Data for: Adaptive Signatures in the Gut Microbiome of German Elite Athletes: Insights from a Matched-Pair Analysis

Background: Elite athletes undergo intense physical training and substantial physiological stress, potentially influencing their gut microbiome's composition and function. There is growing evidence that the gut microbiome may adapt to these lifestyle demands, enhancing metabolic efficiency and resilience to oxidative stress. This study analysed and compared the gut microbiome of 148 German junior and senior elite athletes to that of 108 healthy adults to investigate potential structural and functional adaptations.Results: The analysis revealed significant differences in microbial composition between athletes and healthy adults. Healthy adults displayed greater microbial evenness and a higher Shannon Index compared to younger athletes, while senior athletes exhibited significantly greater richness than both groups. Principal Coordinate Analysis based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity demonstrated distinct clustering between athletes and healthy adults, highlighting the impact of athletic training. Matched subgroup analyses confirmed these findings. Specific taxa, such as Escherichia-Shigella, were enriched in athletes as identified by Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe). Functional profiling (PICRUSt2) indicated that athletes exhibited enhanced pathways for amino acid biosynthesis, glycolysis, and fatty acid beta-oxidation, along with increased synthesis of menaquinone and ubiquinone, suggesting adaptations supporting oxidative stress regulation and metabolic efficiency.Conclusions: Elite athletes exhibit a distinct composition of the gut microbiome, characterized by enriched microbial diversity, specific taxa, and functional pathways linked to energy metabolism and oxidative stress regulation. These findings suggest that gut microbiome adaptations may play a role in meeting the physiological demands of high-performance sports. Further research is necessary to explore the implications of these microbial modifications for athletic performance, recovery, and overall health.