Happy Marathon Monday — and congratulations to every runner who completed the TCS New York City Marathon, including Biotia's own Director of R&D, Mara Couto-Rodriguez. Beyond the carbohydrate loading and pre-race nerves, runners are also doing something invisible: training their microbiome.
Exercise reshapes the microbiome
Endurance activity produces near-immediate metabolic changes in the body, and the gut microbiome responds in kind. Microbes can rapidly shift their composition and behavior in response to intestinal metabolites, and the byproducts they generate feed back into host physiology — paralleling how gut microbes influence mood and behavior through the gut–brain axis.
The Veillonella story
A landmark Nature Medicine paper described an increase in Veillonella atypica in marathon runners after their race. V. atypica uses lactate — the metabolite that accumulates during intense exercise — as its sole carbon source. It converts lactate into propionate, a short-chain fatty acid that can serve as a usable energy substrate.
To test whether this microbe contributes to performance, researchers isolated V. atypica from runners and gavaged it into mice. The treated mice showed longer treadmill times and improved endurance — a striking demonstration of the microbiome's potential influence on athletic performance.
What's next
A new study is enrolling 70 ultra-endurance athletes on vegan or omnivore diets to define how diet-driven microbiome differences affect performance and adaptability during ultra-endurance racing. As metagenomic tools become more accessible, expect to see more rigorous mapping of the microbial signatures that distinguish elite athletes from the rest of us.
Biotia's role
Biotia is a high-complexity molecular diagnostic lab with NYS CLIA accreditation. Our sequencing services and software platforms turn raw metagenomic data into microbial and antimicrobial-resistance insights — for researchers studying everything from infectious disease to athletic performance.
Frequently asked questions
Does exercise change the gut microbiome?
Yes. Endurance activity produces metabolic shifts that gut microbes respond to almost immediately, altering both community composition and function.
What is Veillonella atypica?
It's a bacterium that uses lactate — the metabolite that accumulates during intense exercise — as its primary carbon source, converting it into the short-chain fatty acid propionate.
Can the microbiome actually improve athletic performance?
Animal studies suggest yes. Mice gavaged with V. atypica isolated from marathon runners showed increased treadmill endurance — though human translation is still under active study.