Modulation of gas exchange and gut microbiota in athletes by a wheat germ oil-based metabiotic emulsion

Natural products derived from the deep processing of plant raw materials, particularly wheat germ oil, as well as metabiotic substances that enhance the effects of target biologically active compounds, represent effective and promising agents for improving nutritional status and preventing pathological conditions. Changes in gas exchange efficiency were assessed in a group of student-athletes aged 20 to 21 years, who were members of university national teams, following daily consumption of a wheat germ oil-based metabiotic emulsion. Daily intake of the test product for 30 days resulted in a 0.22% increase in CO₂ levels in the exhaled gas mixture, a 0.24% decrease in O₂ concentration, and a 0.59% increase in SpO₂. Compared to baseline values, these changes corresponded to relative increases of 4.81%, 1.5%, and 0.59%, respectively. Analysis of the intestinal microbiome composition revealed a predominance of representatives from five major phyla, primarily Firmicutes (56.4%) and Bacteroidetes (40.6%), followed by Actinobacteria (2.2%), Proteobacteria (0.7%), and Verrucomicrobia (0.1%). The most abundant species were Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (Firmicutes) and Prevotella copri (Bacteroidetes), comprising 39.8% and 26.1% of the total, respectively. Statistically significant increases of 0.23% and 0.22% were observed for Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Anaerostipes hadrus, respectively. No statistically significant differences in gut microbiome composition were found for the remaining microbial taxa studied. These preliminary data indicate a potential increase in the efficiency of energy metabolism and positive modulation of the intestinal microbiome in the study group of student-athletes.