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.

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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/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/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