A key metabolic activity of the gut microbiota is the fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrate, which generates short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as the principal end products. SCFAs are absorbed from the gut lumen and modulate host metabolic responses at different organ sites. Evidence suggests that these organ sites include skeletal muscle, the largest organ in humans, which plays a pivotal role in whole-body energy metabolism. In this Review, we evaluate the evidence indicating that SCFAs mediate metabolic cross-talk between the gut microbiota and skeletal muscle. We discuss the effects of three primary SCFAs (acetate, propionate and butyrate) on lipid, carbohydrate and protein metabolism in skeletal muscle, and we consider the potential mechanisms involved. Furthermore, we highlight the emerging roles of these gut-derived metabolites in skeletal muscle function and exercise capacity, present limitations in current knowledge and provide suggestions for future work.

肠道菌群的关键代谢活动是不可消化的碳水化合物的发酵，它产生短链脂肪酸（SCFA）作为主要终产物。SCFA从肠腔吸收，并调节不同器官部位的宿主代谢反应。有证据表明，这些器官部位包括骨骼肌，这是人类最大的器官，在全身能量代谢中起着关键作用。在这篇综述中，我们评估了表明SCFA介导肠道菌群和骨骼肌之间的代谢串扰的证据。我们讨论了三种主要SCFA（乙酸，丙酸和丁酸）对骨骼肌脂质，碳水化合物和蛋白质代谢的影响，并考虑了潜在的机制。此外，