Meditation in Motion: Sport Type and Meditation Level Shape Gut Microbiota Profiles in Aikido and Tai Chi Practitioners

Regular practice of meditative movement disciplines such as Tai Chi and Aikido is associated with distinct patterns of gut bacteria composition, though not with overall microbial diversity. In 42 adult practitioners, those with deeper meditation states showed different bacterial community structures compared to those with shallower states. Specific beneficial bacteria linked to short-chain fatty acid production, like Faecalibacterium and Roseburia, were more abundant in Aikido practitioners who reported higher meditation depth, while Tai Chi practitioners had higher levels of Prevotella and Collinsella. These findings are preliminary and hypothesis-generating due to the cross-sectional design, and further longitudinal research is needed.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Mind–body practices integrating movement and meditation, such as Tai Chi and Aikido, have been proposed to influence the gut–brain axis through combined physiological and psychological pathways. However, evidence regarding their association with gut microbiota composition remains limited. This study explored gut microbiota diversity and taxonomic profiles in regular practitioners of Tai Chi and Aikido across different levels of meditation depth. Forty-two adults practicing Tai Chi or Aikido provided fecal samples for 16S rRNA sequencing, and meditation depth was assessed using the Meditation Depth Questionnaire (MEDEQ). Alpha diversity did not differ significantly between groups, although a descriptive trend toward higher diversity with increasing meditation depth was observed. Beta-diversity analyses suggested compositional differences associated with meditation level (ANOSIM R = 0.191, p = 0.035), along with an exploratory interaction signal between practice type and meditation depth (ANOSIM R = 0.296, p = 0.001). Taxonomic profiling highlighted distinct microbial patterns associated with both practice type and meditation depth. Short-chain fatty acid-associated genera, including Faecalibacterium and Roseburia, were relatively more abundant in Aikido practitioners with higher meditation scores, whereas Tai Chi practitioners showed higher relative abundances of Prevotella and Collinsella. Overall, these findings indicate that meditative movement practices are associated with distinct gut microbiota compositional patterns within this cohort. Given the exploratory and cross-sectional design, these results should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating. Future longitudinal studies incorporating functional and clinical outcomes are needed to clarify underlying mechanisms.