ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2026
Microbial Communities Across Sports Surfaces: Exploring the Biology of Athletic Environments.
Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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4 authors.
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Abstract
Athletic environments-ranging from natural grass pitches and synthetic crumb-rubber turf to indoor mats and hardwood courts-are increasingly recognized as dynamic built-environment microbiomes rather than inert platforms. These surfaces are continuously exposed to human skin contact, perspiration and environmental debris, and may act as reservoirs for both beneficial commensals and opportunistic pathogens. The present study characterized and compared the taxonomic diversity of bacterial communities across four distinct sports surfaces and tested whether surface material or intensity of human use is the stronger determinant of community structure. Environmental swabs were collected from natural grass pitches, synthetic crumb-rubber turf, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) karate mats and hardwood squash courts, before and after sporting activity. Bacterial communities were profiled by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, with taxonomic assignment against the SILVA reference database. Alpha diversity was quantified using the Shannon and Simpson indices, and community structure (beta diversity) was visualized by Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) on Bray-Curtis dissimilarities. Surface material was the strongest predictor of microbial composition. Natural grass exhibited high alpha diversity dominated by soil-dwelling
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