Exercise Intervention for Depression from the Perspective of Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: A Review

© 2026 by the Authors. Licensee Whioce Publishing, Singapore. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )

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Abstract

Depression is a mental disorder with a complex pathogenesis. In recent years, the “gut-brain axis” theory has revealed the key role of gut microbiota dysbiosis in its development. Studies have shown that exercise can effectively improve gut microbiota dysbiosis and alleviate depressive symptoms. From the perspective of gut microbiota dysbiosis, this paper systematically explores the potential mechanisms of exercise in preventing and treating depression. The paper reviews how exercise intervenes in neurotransmitter pathways and HPA axis function through multiple dimensions, such as regulating microbial structure, inhibiting the proliferation of pro-inflammatory bacteria, and promoting the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids. Combined with the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory of “Yu syndrome”, the article proposes an integrated prevention and treatment approach of “exercise—gut microbiota—brain function.” Finally, it looks forward to future research directions.

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