The impact of a competitive event and the efficacy of a lactic acid bacteria-fermented soymilk extract on the gut microbiota and urinary metabolites of endurance athletes: An open-label pilot study.

Diet and exercise can alter the gut microbiota, but recent studies have assessed the impact of athletic competition on gut microbiota and host metabolites. We designed an open-label pilot study to investigate the effects of both official competition and a multi-strain lactic acid bacteria-fermented soymilk extract (LEX) on the gut microbiota in Japanese college endurance athletes. The analysis of fecal 16S rRNA metagenome and urinary metabolites was used to identify changes in gut microbiota composition and host metabolism.