Awareness of the relationship between microbiota and exercise: an education-based evaluation

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HACIOĞLU Ö., ÖZÜBERK B., Sakarya S.

Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira, cilt.72, sa.5, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

Özet

OBJECTIVE: Individuals who are cognizant of microbiota and exercise connections may come to understand that exercise not only benefits their physical health but also has favorable effects on their internal balance and microbiota. In this context, the aim of this educational study was to illustrate how the balance between exercise and microbiota functions for the promotion of a healthy life. METHODS: The training sessions were conducted for 2 h per week and took place face-to-face over a period of 4 weeks. The data collection instruments used in the study included the Microbiota Awareness Scale, the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form to assess participants’ current levels of physical activity. All scales, except for the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, were administered to the participants during both the pre-test and post-test. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 25.0 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 47 students participated in the education. The average age of the participants was 23±1.6 years. The students were found to be very active, with a mean physical activity level score of 8,685.36±6,684.09 Metabolic Equivalent-min/week. The average score of students in the microbiota knowledge pre-test was 42.5±1.4 out of 100, while the average score in the post-test was determined to be 87.5±3.2. The average score of the Exercise Benefit/Barrier Scale before the training was 86±24.97, while after the training it was 90.18±22.10. CONCLUSION: It has been determined that the applied microbiota and exercise training helped participants establish a balance between exercise and microbiota for a healthy life.