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Altered muscle-immune-gut axis response to eccentric exercise in men with well-controlled type 1 diabetes: a pilot
Bartłomiej Matejko1,2, Małgorzata Morawska-Tota3, Sandra Mrozińska2,4
1Department of Metabolic Diseases, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland.
Frontiers in Physiology
|August 6, 2026
Summary
Eccentric exercise causes a more severe inflammatory and muscle damage response in men with type 1 diabetes (T1D) compared to healthy individuals. This highlights the need for tailored exercise and recovery strategies for people with T1D.
Area of Science:
- Exercise physiology
- Immunology
- Metabolic disorders
Background:
- Eccentric exercise is crucial in sports but can cause muscle damage and inflammation.
- Physical activity is vital for type 1 diabetes (T1D) management.
- The muscle-immune-gut axis response to eccentric exercise in T1D is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the integrated muscle-immune-gut response to eccentric exercise in men with T1D.
- To compare these responses between individuals with T1D and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- 39 physically active men (19 with T1D, 20 controls) performed a 30-minute downhill run.
- Blood samples analyzed for muscle damage, inflammation, hormonal, and gut markers (zonulin) at baseline, 1, and 24 hours post-exercise.
Main Results:
- Men with T1D exhibited significantly more severe and prolonged inflammatory responses (higher IL-6, TNF-α) compared to controls.
- Muscle damage markers were higher and lasted longer (up to 24 hours) in the T1D group.
- Elevated cortisol and zonulin levels in T1D suggest prolonged physiological stress and gut-immune alterations.
Conclusions:
- Active men with T1D experience more intense and prolonged inflammatory and metabolic responses to eccentric exercise than healthy individuals.
- These findings emphasize the importance of the muscle-immune-gut axis in T1D.
- Individualized training loads and recovery strategies are necessary for optimizing exercise adaptation in people with T1D.
