Effects of home-based exercise training on gut microbiota and possible relations with cognitive function and metabolic health in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized control trial.

AIM: Evidence suggests that the gut microbiome is involved in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study investigates the association between gut microbiota composition, cognitive function, and metabolic health in postmenopausal women with T2DM following a 12-week home-based multi-task exercise intervention.

METHODS

Seventy postmenopausal women with T2DM were randomly assigned to either an intervention group, which performed home-based multi-task exercises, or a control group. Gut microbiota, cognitive function, physical fitness, and metabolic indices were assessed before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

Exercise training significantly increased Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium levels, and reduced Lactobacillus abundance (p < 0.05). Participants showed improvements in HDL levels, cognitive function, and physical fitness (p < 0.05). Among the microbial changes, an increased abundance of Akkermansia was significantly correlated with improvements in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (r = 0.41) and cognitive function (r = 0.49).

CONCLUSION

This study supports the potential effectiveness of multi-task exercise programs in enhancing physical fitness and metabolic health in postmenopausal women with T2DM. The findings also suggest a possible connection between the gut and the brain, with Akkermansia muciniphila emerging as a potential mediator. Investigating the Akkermansia-to-brain pathway represents a promising and emerging area of research that warrants further exploration.