Protective effect of exercise on depression via changes in gut microbiota

Abstract

  The human gut is the richest microbial ecosystem in the human body, consisting of an estimated 10¹⁴ microbial cells. The gut microbiota in humans has great influence on our health. The evidence published to date will be reviewed to determine whether exercise is effective in preventing depression from the perspective of gut microbiota involvement. In particular, the fact that voluntary exercise is effective in preventing depression suggests that exercise may have a beneficial effect via changes in the gut microbiota, inducing gene expression in the brain in response to depressive symptoms.