High-fiber diet and rope-skipping benefit cardiometabolic health and modulate gut microbiota in young adults: A randomized controlled trial

[Display omitted] •RS and HF can improve CRFs in young adults after 12w-intervention.•RS and HF can alter gut microbiota in young adults after 12w-intervention.•No differences between HF and RS interventions in CRFs were observed.•Differences between HF and RS interventions in gut microbiota were determined. Previous studies have shown that high intake of dietary fiber (DF) and efficient levels of physical activity are beneficial for cardiometabolic health in middle-aged and elderly populations with cardiometabolic disease. However, evidence from young adults with low cardiometabolic risk is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the effects of various interventions including a high-fiber (HF) diet and the rope-skipping (RS) exercise on cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs) and the composition of the gut microbiota in young adults. A 12-week parallel-designed randomized controlled trial was conducted in undergraduates (n = 96), who were randomly assigned to the HF group (≥20 g/d DF), the RS group (2000 jumps/week), and the control (CON) group. Among the 84 people who completed the trial, measurements of anthropometric characteristics, biochemical parameters, and gut microbiota were taken at the beginning and end of the intervention. After the intervention, the RS exercise led to a significant decrease in the heart rate and triglyceride levels compared to the CON group (all P