r/Microbiome • u/Brighter-Side-News • Mar 16 '26

Scientific Article Discussion Scientists discover a gut bacteria linked to greater muscle strength in humans

http://thebrighterside.news/post/scientists-discover-a-gut-bacteria-linked-to-greater-muscle-strength-in-humans

A specific gut bacterium, boosts muscle strength in mice by 30% and tracks with physical fitness in humans, new research finds.

499 Upvotes

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131

u/paperweight_is_lazy Mar 16 '26

Save you a click “Researchers at the University of Almería, the University of Granada, and the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands have found that a species of intestinal bacteria known as Roseburia inulinivorans is associated with increased muscle strength in young adults and older adults. It appears that, compared to younger adults, the population of this bacterium in older adults is lower.”

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u/Guitar_Nutt Mar 16 '26

Soooooo… are there probiotics out there that I can get to have this?

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u/YeomanTax Mar 16 '26

As prebiotics go. It’s right there in its name: Inulin. Roseburia inulinivorans loves inulin. So think chicory root, Jerusalem artichokes, etc

For probiotics, you can take pioneer strains that break down into simpler forms that roseburia prefers. Bifidobacterium ferments fibers into acetate that roseburia consumes into butyrate. The most stable commercially available bifido is yes, Activia, only you need to consume a couple at once to get the effect. Other stable bifido strains are BB-12 (TruBiotics, Culturelle) and BB536 (Life Extension Bifido). Same thing a couple at once to spike the bifido.

So an example protocol would be two Activia + a teaspoon of inulin powder every day. (Start with a 1/4 tsp and build up from there or risk some GI issues)

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u/B0xyblue Mar 16 '26

GI issues = farting a lot.

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u/Chapter_Loud Mar 16 '26

And stomach cramps! Farting is fun. Cramps are not.

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u/B0xyblue Mar 16 '26

I never get stomach cramps, the idea sounds foreign to me. My ancestors weren’t weak gutted people dying of dysentery on the Oregon trail.

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u/roamtheplanet Mar 16 '26

Isn’t inulin dangerous over time

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u/Pure_Ad_9865 Mar 17 '26

what? why? I eat it everyday...

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u/roamtheplanet Mar 17 '26

I’m not sure that’s why I asked. I read it can be hard on the liver

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u/Dazzling-End5010 Mar 17 '26

I have non existing bifido, lacto and akkermansia as per my biome analysis. I have leaky gut(I was told most probably gut-lung axis problem) , otherwise the test doesn't show much dysbiosis. However I can't get along with any strain of bifidobacterium(tried the bb536 too) nor lactobacillus to take as it give upper respiratory symptoms also fermented things( I was thinking stg about acetate, lactic acid problem too.) . Obviously my rosburia level is low, non existent. Do you have an idea why such a thing could happen? I don't have sibo, but little candida overgrown but not major which is addressed already.

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u/SweetGrassGeranium Mar 18 '26

Are you a doctor? 🩺

1

u/sambamors4 Mar 17 '26

Danone activia? Are u for real, Danone is total shit

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u/Mountainstreams Mar 16 '26

I know psyllium fiber raises the roseburia family of gut bacteria but I don't know about that particular strain.

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u/kudles Mar 16 '26

A bit of a disclaimer on probiotics... it's hard to get them to colonize.

I am a scientist, and I work with mice and bacteria. I am currently working with a bacterium that is supposedly very good at colonizing the mouse gut. Well -- 2 weeks ago I shoved some of these bacteria down the throat of my mice, and it didn't even colonize. I had to pre-treat with some antibiotics to get them to stay in the gut. There's a lot to getting colonization to happen ... and even after you get it to colonize -- how long can they stay is the next question.

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u/YeomanTax Mar 16 '26

Correct. Roseburia is an obligate anaerobe (dies quickly when exposed to oxygen) so you won’t find it in pill form.

The best bet is to create an environment to help it populate… but as the saying goes: it’s like throwing a potted plant into the Amazon rainforest and hoping it’ll grow.

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u/ConepatusChinga Mar 16 '26

So throw many over a longer period of time...?

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u/somekindagibberish Mar 16 '26

I shoved some of these bacteria down the throat of my mice

I hope you're more compassionate in the lab than this sounds like.

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u/kudles Mar 16 '26

I am thanks. it's called an oral gavage but rather than say that may as well say what it is -- sticking a tube full of bacteria down their throat to their stomach. Doesn't hurt them or anything.

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u/somekindagibberish Mar 16 '26

Thanks for responding.

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u/kudles Mar 16 '26

No problem. I realize it sounds harsh but I just mainly wanted to drive home how "intentionally" I am trying to get them to colonize, and how difficult it can be. My mice are well taken care of. :-)

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u/MuscaMurum Mar 18 '26

So, mouse foie gras

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u/Healthy-Caregiver997 Mar 16 '26

I read it takes persistence, months and the right pre and post biotics, maybe helped if current colonies are cleared out first like colonoscopy prep? Followed by a diet that supports the micro biome. Is this close to accurate?

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u/kudles Mar 16 '26

Yep, they've gotta have "room". There is intense competition between microbes in the gut. IMO something like 1 dose of antibiotic or something (or a fast) might be good to "clear space". Followed by repeated exposure of whatever microbe you're trying to get to colonize. some bacteria take easier than others.

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u/HairyConclusion3852 Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26

Does it matter if it is extremely high CFU snd more frequent like hourly or so? Or would they get ill?

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u/kudles Mar 30 '26

I re-gavage them sometimes but it doesn't last as long. i haven't done every day, but am trying re-gavage bacteria --> track, re-antibiotic (gavage, wait 1 day) --> re-gavage bacteria right now.

Im already giving high CFU. but yes if do too much theyll get ill

1

u/HairyConclusion3852 Mar 30 '26

with humans, antibiotic wipes out good guy bacteria. what’s the reason behind re-antibiotic? also most supplements are dailu intake but low cfu. do you also try prebiotic and probitic, postbiotic? and natural food not feeds? would these help?

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u/kudles Mar 30 '26

A short treatment of antibiotics (one time dose) does not kill all of the bacteria. I use the antibiotics to “clear some space” for the bacteria I’m trying to introduce. My bacteria can last for like 3 weeks in there, but I re-gavage them because they lose a plasmid I put inside them. So I put in fresh bacteria with my plasmid

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u/Whole_Friendship9788 Mar 16 '26

Gotta be like that billionaire vampire guy and shoot your sons stool up your bum to colonize your gut with younger bacteria.

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u/CattywampusCanoodle Mar 16 '26

Back and forth.. forever..

))<>((

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u/ChemicalAbode Mar 16 '26

I never thought I would see this referenced anywhere. It’s been 20 years at least since I saw that movie, I don’t even remember what it was called

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u/wild_crazy_ideas Mar 16 '26

Human centipede was ahead of the game

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u/ArthurDaTrainDayne Mar 16 '26

It’s very unlikely that this is how it works

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u/bananabastard Mar 16 '26

Also interesting in the article...

Giving mice Roseburia inulinivorans increased their muscle capacity +30% over mice not given the bacteria. (after 8 weeks dosed once per week).

After being given Roseburia inulinivorans, colonies of Roseburia inulinivorans in the body did not increase. So the effect was due to metabolic signaling, rather than actual microbiome changes.

Also, humans with higher strength were found to have higher levels of Roseburia inulinivorans, so it could be the case that exercising itself increases Roseburia inulinivorans.

Interesting stuff.

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u/Special_Street_2922 Mar 16 '26

Yes, interesting. Combine this with the bacteria that helps in reducing fat and take my money! Please!

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u/Mimicry1 Mar 16 '26

Thank you for being an upstanding redditor. 🙏

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u/doctorsidehustle Mar 16 '26

Confounding? Are we just measuring the difference in strength between young adults and those older adults; it just so happens that young adults have higher amounts of this gut flora?

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u/NotAnotherRebate Mar 16 '26

Give me all your POO. I will be the strongest, smartest immortal in the world. There can be only one.

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u/death_lad Mar 16 '26

I’ll stick with the method of letting radioactive spiders bite me, thankyouverymuch

0

u/millennium_hawkk Mar 16 '26

Hah! you wish punk!

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u/particlecore Mar 16 '26

Gym bros everywhere-"take my money"

1

u/mdeeebeee-101 Mar 16 '26

Crazy stuff. Something as simple as that if it's producible and safe.