The study investigates the impact of exercise and diet on gut microbial diversity, focusing on professional rugby players and two control groups matched for physical size, age, and gender. The results show that athletes have a higher diversity of gut microorganisms, representing 22 distinct phyla, which positively correlates with protein consumption and creatine kinase levels. Athletes also exhibit lower inflammatory and improved metabolic markers compared to controls. The study highlights the complex relationship between exercise, diet, and gut microbiota, suggesting that a combination of these factors can influence gut microbial diversity and health outcomes.The study investigates the impact of exercise and diet on gut microbial diversity, focusing on professional rugby players and two control groups matched for physical size, age, and gender. The results show that athletes have a higher diversity of gut microorganisms, representing 22 distinct phyla, which positively correlates with protein consumption and creatine kinase levels. Athletes also exhibit lower inflammatory and improved metabolic markers compared to controls. The study highlights the complex relationship between exercise, diet, and gut microbiota, suggesting that a combination of these factors can influence gut microbial diversity and health outcomes.