Influence of Short-Term Antibiotic Therapy on Exercise
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2025-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The gut microbiome refers to the trillions of bacteria that inhabit the stomach and other
regions involved in the digestion of food, including the intestines. Compelling studies of
animals (rodents) suggest that the health of the gut microbiome may influence skeletal muscle
function and exercise performance. To date, there have been no similar observations reported
in humans. A common experimental approach in animal studies to temporarily disrupt the gut
microbiome is through the use of antibiotic therapies. Azithromycin is an antibiotic medicine
prescribed to humans for the treatment of mild to moderate infections caused by bacteria. The
purpose of the proposed project is to determine the influence of short-term (5-days)
antibiotic therapy (azithromycin) on exercise performance in young, healthy adults. Treadmill
exercise performance will be compared in two groups of adults before and after 5-days
ingestion of azithromycin, or a placebo (something that has no physical effect).