Roseburia inulinivorans increases muscle strength.

Roseburia inulinivorans is linked to increased muscle strength and may serve as a probiotic for age-related muscle-wasting conditions.

• Why it matters: Understanding how gut bacteria influence muscle health could lead to new treatments for muscle-wasting disorders, which are currently limited in options.
• What they did: Metagenomic analyses in younger and older adults identified R. inulinivorans as positively associated with strength measures; its effects were tested through oral supplementation in antibiotic-treated mice, combined with metabolomic and muscle phenotyping.
• The result: Supplementation with R. inulinivorans enhanced grip strength in mice, reduced amino acid levels in the caecum and plasma, and increased muscle fiber size, suggesting its potential to modulate muscle metabolism and function.