REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
This article is part of the Research TopicGut Microbiome Influences in Mood Disorders: Unveiling the Gut-Brain AxisView all 3 articles
Mechanisms of aerobic exercise effects on the gut microbiota and its metabolites in anxiety disorders
Provisionally accepted
- Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
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Anxiety disorders are prevalent and disabling conditions that frequently co-occur with major depression, alcohol and substance abuse disorders, and personality disorders. While psychopharmacological treatments and cognitive-behavioral therapy are the primary interventions for anxiety disorders, up to 30% of patients exhibit inadequate treatment responses, and approximately 40% relapse within the first year after discontinuing medication. Moreover, medication-related side effects have a significant impact on patients' quality of life. These limitations highlight the urgent need for more comprehensive research into the underlying pathophysiology of anxiety disorders to facilitate the development of more effective therapeutic strategies. In this context, aerobic exercise has consistently been linked to improvements in physical health, life satisfaction, cognitive functioning, and psychological well-being. Aerobic exercise may serve as an effective and cost-efficient alternative for managing various anxiety disorders. This review explores the potential mechanisms through which aerobic exercise influences anxiety disorders, focusing on its effects on gut microbiota and related metabolites. The findings aim to propose novel therapeutic strategies for patients with anxiety disorders and provide a theoretical foundation for future research in this field.
Keywords: Anxiety Disorders, aerobic exercise, Gut Microbiota, Metabolites, Microbiota-gut-brain axis
Received: 09 Oct 2025; Accepted: 26 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zheng, Qu, Yao, Li, Dong, Xing, Yang, Guo and Huang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Hao Guo
Peng Huang
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