Nutrients
Associations Between Physical Activity Measurement Modality and Gut Microbiome in Breast Cancer Survivors
By Neal WN, Kemp KM, Little RB and 11 others.
Abstract
Background/objectives
Physical activity (PA), physiological fitness, and the gut microbiome have each been linked to health outcomes among breast cancer survivors (BCS); however, these associations have been inconsistent. Few studies have directly compared the associations of self-reported PA, accelerometer-derived PA, and physiological fitness with the gut microbiome within the same population. This study evaluated whether associations with gut microbiome outcomes vary by PA and fitness measurement modality in post-primary treatment BCS.
Methods
Baseline data from 69 BCS enrolled in a randomized controlled trial were analyzed. PA was assessed using self-reported moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and accelerometer-derived light PA (LPA), MVPA, and sedentary behaviors. Physiological fitness was evaluated using peak oxygen uptake (V˙O2peak) and related fitness metrics. Gut microbiome outcomes included α-diversity, β-diversity, and exploratory taxa-level analyses derived from 16S rRNA sequencing. Associations were evaluated using correlation and regression analyses, with adjustment for relevant clinical covariates.