Scientific discovery: a bacterium could improve muscle strength

An international team of researchers has identified an intestinal bacterium that could play an important role in maintaining muscle strength, a discovery that could pave the way for the development of probiotics capable of combating muscle loss with age, informs EFE. The study, carried out by researchers from the University of Almería (UAL), the University of Granada (UGR) and the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in the Netherlands, identified a bacterium of the genus Roseburia associated with greater muscle strength and better physical condition. According to the study coordinators, the results provide strong evidence for the existence of a so-called "gut-muscle axis", a biological mechanism through which the intestinal microbiome can influence metabolism and muscle performance. "Our findings provide strong evidence that confirms the existence of a gut-muscle axis, in which this bacterium positively modulates muscle metabolism and muscle strength,” explained researcher Jonatan Ruiz, professor at the University of Granada and researcher at the University Institute for Sport and Health (iMUDS).

• The bacterium is rarer in the elderly

An important observation of the study is that this bacterium appears less frequently in older people than in young adults. This difference could partly explain the phenomenon of sarcopenia - the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength with aging. The researchers believe that the levels of the bacterium could decrease with age, thus contributing to the deterioration of muscle performance. "This opens up the possibility that the investigated bacterium could be used as a probiotic to help maintain muscle strength during aging,” explained researcher Borja Martínez Tellez from the University of Almería. For the research, the team analyzed gut microbiome samples from: 90 healthy young adults, 33 people over the age of 62. Participants also performed a series of physical tests to assess muscle strength, including: hand strength, leg strength, trunk strength, cardiorespiratory fitness. The results showed that bacteria from the genus Roseburia, especially the species Roseburia inulinivorans, are associated with greater muscle mass and increased physical strength. In older people who had this bacterium in their gut microbiome, hand strength was approximately 29% higher compared to those who did not have it.

To verify whether the bacteria directly influences muscle function, the researchers also conducted experiments on mice. The animals' intestinal microflora was temporarily modified by introducing human strains of the Roseburia bacteria.

The results showed that mice that received the bacteria recorded: an increase of about 30% in the strength of their forelimbs, larger muscle fibers, compared to animals in the control group.

• Prospects for the future of medicine

The discovery could have important implications for preventive medicine and gerontology, especially in the fight against the loss of muscle mass associated with aging. If the results are confirmed in larger clinical trials, the researchers believe that personalized probiotics could be developed capable of stimulating the intestinal microbiome to maintain muscle strength in old age. Such therapies could become useful not only for the elderly, but also for patients with degenerative diseases, long periods of immobilization or recovery after surgery.

O.D.

Medicine, discovery, muscles, Scientific discovery: a bacterium could improve muscle strength

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An international team of researchers has identified an intestinal bacterium that could play an important role in maintaining muscle strength, a discovery that could pave the way for the development of probiotics capable of combating muscle loss with age, informs EFE. The study, carried out by researchers from the University of Almería (UAL), the University of Granada (UGR) and the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in the Netherlands, identified a bacterium of the genus Roseburia associated with greater muscle strength and better physical condition. According to the study coordinators, the results provide strong evidence for the existence of a so-called "gut-muscle axis", a biological mechanism through which the intestinal microbiome can influence metabolism and muscle performance. "Our findings provide strong evidence that confirms the existence of a gut-muscle axis, in which this bacterium positively modulates muscle metabolism and muscle strength,” explained researcher Jonatan Ruiz, professor at the University of Granada and researcher at the University Institute for Sport and Health (iMUDS).

• The bacterium is rarer in the elderly

An important observation of the study is that this bacterium appears less frequently in older people than in young adults. This difference could partly explain the phenomenon of sarcopenia - the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength with aging. The researchers believe that the levels of the bacterium could decrease with age, thus contributing to the deterioration of muscle performance. "This opens up the possibility that the investigated bacterium could be used as a probiotic to help maintain muscle strength during aging,” explained researcher Borja Martínez Tellez from the University of Almería. For the research, the team analyzed gut microbiome samples from: 90 healthy young adults, 33 people over the age of 62. Participants also performed a series of physical tests to assess muscle strength, including: hand strength, leg strength, trunk strength, cardiorespiratory fitness. The results showed that bacteria from the genus Roseburia, especially the species Roseburia inulinivorans, are associated with greater muscle mass and increased physical strength. In older people who had this bacterium in their gut microbiome, hand strength was approximately 29% higher compared to those who did not have it.

To verify whether the bacteria directly influences muscle function, the researchers also conducted experiments on mice. The animals' intestinal microflora was temporarily modified by introducing human strains of the Roseburia bacteria.

The results showed that mice that received the bacteria recorded: an increase of about 30% in the strength of their forelimbs, larger muscle fibers, compared to animals in the control group.

• Prospects for the future of medicine

The discovery could have important implications for preventive medicine and gerontology, especially in the fight against the loss of muscle mass associated with aging. If the results are confirmed in larger clinical trials, the researchers believe that personalized probiotics could be developed capable of stimulating the intestinal microbiome to maintain muscle strength in old age. Such therapies could become useful not only for the elderly, but also for patients with degenerative diseases, long periods of immobilization or recovery after surgery.