Gut microbiota among Chinese elite athletes

Previous studies have compared the gut microbiota between athletes and sedentary individuals, but the influence of diverse training patterns on the gut microbiota of professional athletes re-mains unclear. This study aimed to explore these differences among professional athletes from road cycling, handball, shooting, and weightlifting, and a control group of university students. Stool samples from 69 professional athletes and 22 controls were analyzed, revealing significant differences in microbiota composition, function, and metabolic phenotypes.