Abstract: Gut microbiota not only participate in the digestion and absorption of exogenous nutrients but also regulate protein synthesis and degradation, energy metabolism, and inflammatory responses through the synthesis of metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, thereby being deeply involved in muscle metabolic processes. Based on these findings, scholars have proposed a bidirectional communication mechanism known as the gut-muscle axis. In recent years, with the rapid increase in livestock and poultry production efficiency, muscle metabolic disorders in livestock and poultry have occurred frequently and are closely associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis and its metabolite-mediated inflammatory activation and intestinal barrier damage. This review systematically summarizes the mechanisms by which gut microbiota affect muscle metabolic abnormalities in livestock and poultry via the gut-muscle axis, with emphasis on the processes by which gut microbial metabolites affect meat quality by regulating immune pathways and intestinal barrier functions. Combined with specific cases, such as wooden breast meat and white striping meat, it analyzes the role of the gut-muscle axis in the progression of metabolic abnormalities. Furthermore, the species-specific regulatory characteristics of the gut-muscle axis in pigs, poultry, and ruminants are summarized, alongside its application strategies in livestock and poultry production. This review aims to deepen the understanding of the role played by gut microbiota in muscle metabolic abnormalities, providing a reference for improving muscle health and enhancing meat yield and meat quality via the gut-muscle axis.

Key words: gut microbiota, gut-muscle axis, livestock and poultry muscle, muscle metabolic abnormalities, mechanism of action, livestock and poultry production