Microbiome May Be Involved in Mechanisms Related to Muscle Strength in Older Adults

A study in Experimental Gerontology suggests the gut microbiome may play a role in mechanisms associated with muscle strength in older adults, reports ScienceDaily . The researchers compared bacteria from the gut microbiomes of 18 older adults with high-physical function and a favorable body composition with 11 counterparts with low-physical function and a less favorable composition. Similar bacterial differences were observed when mice were exposed to fecal samples from the human groups, and grip strength improved in mice colonized with samples from the high-functioning cohort. In comparison with the low-functioning group, the researchers found higher concentrations of potentially beneficial bacteria like Prevotellaceae, Prevotella, Barnesiella, and Barnesiella intestinihominis in the high-functioning group and the mice colonized with fecal samples from that group. "Identifying differences in bacteria present in the high-functioning and low-functioning groups in this study moves us toward a fuller understanding of both the gut microbiome and healthy aging," said Tufts University's Roger Fielding.