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  3. Why running could bring a smile to depressed teens... and their gut microbiota
The power of your gut

Why running could bring a smile to depressed teens... and their gut microbiota

Mental health
The gut microbiota Mood disorders Psychiatric disorders

A study conducted on adolescents with depressive disorders aims to show that running improves their symptoms and induces significant changes in their gut microbiota, suggesting beneficial effects for health.

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About this article

Created 28 February 2023
Updated 16 March 2023

Encouraging teenagers with depressive episodes to run regularly may prevent them from developing full-blown depression. A new study points to a link between the protective effect of physical activity and the changes it induces in gut microbiota.

Axe intestin cerveau Bandeau 16.09.2019 How our gut constantly talks to our brain Read more

Move your body to fight depression

The scientists achieved this result by conducting a study on 25 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 14 with “subthreshold depression.” This type of depression is characterized by the presence, for 2 weeks or more, of at least 2 significant symptoms of depression described in the Manual of Mental Disorders : 

  • a depressed mood,
  • fatigue,
  • weight loss or gain,
  • agitation or psychomotor slowing,
  • feelings of guilt,
  • etc. 

It is associated with a 40% risk of one day developing a major depressive disorder (MDD). 
The adolescents enrolled in the study were assigned randomly to two groups: in one, they were asked to run for half an hour at moderate intensity 4 days a week; in the other, they participated in games, singing and reading every 2 weeks. Before and after the 3 months of experimentation, the stools of all participants were collected and analyzed to establish the composition of the gut microbiota.

The gut microbiota

Learn more

Moving and running to (positively) influence your gut microbiota

The results indicate a significant improvement in depressive symptoms in the group of runners, compared to no change in the group that played games and read. Running also induced clear changes in the adolescents’ gut microbiota. 
Those who ran had more Coprococcus and Blautia, two bacterial genera that produce butyrate, a (sidenote: Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are a source of energy (fuel) for an individual’s cells. They interact with the immune system and are involved in communication between the intestine and the brain. Silva YP, Bernardi A, Frozza RL. The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020;11:25. ) (SCFA) known for its health benefits (e.g. anti-inflammatory protection in the intestines).

They also had more Dorea and Tyzzerella, bacterial genera that do not yet have a fully established link to depression.

Gut-brain axis: it’s all connected!

The results of this small study, the first of its kind conducted in adolescents, have yet to be confirmed. But it is good news: encouraging a teen to exercise not only costs nothing, but it is also beneficial for their gut microbiota and mental well-being.

Sources

Wang R, Cai Y, et al. Exercise effect on the gut microbiota in young adolescents with subthreshold depression: A randomized psychoeducation-controlled Trial. Psychiatry Res. 2023 Jan;319:115005.

Tags
Depression Gut-brain axis Mental health Sport Psychiatry Psychiatric disorder

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    See also

    What is putting me in such a good mood today?
    Actu GP : Sport et microbiote : une question d’équilibre ! Exercise and microbiota: a question of balance
    Created 28 February 2023
    Updated 16 March 2023

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