Examination of the effects of exercise and nutrition on the escherichia coli species in the intestinal flora in sedentary and elite athletes

Erkut Tutkun

Faculty of Sports Science, Bursa Uludağ University, Turkey

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of the Escheria coli (E. coli) species in the intestinal flora through exercise and dietary habits in elite athletes and sedentary people.

Materials and method: A total of 16 volunteers aged 18-20 participated in the study, 8 of them were male handball players at an elite level and 8 of them were sedentary males. In this study, metagenomic analysis of the E. coli species of intestinal flora was made by taking one stool sample from each case. Moreover, a questionnaire was applied to determine the subjects’ nutritional habits. For the statistical analysis of the findings, SPSS 20.0 and Minitab 17 software were used and p<0.05 was taken as significance level. 

Results: It was determined that elite athletes had lower levels of E. coli in the intestinal flora than sedentary individuals (p<0.05). Moreover, in the questionnaire form that was applied to determine nutritional habits, it was revealed that the groups had different dietary habits and that the athlete group’s diet consisted predominantly of proteins, whereas the sedentary group’s diet was mainly consisted of carbohydrates. 

Conclusion: Sedentary individuals have higher levels of E. coli bacteria than elite handball players. Nutrition and exercise play a pivotal role in determining the levels of E. coli bacteria displaying pathogenic characteristics.