Exploring the Dynamic Relationship between the Gut Microbiome and Body Composition across the Human Lifespan: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review aimed to identify different gut microbiome profiles across the human lifespan and to correlate such profiles with the body composition. PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane were searched from inception to March 2022. Sixty studies were included in this systematic review. Overall, the gut microbiome composition in overweight participants exhibited decreased α-diversity, decreased levels of the phylum Bacteroidetes and its taxa, and increased levels of the phylum Firmicutes, its taxa, and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, in comparison to normal-weight participants. Other body composition parameters showed similar correlations. Fat mass and waist circumference were found to correlate positively with the Firmicutes taxa and negatively with the Bacteroidetes taxa. In contrast, lean body mass and muscle mass demonstrated a positive correlation with the Bacteroidetes taxa. Notably, these correlations were more pronounced in athletes than in obese and normal-weight individuals. The composition of the gut microbiome is evidently different in overweight individuals or athletes of all age groups, with the former tending towards decreased Bacteroidetes taxa and increased Firmicutes taxa, while a reversed relationship is observed concerning athletes. Further studies are needed to explore the dynamic relationship between energy intake, body composition, and the gut microbiome across the human lifespan.