Mechanisms by Which Exercise Alleviates Depressive Symptoms: The Potential Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids
- 1School of Physical Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
Abstract
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are important metabolic products generated by the gut microbiota and they play a crucial role in maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, regulating immune responses, and participating in neural modulation. In recent years, accumulating evidence has indicated that dysregulated SCFA levels are closely associated with depressive states and the onset and progression of depression. SCFAs may be involved in the pathophysiology of depression through multiple pathways, including modulation of gut microbiota homeostasis, inflammatory responses, vagal nerve signaling, and 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) metabolism. This review summarizes the roles of SCFAs in depressive states and depression, the regulatory effects of different exercise modalities on SCFA metabolism, and the potential mechanisms by which exercise-mediated SCFA modulation alleviates depressive symptoms, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for exercise-based interventions in depression.
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BibTeX
@article{zhang2026mechanisms,
title = {{Mechanisms by Which Exercise Alleviates Depressive Symptoms: The Potential Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids}},
author = {Qin Zhang and Jiheng Yuan and Zhengrui Wang and Jing Miao and Hongyu Gong and Yumei Han},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/nu18203311},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/20/3311},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mechanisms by Which Exercise Alleviates Depressive Symptoms: The Potential Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids
AU - Qin Zhang
AU - Jiheng Yuan
AU - Zhengrui Wang
AU - Jing Miao
AU - Hongyu Gong
AU - Yumei Han
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18203311
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/20/3311
AB - Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are important metabolic products generated by the gut microbiota and they play a crucial role in maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, regulating immune responses, and participating in neural modulation. In recent years, accumulating evidence has indicated that dysregulated SCFA levels are closely associated with depressive states and the onset and progression of depression. SCFAs may be involved in the pathophysiology of depression through multiple pathways, including modulation of gut microbiota homeostasis, inflammatory responses, vagal nerve signaling, and 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) metabolism. This review summarizes the roles of SCFAs in depressive states and depression, the regulatory effects of different exercise modalities on SCFA metabolism, and the potential mechanisms by which exercise-mediated SCFA modulation alleviates depressive symptoms, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for exercise-based interventions in depression.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -