Ultra-Endurance triathlon competition shifts fecal metabolome independent of changes to microbiome composition

This is the first study to characterize acute changes in gut microbial ecology and metabolism following an ultra-endurance triathlon. We demonstrate changes in gut microbial community function, but not structure, as well as several associations between gut microbiome and fecal metabolome characteristics with race completion time and lifetime history of endurance training. These data add to a small but growing body of literature seeking to characterize the acute and chronic effects of exercise on the gut microbial ecosystem.