Effect of Fiber-Rich Diet and Rope Skipping on Memory, Executive Function, and Gut Microbiota in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

SCOPE: To investigate the effects of fiber-rich diets (FDs), rope skipping (RS), and the combination of these two interventions (fiber-rich diet with rope skipping [FD-RS]) on memory, executive function in young adults, and to explore their relationship with gut microbiota. MATERIALS AND RESULTS: The study is a 12-week parallel-design randomized controlled trial in which 120 undergraduates (19 ± 1 years) are randomized to FD (fiber ≥ 20 g day-1 ), RS (3 × 2000 times per week), FD-RS or control group (n = 30 per group). Memory and executive function are assessed by scales, and stool samples are collected at baseline and after the intervention. FD group and FD-RS group show fewer prospective and retrospective subjective memory impairments than the control group, but there is no significant difference between FD-RS and the intervention alone (FD or RS). No obvious change in executive function is observed throughout the trial. In terms of the gut microbiota, the α-diversity does not increase, but the microbial community evenness improves after the RS and FD intervention. Additionally, the relative abundance of phylum Firmicutes and genera Faecalibacterium, Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group in the RS group and NK4A214_group in the FD group significantly increase. In the RS group, a correlation is found between the increase in microbial evenness and the improvement in retrospective memory. CONCLUSION: The FD and FD-RS have beneficial effects on memory in young adults. Meanwhile, FD and RS can improve the microbial evenness and increase several beneficial genera of phylum Firmicutes.

High-fiber diet and rope-skipping benefit cardiometabolic health and modulate gut microbiota in young adults: A randomized controlled trial.

Previous studies have shown that high intake of dietary fiber (DF) and efficient levels of physical activity are beneficial for cardiometabolic health in middle-aged and elderly populations with cardiometabolic disease. However, evidence from young adults with low cardiometabolic risk is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the effects of various interventions including a high-fiber (HF) diet and the rope-skipping (RS) exercise on cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs) and the composition of the gut microbiota in young adults. A 12-week parallel-designed randomized controlled trial was conducted in undergraduates (n = 96), who were randomly assigned to the HF group (≥20 g/d DF), the RS group (2000 jumps/week), and the control (CON) group. Among the 84 people who completed the trial, measurements of anthropometric characteristics, biochemical parameters, and gut microbiota were taken at the beginning and end of the intervention. After the intervention, the RS exercise led to a significant decrease in the heart rate and triglyceride levels compared to the CON group (all P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in CRFs between the HF and CON groups. When compared to baseline, the 12-week HF diet intervention resulted in an increase in fat-free mass, and a decrease in the percentage of body fat and waist circumference (all P < 0.05). With regard to gut microbiota alterations after intervention, we found that compared with the CON group, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus decreased significantly in both the HF group and the RS group, Muribaculaceae decreased in the RS group, and Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group decreased in the HF group (all P < 0.05). Finally, shifts in 7 metabolic pathways were detected in the RS group using predictive functional profiling, while only one pathway was altered in the HF group (all P < 0.05). In conclusion, the RS exercise improved body composition compared to the CON group in young adults, while the HF diet just enhanced CRFs in contrast to baseline. Furthermore, both RS and HF interventions altered Lactobacillus and various other gut microbiota. The results indicated that the HF diet and RS exercise could partly benefit cardiometabolic health and modulate gut microbiota in young adults. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04834687.

Effects of Caloric Restriction and Rope-Skipping Exercise on Cardiometabolic Health: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial in Young Adults.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of calorie restriction (CR), rope-skipping (RS) exercise, and their joint effects on cardiometabolic health in young adults. An 8-week randomized trial was conducted on 46 undergraduates aged 19-21 y from South China. The participants were randomized into the following three groups: Calorie restriction (CR) group (n = 14), Rope-skipping (RS) group (n = 14), and CR plus RS (CR-RS) group (n = 12). At both allocation and the end of the intervention, data on anthropometry, serum metabolic, and inflammatory markers were collected. A total of 40 participants completed the intervention and were included in the analysis. After the 8-week intervention, the participants from the CR group and the CR-RS group reduced in body weight (-1.1 ± 1.7 kg, -1.3 ± 2.0 kg), body mass index (-0.4 ± 0.6 kg/m2, -0.5 ± 0.7 kg/m2), body fat percentage (-1.2 ± 1.6%, -1.7 ± 1.8%), and body fat mass (-1.1 kg (-2.2, -0.3), -1.1 kg (-2.5, -0.4)) compared to the baseline (p < 0.05 or p = 0.051). For metabolic and inflammatory factors, the participants in the CR-RS group showed significant decreases in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.40 mmol/L) and interleukin-8 (-0.73 mmol/L). While all the above markers showed no significant difference among the groups after intervention, in the subgroup of overweight/obese participants (n = 23), the CR-RS group had significantly lower blood pressure, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-8 levels than the CR or RS groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, both CR and CR-RS could reduce weight and improve body composition in young adults. More importantly, in those with overweight or obesity, CR-RS intervention might be superior to either CR or RS in improving cardiometabolic health.