Fucoidan from Undaria pinnatifida Enhances Exercise Performance and Increases the Abundance of Beneficial Gut Bacteria in Mice

• Published in: Marine drugs 2024-10, Vol.22 (11), p.485
• Main Authors: Yang, Cheng, Dwan, Corinna, Wimmer, Barbara C, Wilson, Richard, Johnson, Luke, Caruso, Vanni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abundance; Animals; Antitumor activity; Antitumour agents; Antiviral activity; Antiviral agents; Bacteria; Biogenesis; Biological properties; Cholesterol; Cytochrome; Diet; Diet, High-Fat; Dietary supplements; Digestive system; Edible Seaweeds; Endurance; exercise performance; Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio; Fucoidan; fucoidans; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Gastrointestinal tract; Gene expression; Genes; gut microbiome; High fat diet; Insulin-like growth factor I; Intestinal microflora; Male; Metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); mitochondrial biogenesis; Muscle strength; Muscle, Skeletal - drug effects; Muscles; Muscular fatigue; Musculoskeletal system; Physical Conditioning, Animal; Physiology; Polysaccharides - pharmacology; RNA; Running; Seaweeds; Skeletal muscle; Undaria - chemistry; Undaria pinnatifida
• ISSN: 1660-3397; 1660-3397
• DOI: 10.3390/md22110485

Fucoidans, known for their diverse biological properties such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumor, and immune stimulatory effects, have recently gained attention for their potential benefits in exercise endurance, muscle mass, and anti-fatigue. However, the mechanisms by which fucoidans enhance exercise performance are still unclear. To investigate these effects, we administered 400 mg/kg/day of fucoidan extract derived from to 64 C57BL/6J mice over 10 weeks. We evaluated changes in running activity, mitochondrial-related gene expression in skeletal muscle, and alterations in the intestinal microbiome. Our results showed that fucoidan supplementation significantly increased daily running distance and muscle mass by 25.5% and 10.4%, respectively, in mice on a standard chow diet, and with more modest effects observed in those on a high-fat diet (HFD). Additionally, fucoidan supplementation led to a significant increase in beneficial gut bacteria, including , , and , along with a notable reduction in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, indicating improved gut microbiome health. Mechanistically, fucoidan supplementation upregulated the mRNA expression of key genes related to mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative capacity, such as COX4, MYH1, PGC-1α, PPAR-γ, and IGF1, in both standard chow and HFD-fed mice. Our findings suggest that fucoidan supplementation enhances exercise performance, improves muscle function, and positively modulates the gut microbiome in mice, regardless of diet. These effects may be attributed to fucoidans' potential prebiotic role, promoting the abundance of beneficial gut bacteria and contributing to enhanced exercise performance, increased muscle strength, and improved recovery.