the composition of the gut microbiome in overweight and obesity.

Methods: Sedentary young adults with overweight and obesity (BMI 25-45 kg/m²) were randomly assigned to either a 6-week RT program (n=16) or a non-exercising control group (CT, n=16). The study assessed dietary intake with the DHQIII and fasting serum insulin sensitivity with quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (QUICKI). Fecal DNA was extracted, 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced, and quality control and ASV taxonomy assignment was done in QIIME2. The differential taxa abundance was analyzed using the limma-voom model with group x week interaction effect, and p-values were adjusted with Benjamini-Hochberg procedure for multiple testing. Dietary and glucoregulatory data were analyzed for group effects with baseline values as covariates.

Results: RT showed lower intake of pinitol and sorbitol, and higher serum QUICKI compared to CT post-intervention (W6) (baseline-adjusted group effect p< 0.05). Roseburia, a genus of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) producers, showed increased abundances with RT compared to CT over the 6-week intervention (group x week p< 0.01, q < 0.14). These differences in Roseburia were independent of dietary changes, as no differential group effects were observed for carbohydrates, sugars, or dietary fiber over the 6-week study, and models adjusted for dietary pinitol and sorbitol still showed differential group differences in Roseburia over 6 weeks. Moreover, at W6, there was a potential positive correlation of Roseburia with QUICKI (r=0.48, p< 0.1) in the RT group, while no such correlation was observed in the CT group.

Conclusions: RT enhances the abundance of SCFA-producing microbes potentially independent of diet, which may have beneficial links to insulin sensitivity. Additionally, when designing lifestyle-based interventions, it is critical to account and control for the impact of physical activity/exercise on the gut microbiome.

Funding Sources: Internal University funds