Application of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 in the preparation of health foods or drugs that enhance exercise motivation

Abstract

This invention discloses the application of *Lactobacillus plantarum* TWK10 in the preparation of health foods or drugs that enhance exercise motivation. *Lactobacillus plantarum* TWK10, with its Latin name *Lactobacillus plantarum*, was deposited on June 27, 2022, at the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center (CGMCC), located at No. 3, Courtyard 1, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, with accession number CGMCC NO. 25190. This invention fills a technological gap in the field of probiotics for sports psychology intervention, providing a new strategy for "physiological-psychological" dual-effect intervention in sports nutrition, and can be further applied to weight management.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the application of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 in the preparation of health foods or medicines that enhance exercise motivation. It belongs to the field of probiotic application technology. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, the theories of the "gut-muscle axis" and the "gut-brain axis" have revealed a deep connection between gut microbiota and exercise physiology. Studies have shown that gut microbiota dysbiosis can affect exercise performance through multiple mechanisms, including: increasing intestinal permeability leading to endotoxin entry into the bloodstream and triggering inflammation; interfering with tryptophan metabolism and affecting dopamine synthesis, thereby reducing exercise motivation; and reducing the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and affecting muscle energy metabolism.

[0003] Multiple studies have confirmed that gut microbiota dysbiosis is one of the major culprits behind exercise fatigue and decreased motivation to exercise. Disorders of tryptophan metabolism can lead to dopamine deficiency, which not only weakens exercise motivation but also reduces post-exercise pleasure.

[0004] Currently, several probiotic strains have been proven to improve athletic performance, mainly focusing on the following aspects: (1) Anti-fatigue and endurance improvement:

[0005] Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 is one of the most thoroughly studied probiotics for exercise. Based on 28 international publications and 8 human clinical trials, this strain can significantly increase VO2max, prolong exercise endurance time, and reduce post-exercise lactic acid buildup. Previous studies have demonstrated that TWK10 can improve energy metabolism by activating the AMPK pathway, increasing fatty acid uptake, and enhancing mitochondrial biosynthesis.

[0006] Clinical trials have shown that Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 supplementation for 4 weeks can increase plasma branched-chain amino acid levels, reduce oxidative stress markers, and significantly prevent the decline in neuromuscular efficiency after a half marathon. Furthermore, Lactobacillus plantarum PL-02 can increase muscle mass and glycogen storage.

[0007] (2) Muscle recovery and injury repair:

[0008] Bifidobacterium longum OLP-01 can improve exercise endurance and reduce fatigue indicators such as lactate, ammonia, and creatine kinase (CK); Streptococcus thermophilus FP4 and Bifidobacterium breve BR03 can reduce IL-6 levels and accelerate muscle recovery; Lactobacillus paracasei PS23 (including live and heat-inactivated forms) can significantly slow down exercise-induced muscle strength loss and reduce muscle damage and inflammatory markers.

[0009] (3) Immune regulation and prevention of upper respiratory tract infections:

[0010] Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota can increase secretory IgA levels and reduce the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), thereby reducing training interruptions caused by illness.

[0011] (4) Improved body composition:

[0012] A double-blind study in June 2024 showed that Lactobacillus plantarum supplementation significantly increased muscle mass, while intervention with Lactococcus lactis and compound probiotics significantly reduced body fat percentage.

[0013] Although there is ample evidence for TWK10's improvement in exercise physiology, the following key shortcomings in the prior art provide a basis for the inventiveness of this invention: (1) The psychological driver of exercise willingness has not been given attention: Existing clinical studies on TWK10 have focused on the improvement of objective physiological indicators (VO2max, lactate, CK, muscle mass, etc.) and have never involved the evaluation of the subjective psychological indicator of "exercise willingness". Exercise willingness is a key factor in predicting exercise compliance and the maintenance of long-term exercise behavior. Current technology has failed to prove that TWK10 can actively improve an individual's intrinsic motivation to participate in exercise by regulating neurotransmitter metabolism in the gut-brain axis.

[0014] (2) Mechanism of action is limited to the gut-muscle axis: it has not been extended to the gut-brain axis. Existing research has confirmed that TWK10 improves muscle energy metabolism and fatigue recovery through the gut-muscle axis, but there is a lack of research on its mechanism of action in regulating the reward circuit of the central nervous system and improving exercise motivation through the gut-brain axis. Specifically, existing technology has not revealed the regulatory effects of TWK10 on dopamine synthesis, serotonin metabolism and HPA axis function, which are the neurobiological basis of exercise volition.

[0015] (3) Application scenarios are limited to "improving performance": The existing TWK10 application mainly targets the physiological performance optimization of people with existing exercise habits (such as athletes and fitness enthusiasts), and fails to address the health needs of a broader population who have difficulty starting exercise. For the general population who lack the motivation to exercise due to work pressure, emotional disorders, and low dopamine function, the existing technology lacks targeted intervention strategies.

[0016] (4) Lack of explanatory mechanisms for individual differences: Some studies have shown that the effects of the same probiotic intervention vary significantly among different individuals. Existing technologies have failed to explain this difference from the perspective of "baseline exercise willingness level", nor have they provided a solution to enhance intervention compliance by increasing exercise willingness. Summary of the Invention

[0017] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide the application of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 in the preparation of health foods or drugs that enhance exercise motivation.

[0018] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: 1. Application of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 in the preparation of health foods or drugs that enhance exercise motivation. The Latin name of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 is Lactobacillus plantarum, which was deposited at the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center on June 27, 2022. The deposit address is No. 3, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, and the deposit number is CGMCC NO.25190.

[0019] As one of the preferred technical solutions, the target groups for increasing exercise willingness include, but are not limited to: sedentary people, people with chronic fatigue, and those with low exercise adherence.

[0020] 2. The use of a composition containing Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 in the preparation of health foods or medicines that enhance exercise motivation, wherein the Latin name of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 is Lactobacillus plantarum, which was deposited at the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center on June 27, 2022, at No. 3, Courtyard 1, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, with accession number CGMCC NO.25190.

[0021] As one of the preferred technical solutions, the target groups for increasing exercise willingness include, but are not limited to: sedentary people, people with chronic fatigue, and those with low exercise adherence.

[0022] Beneficial effects of the present invention: The present invention provides the application of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 in the preparation of health foods or drugs that improve exercise motivation. The Latin name of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 is Lactobacillus plantarum, which was deposited at the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center on June 27, 2022. The deposit address is No. 3, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, and the deposit number is CGMCC NO.25190.

[0023] This invention has, for the first time, demonstrated through systematic clinical studies: 1. Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 has the function of significantly improving the willingness to exercise. This psychological driving effect has not been disclosed in the prior art or protected by the claims.

[0024] 2. Expand the application of TWK10 from "optimizing the physiological performance of athletes" to "promoting exercise initiation in the general population", which is particularly suitable for exercise motivation intervention for sedentary people, people with chronic fatigue, and people with low exercise compliance.

[0025] 3. Existing technologies only prove that TWK10 can improve "physiological performance when able to exercise", while this invention proves that it can solve the problem of "psychological drive to exercise". The two are fundamentally different in terms of technical effects, mechanisms of action and application scenarios.

[0026] This invention fills a technological gap in the field of probiotics for sports psychology intervention, providing a new strategy for "physiological-psychological" dual-effect intervention in sports nutrition. Further applications in weight management have the following characteristics: 1. It offers a more balanced and practical weight management approach without relying entirely on drastic calorie reduction. Maintaining skeletal muscle mass under gentler calorie control (control group: primarily relying on a 2.6-fold calorie reduction), Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 helps support a more balanced weight management approach. Without excessive reliance on calorie restriction, it not only helps reduce fat but also helps maintain and increase muscle mass, contributing to the maintenance of muscle-related body composition during weight control.

[0027] 2. Increase and maintain daily activity levels. Improvements in activity levels during weight management not only occur earlier but also have good sustainability. Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 can alter exercise habits, making people more willing to exercise and significantly increasing their activity levels. This effect makes weight management more effective and sustainable. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will be further described below with reference to embodiments. It should be noted that the following description is only for explaining the present invention and does not limit its content.

[0029] Test method:

[0030] Subjects: Overweight and mildly obese adults with a BMI of 25–33. Trial design: 12 weeks, randomized, double-blind, controlled.

[0031] Test product supplements: 10 billion CFU of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 and 10 billion CFU of Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 were added daily, purchased from the official PS128 flagship store.

[0032] Dietary control criteria: A reduction of approximately 500 kcal per day compared to the usual diet. Exercise intervention criteria: Daily physical activity that burns at least 300 kcal. This trial enrolled 120 eligible adult male and female participants aged 19 to 75 years, who were randomly assigned to experimental group A (supplemented with TWK10) (n=40), experimental group B (supplemented with PS128) (n=40), and control group (n=40). Participants took the experimental or control product for 12 consecutive weeks. Physical activity levels (MET) were compared: The GPAQ (Global Physical Activity Questionnaire) was used to assess participants' physical activity levels at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th visits.

[0033] Physical activity was investigated and physical activity levels (MET, metabolic equivalent task) were identified.

[0034] MET (minutes / week) = MET value × activity time (minutes) × activity frequency (days).

[0035] Experimental results:

[0036] Table 1 shows a comparison of GPAQ physical activity levels (MET).

[0037] In group A, MET significantly increased by 837.50 hours after 6 weeks of product intake compared to pre-intake levels. After 12 weeks of product intake compared to pre-intake levels, MET significantly increased by 1094.37 hours.

[0038] In group B, MET significantly increased by 634.84 hours after 6 weeks of product intake compared to pre-intake levels. After 12 weeks of product intake compared to pre-intake levels, MET significantly increased by 875.25 hours.

[0039] In the control group, MET significantly increased by 966.14 hours after 12 weeks of product intake compared to pre-intake levels. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant.

[0040] Table 1. MET Measurement Results

[0041] Change: Measurements taken n weeks after product intake - Measurements taken before product intake.

[0042] Physical activity level (MET) analysis revealed that during weight management, group A (TWK10 supplementation group) significantly increased MET by week 6, with the effect lasting until week 12. This indicates that subjects began increasing their daily activity levels earlier, and this change persisted throughout the trial period. Furthermore, the changes in group A between weeks 6 and 12 were significantly different from those in group B and the control group (p<0.05). This suggests that *Lactobacillus plantarum* TWK10 can alter exercise habits, increase willingness to exercise, and significantly increase the amount of exercise, making weight management more effective and sustainable. Moreover, the effect was better than that of group B.

[0043] While group B showed a similar trend to group A, the changes at 6 and 12 weeks were not significantly different between the two groups compared to the control group.

[0044] While the specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, they are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Based on the technical solutions of the present invention, various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art without creative effort are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. The application of *Lactobacillus plantarum* TWK10 in the preparation of health foods or drugs that enhance exercise motivation, characterized in that... The Latin name of the Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 is Lactobacillus plantarum. It was deposited at the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center on June 27, 2022. The deposit address is No. 3, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, and the accession number is CGMCC NO.25190.

2. The application according to claim 1, characterized in that, People who can increase their willingness to exercise include, but are not limited to: sedentary people, people with chronic fatigue, and those with low exercise adherence.

3. The use of a composition containing *Lactobacillus plantarum* TWK10 in the preparation of health foods or medicines that enhance exercise motivation, characterized in that... The Latin name of the Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 is Lactobacillus plantarum. It was deposited at the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center on June 27, 2022. The deposit address is No. 3, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, and the accession number is CGMCC NO.25190.

4. The application according to claim 3, characterized in that, People who can increase their willingness to exercise include, but are not limited to: sedentary people, people with chronic fatigue, and those with low exercise adherence.

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