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Alterations of the gut microbiome are associated with epigenetic age acceleration and physical fitness |
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| Authors: | Ferenc Torma Csaba Kerepesi Mátyás Jókai Gergely Babszki Erika Koltai Balázs Ligeti Regina Kalcsevszki Kristen M McGreevy Steve Horvath Zsolt Radák |
| Institution: | 1. Research Institute of Sport Science, Hungarian University of Sport Science, Budapest, Hungary
Sports Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan;2. Institute for Computer Science and Control (SZTAKI), Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN), Budapest, Hungary;3. Research Institute of Sport Science, Hungarian University of Sport Science, Budapest, Hungary;4. Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary;5. Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Abstract: | Epigenetic clocks can measure aging and predict the incidence of diseases and mortality. Higher levels of physical fitness are associated with a slower aging process and a healthier lifespan. Microbiome alterations occur in various diseases and during the aging process, yet their relation to epigenetic clocks is not explored. To fill this gap, we collected metagenomic (from stool), epigenetic (from blood), and exercise-related data from physically active individuals and, by applying epigenetic clocks, we examined the relationship between gut flora, blood-based epigenetic age acceleration, and physical fitness. We revealed that an increased entropy in the gut microbiome of physically active middle-aged/old individuals is associated with accelerated epigenetic aging, decreased fitness, or impaired health status. We also observed that a slower epigenetic aging and higher fitness level can be linked to altered abundance of some bacterial species often linked to anti-inflammatory effects. Overall our data suggest that alterations in the microbiome can be associated with epigenetic age acceleration and physical fitness. |
| Keywords: | aging clock epigenetic clock epigenetics fitness metagenomics |