Gut microbiome shifts in Polish mountaineers at high altitude
32 samples from Polish adult male mountaineers, collected before and after multi-week high-altitude expeditions (>3,000 masl), in an intervention study examining diet- and altitude-related gut microbiome changes. machine-written summary
32 samples · 32 runs · PL · Adult · 2025 · 2.75 Gbp / sample
Checked this project's papers and archive records yourself? Mark it human-verified.
what each source gave
| ✓ Sequence archive | 128 sample values (collection date, country, subject id, timepoint) |
| ○ Abstract / description | read; no usable statement |
| ✓ Full text | 96 sample values (lifestyle, location site, sex) · PMC12559227 |
| ○ Supplementary tables | files read; no table could be matched to the samples |
| – External resources | not covered by the external resources we ingest |
| – User contribution | nothing uploaded yet |
| – Human verified | not yet checked by a person · I checked this project — verify it |
longitudinal — not resolved
16 of 16 people sampled more than once (32 samples; median 2, up to 2 per person). Schedule stated by the source: “Stool collected ~2 weeks before expedition and up to 4 days (3.88±1.49 days) after returning from a multi-week (>3 week) expedition above 3,000 masl.”.
Genera, mean relative abundance over 25 profiled gut samples of this project (Sandpiper SingleM profiles, GTDB R232; low-depth and non-metagenome profiles left out).
| field | samples | coverage | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| age_category | 32 | 100% | ||||
| country | 32 | 100% | 32 | |||
| health_condition | 0 | 0% | ||||
| subject_id | 32 | 100% | 32 | |||
| collection_date | 32 | 100% | 32 | |||
| detailed_location | 32 | 100% | ||||
| lifestyle | 32 | 100% | 32 | |||
| location_site | 32 | 100% | 32 | |||
| sex | 32 | 100% | 32 | |||
| timepoint_label | 32 | 100% | 32 |
- High-altitude mountaineering induces adaptive gut microbiome shifts associated with dietary intake and performance markers. 2025 PMID 41145643 PMC12559227 own_data
Archive description
Background: High-altitude mountaineering presents challenges like hypoxia, extreme temperatures, and limited food availability, potentially affecting athletes’ health, performance, and the gut microbiome - a key mediator of nutrient metabolism and immune function. Objectives: This study examined how high-altitude exposure and expedition-specific dietary changes influence gut microbiome composition, functional pathways, and their relationships with performance and health markers in experienced mountaineers. Methods: Seventeen Polish male mountaineers (23–40 years old) participating in multi-week expeditions above 3000 masl were assessed before and after their climbs. Assessments included dietary intake analysis, blood and urine biomarkers, aerobic and anaerobic performance tests (VO₂max and Wingate tests), and metagenomic sequencing of the gut microbiome. Bioinformatic and statistical analyses evaluated changes in microbiome composition and function and their correlations with physiological and dietary parameters. Results: High-altitude exposure was associated with significant shifts in gut microbial composition and functional capacity. While the total number of bacterial species and functions remained stable, the glucose degradation pathway increased post-expedition. Participants with greater microbiome shifts showed improved performance (e.g., higher VT₂ pace) and had richer baseline microbiomes. Pre-expedition, certain microbial functions were associated with vitamin B₆ and C intake, while post-expedition correlations involved specific macronutrients and micronutrients. Additionally, some microbiome changes correlated with blood markers, indicating links to nutrient metabolism and electrolyte balance. Conclusions: The gut microbiome of high-altitude mountaineers adapts to extreme environmental stress and dietary changes, influencing metabolic, immune, and performance-related processes. Optimizing dietary strategies to support a beneficial microbiome profile may enhance resilience and performance in challenging high-altitude environments.
How this project entered the registry
Classified as human gut / stool / vaginal / urogenital / blood / tissue / internal fluids shotgun DNA metagenome of adult by deterministic_prior with confidence 0.90. Assay shotgun_dna.
- host external_curation.infant_catalog · “infant triage reason_code age_adult_only”
- body site study.title · “mountaineering induces adaptive gut microbiome shifts associated”
- body site study.description · “performance, and the gut microbiome - a”
- body site study.description · “analysis, blood and urine biomarkers, aerobic and”
- body site study.description · “dietary intake analysis, blood and urine biomarkers,”
- life stage external_curation.infant_catalog · “infant triage reason_code age_adult_only”
Evidence examples (one per field × route)
| sample | field | value | route | conf. | source | quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAMEA117586683 | collection_date | 2023 | R1 | 0.90 | biosample.attribute:collection_date | 2023 |
| SAMEA117586683 | country | PL | R1 | 0.90 | sample.attr.geographic_location_country_and_or_sea | Poland |
| SAMEA117586683 | lifestyle | extreme_environment | R3 | 0.70 | paper.fulltext.methods | 17 male mountaineers from Poland |
| SAMEA117586683 | location_site | high-mountain clubs affiliated with the Polish Mountaineering Association | R3 | 0.70 | paper.fulltext.methods | members of high-mountain clubs affiliated with the Polish Mountaineering Association |
| SAMEA117586683 | sex | male | R3 | 0.70 | paper.fulltext.methods | 17 male mountaineers from Poland |
| SAMEA117586683 | subject_id | A1 | R1 | 0.70 | sample.name_rule:alias | A1MHWI |
| SAMEA117586683 | timepoint_label | Before | R1 | 0.85 | sample.attr.timepoint | Before |
Sequencing
32 runs over 32 samples · mean 3.00 Gbp per run (median 2.75 Gbp, total 96.04 Gbp; 32 runs with a base count) · layout PAIRED 32 · platform ILLUMINA 32 · models Illumina NovaSeq 6000 (32) · 78% of runs with a Sandpiper profile · first public 2025-01-14
Authors (6)
Karpęcka-Gałka E first · Zielińska K · Frączek B · Łabaj PP · Kościółek T · Humińska-Lisowska K last
Downloads
PRJEB84244.csv.gz (1.8 KB) · parquet (71.1 KB) — all 32 samples, every field with route and confidence · PRJEB84244_determinations.csv.gz (2.2 KB) — 224 evidence rows