Characteristics of the gut microbiome in esports players compared with those in physical education students and professional athletes. Human gut microbiome

Esports is a category of competitive video games that, in many aspects, may be similar to traditional sports; however, the gut microbiota composition of esport players has not been yet studied.Here, we investigated the composition and function of the gut microbiota, as well as bacterial metabolites, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and amino acids, in a group of 109 well-characterized Polish male esports players. The results were compared with two reference groups: 25 endurance athletes and 36 healthy students of physical education. DNA and metabolites isolated from fecal samples were analyzed using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and mass spectrometry, respectively. Physical activity and nutritional measures were evaluated by questionnaire.