Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (14): 3034-3042.doi: 10.12307/2025.398

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Intestinal flora, exercise intervention and respiratory diseases

Yin Yue1, Leng Siyi1, Jin Pan2, Chen Ziyang1, 3, Pu Rui1, 3    

  1. 1College of Education and Sports Sciences, 2Health Science Center, 3Human Science Laboratory of Exercise, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China
  • Received:2024-06-03 Accepted:2024-07-03 Online:2025-05-18 Published:2024-09-29
  • Contact: Pu Rui, Lecturer, Master’s supervisor, College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China; Human Science Laboratory of Exercise, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China Co-corresponding author: Jin Pan, Associate professor, Master’s supervisor, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China
  • About author:Yin Yue, Master candidate, College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81860386 (to JP); 2022 Jingzhou Healthcare Science and Technology Program, No. 2022HC36 (to JP)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Intestinal flora is a diverse and dynamic microbial community located in the human gastrointestinal tract, which plays a crucial role in maintaining human immunity and health. In recent years, the concept of “gut-lung axis” has been proposed, suggesting that intestinal flora is closely related to the lung, and exercise can regulate respiratory diseases by maintaining the balance of intestinal flora.
OBJECTIVE: To review the relationship between intestinal flora and different respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, lung cancer, asthma and chronic pulmonary obstruction, and the influence of different exercise modes on intestinal flora and respiratory diseases, providing new ideas for an in-depth exploration of the mechanisms by which exercise regulates the role of intestinal flora in respiratory diseases.
METHODS: CNKI and PubMed databases were searched for relevant literature published from 1944 to 2024, using the search terms of “intestinal flora, gut bacteria, respiratory illness, pneumonia, lung cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, aerobic exercise, resistance training” in Chinese and English, respectively. Totally 101 documents were included according to inclusion and exclusion criteria.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Intestinal flora plays an important role in the regulation of respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, lung cancer, asthma and chronic pulmonary obstruction diseases. (2) Different exercise modes are closely related to intestinal flora. Aerobic exercise can play a beneficial role in the regulation of intestinal flora by improving insulin sensitivity, increasing microbial diversity and inhibiting systemic chronic inflammation. Resistance exercise can decrease the permeability of intestinal mucosa and promote the production of short-chain fatty acids. Aerobic exercise combined with resistance exercise can also increase the diversity of intestinal flora and affect the composition of intestinal flora. (3) Exercise can improve respiratory diseases by regulating inflammatory response and reducing oxidative stress damage as well as improving cardiopulmonary function and exercise performance. (4) Exercise plays a key role in the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases by regulating intestinal flora, inhibiting inflammatory response, regulating oxidative stress, improving intestinal barrier permeability and maintaining intestinal flora homeostasis.

中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点:组织构建;骨细胞;软骨细胞;细胞培养;成纤维细胞;血管内皮细胞;骨质疏松;组织工程

Key words: intestinal flora, respiratory diseases, pneumonia, lung cancer, asthma, chronic pulmonary obstruction diseases, aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, review

CLC Number: