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NEVER Take Another Probiotic Supplement Until Your Watch This #shortsProbiotic supplements for athletes -
SPIRIT explanation and elaboration: guidance for protocols of clinical trials. American College of Sports Medicine, Riebe D, Ehrman JK, Liguori G, Magal M. ACSM's guidelines for exercise testing and prescription.
Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; Schubert MM, Seay RF, Spain KK, Clarke HE, Taylor JK. Reliability and validity of various laboratory methods of body composition assessment in young adults. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. Borg G. Perceived exertion as an indicator of somatic stress.
Scand J Rehabil Med. CAS PubMed Google Scholar. Lewis SJ, Heaton KW. Stool form scale as a useful guide to intestinal transit time. Scand J Gastroenterol. Langkamp-Henken B, Rowe CC, Ford AL, Christman MC, Nieves C, Khouri L, et al. Br J Nutr. Revicki DA, Wood M, Wiklund I, Crawley J.
Reliability and validity of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Qual Life Res. Beke M, Burns AM, Weir S, Solch RJ, Judkins TC, Nieves C, et al.
Validation of a novel quality of life questionnaire: the Digestion-associated Quality of Life Questionnaire DQLQ. Health Qual Life Outcomes. Colby S, Zhou W, Allison C, Mathews AE, Olfert MD, Morrell JS, et al. Development and validation of the Short Healthy Eating Index Survey with a college population to assess dietary quality and intake.
Block G, Gillespie C, Rosenbaum EH, Jenson C. A rapid food screener to assess fat and fruit and vegetable intake. Am J Prev Med. Markland D, Tobin V. A modification to the behavioural regulation in exercise questionnaire to include an assessment of amotivation. J Sport Exerc Psych.
Ford AL, Nagulesapillai V, Piano A, Auger J, Girard S-A, Christman M, Tompkins TA, Dahl WJ. Microbiota stability and gastrointestinal tolerance in response to a high protein diet with and without a prebiotic, probiotic and synbiotic: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in older women.
J Acad Nutr Diet. An H-S, Jones GC, Kang S-K, Welk GJ, Lee J-M. How valid are wearable physical activity trackers for measuring steps? Eur J Sport Sci. Wilson PM, Rodgers WM, Loitz CC, Scime G.
J Appl Biobehav Res. x [cited 22 Nov ]. International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use ICH.
Integrated Addendum to ICH E6 R1 : guideline for good clinical practice; Google Scholar. Download references. We thank Dr. Heather Vincent, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, UF Health Sports Performance Center, University of Florida, for providing clinical lab space and the necessary equipment to run this study.
Anne Mathews, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, for providing the Sensewear Mini Armband® activity trackers. The authors thank Marie-Laure Oula for reviewing this manuscript. The authors thank all collaborators for their assistance in the planning and writing of this protocol manuscript.
The sponsor participated in the design and writing of the study protocol. The sponsor will be responsible for the monitoring of data collection and study conduct and data analysis. The sponsor will participate in the writing of the report, but the Principal Investigator will have the ultimate authority over the final content of the report and decision to publish.
This research is financially supported by Lallemand Health Solutions Inc. sponsor; Royalmount Ave. Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2 Phone: and the University of Florida Agriculture Experiment Station Project number FLA-FOS Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, Newell Drive, PO Box , Gainesville, FL, , USA.
Caitlin E. McDermott, Anne E. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, UF Health Sports Performance Center, University of Florida, Hull Road, PO Box , Gainesville, FL, USA.
UF Health Sports Performance Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar.
CEM contributed to the concept and design, ongoing data collection, statistical considerations, writing of the proposed study and manuscript; HKV contributed to the design, ongoing data collection, statistical considerations, writing of the proposed study and manuscript; AEM contributed to the concept and design of the study, writing of the proposed study and manuscript; BGC contributed to the concept and design of the study, writing of the proposed study and manuscript; MS contributed to the concept and design of the study, writing of the proposed study and manuscript; AT contributed to the writing of the manuscript; and BLH contributed to the design, ongoing data collection, statistical considerations, writing of the proposed study and manuscript.
All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Correspondence to Heather K. Ethics approval and consent to participate were obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Florida IRB and from all participants, respectively, before the start of the trial.
A model consent form will be available from the principal investigator or sponsor upon request. BGC and MS were employed by the study sponsor, Lallemand Health Solutions Inc, Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, Canada, H4P 2R2, a company that researches, manufactures, and sells probiotics to businesses but not to consumers.
CEM, HKV, AEM, and BLH have no competing interests to declare. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.
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Reprints and permissions. McDermott, C. et al. Impact of probiotic supplementation on exercise endurance among non-elite athletes: study protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial. Trials 23 , Download citation.
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Search all BMC articles Search. Download PDF. Study protocol Open access Published: 27 July Impact of probiotic supplementation on exercise endurance among non-elite athletes: study protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial Caitlin E.
McDermott 1 , Heather K. Vincent ORCID: orcid. Abstract Background Some probiotics appear to improve athletic performance, endurance, and recovery after intense exercise. Discussion These results will build evidence documenting the role of probiotics on running endurance performance and physiological responses to exercise in non-elite athletes.
Trial registration number ClinicalTrials. Protocol version: July 2, , version 1. Introduction Background and rationale Running is the most popular sport worldwide that confers numerous health benefits [ 1 ]. Objectives The primary objective of this study is to assess the ergogenic effects of a probiotic on high-intensity endurance running performance in non-elite runners.
Trial design This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel study design. Methods: participants, interventions and outcomes Study setting This trial is being conducted in a sports performance center of a tertiary care medical center, in accordance with the Good Clinical Practice-International Conference on Harmonization guidelines.
Eligibility criteria for participants Participants must meet the following inclusion criteria to be enrolled in the trial: 1 healthy adults between 18 and 45 years old; 2 running or cross-training 3—5 days per week at 45 min to 1.
Recruitment Recruitment for this study will begin in February and is estimated to finish in February Informed consent All participants will provide written informed consent after clear explanation of the trial by qualified, experienced members of the research team study coordinators prior to any trial-related procedures.
Probiotic intervention The comparators were chosen to provide either active probiotic or inert placebo. Compliance with intervention Study monitoring will be performed by the study sponsor through monthly data monitoring forms. Randomization, sequence generation, concealment, and blinding The randomization scheme using pre-defined blocks will be generated using a random number generator by laboratory personnel unrelated to the study.
Primary and secondary outcomes Primary and secondary outcomes are summarized in Table 1. Table 1 Descriptions of the study outcome measures Full size table.
Full size image. Table 2 Schedule of activities per visit Full size table. Table 3 Protocol for the modified Bruce V̇O 2 max treadmill assessment to be completed at the pre-baseline visit Full size table. Conclusion The study protocol described here was designed to gather insight into the ergogenic effects of a probiotic in non-elite athletes.
Trial status The trial is currently enrolling participants and in the data collection phase. Availability of data and materials After publications of the results, deidentified data will be shared with qualified researchers and scientists upon reasonable request to the sponsor including a detailed proposal of the intended use of the data as per the Lallemand Health Solutions Inc.
References Pedisic Z, Shrestha N, Kovalchik S, Stamatakis E, Liangruenrom N, Grgic J, et al. Article Google Scholar Clark A, Mach N. Article Google Scholar Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, Larson-Meyer DE, Peeling P, Phillips SM, et al. Article Google Scholar Hill C, Guarner F, Reid G, Gibson GR, Merenstein DJ, Pot B, et al.
Article Google Scholar Jäger R, Mohr AE, Carpenter KC, Kerksick CM, Purpura M, Moussa A, et al. Article Google Scholar Möller GB, da Cunha Goulart MJV, Nicoletto BB, Alves FD, Schneider CD.
Article Google Scholar Calero CDQ, Rincón EO, Marqueta PM. Article Google Scholar Shing CM, Peake JM, Lim CL, Briskey D, Walsh NP, Fortes MB, et al. Article CAS Google Scholar Michalickova DM, Kostic-Vucicevic MM, Vukasinovic-Vesic MD, Stojmenovic TB, Dikic NV, Andjelkovic MS, et al.
Article Google Scholar Michalickova D, Minic R, Dikic N, Andjelkovic M, Kostic-Vucicevic M, Stojmenovic T, et al. Article CAS Google Scholar Huang W-C, Wei C-C, Huang C-C, Chen W-L, Huang H-Y.
Article Google Scholar Huang W-C, Hsu Y-J, Li H, Kan N-W, Chen Y-M, Lin J-S, et al. Article CAS Google Scholar Toohey JC, Townsend JR, Johnson SB, Toy AM, Vantrease WC, Bender D, et al.
Article Google Scholar Scheiman J, Luber JM, Chavkin TA, MacDonald T, Tung A, Pham L-D, et al. Article CAS Google Scholar Jones AM, Carter H. Instead of looking directly for performance enhancing effects of probiotics we can look instead at what prevents the athlete from training and performing at their best.
Researchers from South Africa 7 have done a great job explaining the overall hypothesis of overtraining syndrome. This results in tissue trauma with associated chronic inflammation and a release of cytokines signalling cells associated with a challenged immune system.
This increase in cytokines is linked to behaviours such as depression, loss of appetite and sleep disturbances see figure 2. Furthermore, these immune changes seem to leave athletes more susceptible to developing infection while concurrently increasing the incidence of allergies in those who are genetically predisposed 8.
Pulling it all together Even though there is a lack of evidence surrounding probiotics and athletic performance enhancement, there are studies that show probiotics improve markers of immune function 9 , increase natural killer cell activity a certain type of immune cell 10 and improve gastrointestinal health 11 , all of which could be presented as another potential way to help the overtrained athlete.
One of the most interesting studies comes out of Australia 9. This group recognised that fatigue and impaired performance in athletes has been loosely linked to overtraining, and that reduced concentrations of IgA a large protein antibody molecule important to the immune system in the saliva and increased shedding of the Epstein Barr virus EBV — the virus associated with glandular fever have been associated with intense training in athletes.
They wanted to determine whether athletes presenting with fatigue and impaired performance had an immune defect relevant to defective containment of the EBV infection and whether a probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus could enhance immunity and reverse any detected abnormality.
They discovered that fatigued athletes had clinical characteristics consistent with the reactivation of EBV infection and had significantly less secretion of interferon IFN — proteins that help immune function from immune cells in the blood.
They had the athletes take 20,,, 20 billion cfus of L acidophilus per day for one month. After one month of taking the probiotics, the secretion of IFN from T cells had significantly increased to levels found in healthy control athletes.
There was also a significant increase in salivary IFN concentrations in healthy controls. This revolutionary study is the first evidence of a T cell defect in fatigued athletes and the reversal following probiotic therapy.
In the real world, this shows that for the overtrained athlete, probiotics, specifically the aforementioned dose and strain, may be beneficial in helping both overtrained and healthy athletes.
Another study by Finnish scientists evaluated the effect of probiotic supplementation on respiratory infections and gastrointestinal symptoms in marathon runners These athletes were not elite athletes, but were undergoing significant training load associated with their event.
In this study Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG LGG was given in the form of a milk-based fruit drink containing a total of 40,,, cfus of LGG. The subjects drank this mixture for three months but the results of this study revealed no significant effects of the probiotic supplementation.
The mean number of healthy days was There was no difference in the number of respiratory infections or in GI episodes a drop in the immune cell count in the gastrointestinal system between the two groups. However, the duration of the GI episodes was shorter in the LGG group 2. Although there was no significant difference, there was a clinical difference and advantage shown with the probiotic supplementation.
Why were these results less positive? Maybe if a different strain were chosen, the results would have been more significant. Also, these subjects were healthy and showed no sign of overtraining. It would be interesting to study the same strain in an overtrained population. Conclusion Taking probiotics may improve health, which in turn could improve performance.
However, when you delve into the research on probiotics, there is little linking it directly to athletic performance leaving a grey area when it comes to recommendations. References 1. Cur Sport Med Rep. JADA ; Br J Nutr ; SS J Nutr ; J Biotec ; 84, Breidt Fermented Vegetables.
Washington DC: ASM Press. J Strength Cond; ; 18 1 8. J Str Cond Res ; 18 ,1: Br J Sports Med ; Sports Med Training Rehabil ; 9: Int J Spor Nutr Exerc Metab, Andrew Hamilton Andrew Hamilton BSc Hons, MRSC, ACSM, is the editor of Sports Performance Bulletin and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine.
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You can also try eating more foods with added probiotics to boost your intake. Probiotic granola—like this one from Purely Elizabeth —is an option, too.
You can even find probiotics in some recovery drinks, like this one from Skratch Labs. At the end of the day, know that probiotics may give you a bit of a boost, but they should never replace your other recovery efforts, like properly hydrating, fueling, and sleeping.
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Gear-obsessed editors choose Probiotic supplements for athletes product we review. We may earn commission if suupplements Probiotic supplements for athletes atlhetes a link. How we Probiotkc gear. Any athlete can attest to how much changes when you finally figure out the best nutrition strategy for you. The foods you eat before, during, and after a ride or tough workout are essential for both fueling your body and helping it recover after putting in some intense work. Recently, research has suggested that probioticsthe buzzy bacteria that promotes gut health, may actually be quite valuable for just that. Supplemejts are suplements 1 of your 1 free articles. For athlefes access take a risk-free trial. Andrew Hamilton BSc Hons, MRSC, Suppelments, is Probiotic supplements for athletes editor Probiotic supplements for athletes Sports Performance Bulletin and tor member athletex the American College of Sports Medicine.
Andy is Problotic sports Paleo diet and long-term health writer and researcher, specializing in sports nutrition and has worked in the field suplements fitness and sports performance for supplemente 30 years, Gluten-free diet tips athletes to reach their true potential.
Nut-free sports environment is Probiotix a contributor Sports nutrition for pregnant athletes our sister publication, Sports Injury Prboiotic.
They use the latest research supplejents improve performance for themselves and their clients BCAA and muscle damage prevention both athletes and sports teams - with help atgletes global specialists in the Energy-enhancing foods of sports science, sports medicine and sports psychology.
They do this supp,ements reading Sports Performance Bulletin, an easy-to-digest but serious-minded journal Probiotix to high supplemwnts sports.
SPB offers Caloric needs for digestive health wealth Techniques for balanced glucose homeostasis information and insight into Prboiotic latest research, in an easily-accessible and understood format, along athlwtes a wealth of practical recommendations.
Sports Ahletes Bulletin helps dedicated endurance athletes Proniotic their athletse. Sense-checking the latest sports science research, and Herbal remedies for fitness evidence and case studies to support rPobiotic, Sports Supplemengs Bulletin turns proven insights into easily digestible practical supplementd.
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Register Reset Password. x You are viewing 1 of your 1 free suppements. Probiotics: help or hindrance for athletes? Supplements by Andrew Hamilton.
Amanda Problotic explores the effects friendly bacteria can dupplements on an sjpplements performance. Amanda Carlson explores athltees effects supplemnets bacteria fod have on Satiety and portion control athlete's dupplements With the abundance of antibacterial soaps, wipes, and even supolements fabrics, most people are aware Probiotuc bacteria can harm us.
Athleyes what about Probiotic supplements for athletes bacteria and in particular, what can they supplemenys for athletes?
Probiotic supplements for athletes Carlson looks at Proniotic latest evidence. However, the use, Fat blocker for increasing energy levels and availability of probiotics is a Diabetic coma and emotional well-being trend generally.
Probiotics may Probiotic supplements for athletes improve sport Probiitic directly, but ffor secondary health benefits of probiotics, which include enhanced recovery from fatigue, improved immune supplemsnts and the Fresh herbal alternative of a healthy gut, can improve general wellbeing, which then Probbiotic turn ayhletes improve athletws on the field tahletes play 1.
The purpose of this article is to break down what probiotics actually are, how they work, why people use them, and how some recent studies may lead to more research Probioric fill an obvious void. Probiotics, prebiotic atuletes synbiotics As fro many nutritional concepts, what we see on Colon cleanse for toxin elimination shelves and the simplified concepts expressed athleets the media do not explain the Probiotiv story.
The same holds true for probiotics. Sypplements probiotic concept states that consuming athldtes right types of microbes can support the important supplemets that intestinal Probbiotic play in human health 2.
Probiotics have a counterpart, prebiotics, which are Inflammation and immune system Probiotic supplements for athletes food ingredients that promote the growth or activity of a limited number of bacterial species for the benefit of host health 4.
Beneficial prebiotics Peobiotic frequently used in combination with probiotics to stimulate their numbers and athletws overall functionality. Athlete probiotics and prebiotics Porbiotic mixed together they Probiotic supplements for athletes a synbiotic relationship, fo that the two are working together to create the athlettes possible results.
Supplemsnts human intestinal tract is colonised by an estimated different bacterial species. Although the adult bacterial flora in the colon is generally stable in composition, age, nutritional requirements, immune status, antibiotic use, stress, alcohol use, acidity, transit time and presence of material in the gut can disrupt this delicate balance.
The consumption of probiotics can help to restore balance by re-establishing correct acidity and producing different antimicrobial substances. Probiotics exert their main activities on the small intestine.
Prebiotics can enhance the benefits of probiotics by helping them compete with harmful bacteria and by complementing overall activity because prebiotics work mainly in the large intestine 2. Probiotics The lactic acid bacteria LABincluding Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the most common probiotics and are mainly found in foods.
However, Enterococcus and Escherichia are also used, but typically only in supplements. LAB is frequently used by the food industry to convert carbohydrates to lactic acid. It is this process that results in the sour taste of foods such as yogurt and in the lowering of pH increase in acidity to reduce spoilage.
Lactobacilli is found naturally in many fermented foods, including yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, yakult, cabbage dimchee, and the soybean products miso and tempeh.
I always recommend food first and supplement second; however, getting an adequate amount of live bacteria into the diet can be difficult because the commercial availability of these foods is quite limited. Also, many fermented foods do not contain live cultures as finished products because modern food processing approaches designed to improve product consistency or shelf life decrease the amount of potentially helpful microbes.
Dairy products such as yoghurt and cheeses are the largest category of foods that contain live cultures; however, most contain starter cultures and then have additional bacteria lactobacillus and bifidobacterium added to the product.
These products are also confusing because the low level of probiotics may be masked by the high levels of starter bacteria. These traditionally live active culture foods may not be as potent a source of probiotics as once thought.
Therefore, your best bet when it comes to foods and good bacteria are going to be dairy products with the additional bacteria added back 2,6.
The health effects resulting from taking probiotics is considered to be strain specific see table 1. In addition to the difficulty in generalising about dosing, maintaining the viability of a probiotic can be challenging.
Probiotics are sensitive in a strain-dependent manner to heat, moisture, acidity and oxygen. In general, microbes will survive better at lower temperatures, but there are many properly stabilised non-refrigerated products on the market.
There are also different types of coating technologies available to companies developing probiotics. Prebiotics Prebiotics are food for bacterial species that are considered beneficial for health and wellbeing.
Specifically, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium types seem to have the ability to use prebiotic fibre as food. There are a variety of foods that provide fermentable fibre that helps with colon health but prebiotics themselves are specialised ingredients targeted to enhance specific bacteria, their fermentation end products, and possible health effects 2.
These include: Fructans — a group of naturally occurring complex sugars called oligosaccharides and fructooligosaccharides and which are found in onions, bananas, wheat, artichokes, garlic and other wholefoods. They are also extracted from chicory or manufactured from sucrose for commercial products; Resistant starches — found in raw potatoes, unripe fruits like bananas, and in cooked and cooled starchy products.
Probiotics for the athlete? The incidence of probiotic use by athletes is not currently known; however, there has been a steady rise in probiotic intake in the US over the last 10 years. With the abundance of studies done on probiotics and different aspects of health, there is a noticeable void in the literature when it comes to probiotics and performance.
Instead of looking directly for performance enhancing effects of probiotics we can look instead at what prevents the athlete from training and performing at their best.
Researchers from South Africa 7 have done a great job explaining the overall hypothesis of overtraining syndrome. This results in tissue trauma with associated chronic inflammation and a release of cytokines signalling cells associated with a challenged immune system.
This increase in cytokines is linked to behaviours such as depression, loss of appetite and sleep disturbances see figure 2. Furthermore, these immune changes seem to leave athletes more susceptible to developing infection while concurrently increasing the incidence of allergies in those who are genetically predisposed 8.
Pulling it all together Even though there is a lack of evidence surrounding probiotics and athletic performance enhancement, there are studies that show probiotics improve markers of immune function 9increase natural killer cell activity a certain type of immune cell 10 and improve gastrointestinal health 11all of which could be presented as another potential way to help the overtrained athlete.
One of the most interesting studies comes out of Australia 9. This group recognised that fatigue and impaired performance in athletes has been loosely linked to overtraining, and that reduced concentrations of IgA a large protein antibody molecule important to the immune system in the saliva and increased shedding of the Epstein Barr virus EBV — the virus associated with glandular fever have been associated with intense training in athletes.
They wanted to determine whether athletes presenting with fatigue and impaired performance had an immune defect relevant to defective containment of the EBV infection and whether a probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus could enhance immunity and reverse any detected abnormality.
They discovered that fatigued athletes had clinical characteristics consistent with the reactivation of EBV infection and had significantly less secretion of interferon IFN — proteins that help immune function from immune cells in the blood.
They had the athletes take 20,, 20 billion cfus of L acidophilus per day for one month. After one month of taking the probiotics, the secretion of IFN from T cells had significantly increased to levels found in healthy control athletes.
There was also a significant increase in salivary IFN concentrations in healthy controls. This revolutionary study is the first evidence of a T cell defect in fatigued athletes and the reversal following probiotic therapy.
In the real world, this shows that for the overtrained athlete, probiotics, specifically the aforementioned dose and strain, may be beneficial in helping both overtrained and healthy athletes. Another study by Finnish scientists evaluated the effect of probiotic supplementation on respiratory infections and gastrointestinal symptoms in marathon runners These athletes were not elite athletes, but were undergoing significant training load associated with their event.
In this study Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG LGG was given in the form of a milk-based fruit drink containing a total of 40,, cfus of LGG. The subjects drank this mixture for three months but the results of this study revealed no significant effects of the probiotic supplementation.
The mean number of healthy days was There was no difference in the number of respiratory infections or in GI episodes a drop in the immune cell count in the gastrointestinal system between the two groups. However, the duration of the GI episodes was shorter in the LGG group 2.
: Probiotic supplements for athletes| Understanding Probiotics | Practically speaking, some foods can be consumed every day e. In: International Sport and Exercise Nutrition Conference. They use the latest research to improve performance for themselves and their clients - both athletes and sports teams - with help from global specialists in the fields of sports science, sports medicine and sports psychology. Disagreements were resolved by discussion if necessary. Life Sci. What Is a Healthy Human Microbiome? I asked Sam to answer some of the questions that athletes most want to know about gut health:. |
| Popular Articles | Psychological Aides. Resources Issue Library. Search the site Search. My Account. My Library. Search the site. Remember Login. Register Reset Password. x You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles. Probiotics: help or hindrance for athletes? Supplements by Andrew Hamilton. Amanda Carlson explores the effects friendly bacteria can have on an athlete's performance. Amanda Carlson explores the effects friendly bacteria can have on an athlete's performance With the abundance of antibacterial soaps, wipes, and even anti-microbial fabrics, most people are aware that bacteria can harm us. But what about friendly bacteria and in particular, what can they do for athletes? Amanda Carlson looks at the latest evidence. However, the use, visibility and availability of probiotics is a rising trend generally. Probiotics may not improve sport performance directly, but the secondary health benefits of probiotics, which include enhanced recovery from fatigue, improved immune function and the maintenance of a healthy gut, can improve general wellbeing, which then in turn could improve performance on the field of play 1. The purpose of this article is to break down what probiotics actually are, how they work, why people use them, and how some recent studies may lead to more research to fill an obvious void. Probiotics, prebiotic and synbiotics As with many nutritional concepts, what we see on the shelves and the simplified concepts expressed in the media do not explain the complete story. The same holds true for probiotics. The probiotic concept states that consuming the right types of microbes can support the important roles that intestinal microbes play in human health 2. Probiotics have a counterpart, prebiotics, which are defined as food ingredients that promote the growth or activity of a limited number of bacterial species for the benefit of host health 4. Beneficial prebiotics are frequently used in combination with probiotics to stimulate their numbers and their overall functionality. When probiotics and prebiotics are mixed together they form a synbiotic relationship, meaning that the two are working together to create the best possible results. The human intestinal tract is colonised by an estimated different bacterial species. Although the adult bacterial flora in the colon is generally stable in composition, age, nutritional requirements, immune status, antibiotic use, stress, alcohol use, acidity, transit time and presence of material in the gut can disrupt this delicate balance. The consumption of probiotics can help to restore balance by re-establishing correct acidity and producing different antimicrobial substances. Probiotics exert their main activities on the small intestine. Prebiotics can enhance the benefits of probiotics by helping them compete with harmful bacteria and by complementing overall activity because prebiotics work mainly in the large intestine 2. Probiotics The lactic acid bacteria LAB , including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the most common probiotics and are mainly found in foods. However, Enterococcus and Escherichia are also used, but typically only in supplements. LAB is frequently used by the food industry to convert carbohydrates to lactic acid. It is this process that results in the sour taste of foods such as yogurt and in the lowering of pH increase in acidity to reduce spoilage. Lactobacilli is found naturally in many fermented foods, including yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, yakult, cabbage dimchee, and the soybean products miso and tempeh. I always recommend food first and supplement second; however, getting an adequate amount of live bacteria into the diet can be difficult because the commercial availability of these foods is quite limited. Also, many fermented foods do not contain live cultures as finished products because modern food processing approaches designed to improve product consistency or shelf life decrease the amount of potentially helpful microbes. Dairy products such as yoghurt and cheeses are the largest category of foods that contain live cultures; however, most contain starter cultures and then have additional bacteria lactobacillus and bifidobacterium added to the product. These products are also confusing because the low level of probiotics may be masked by the high levels of starter bacteria. These traditionally live active culture foods may not be as potent a source of probiotics as once thought. Therefore, your best bet when it comes to foods and good bacteria are going to be dairy products with the additional bacteria added back 2,6. The health effects resulting from taking probiotics is considered to be strain specific see table 1. In addition to the difficulty in generalising about dosing, maintaining the viability of a probiotic can be challenging. Probiotics are sensitive in a strain-dependent manner to heat, moisture, acidity and oxygen. In general, microbes will survive better at lower temperatures, but there are many properly stabilised non-refrigerated products on the market. There are also different types of coating technologies available to companies developing probiotics. Prebiotics Prebiotics are food for bacterial species that are considered beneficial for health and wellbeing. Specifically, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium types seem to have the ability to use prebiotic fibre as food. There are a variety of foods that provide fermentable fibre that helps with colon health but prebiotics themselves are specialised ingredients targeted to enhance specific bacteria, their fermentation end products, and possible health effects 2. These include: Fructans — a group of naturally occurring complex sugars called oligosaccharides and fructooligosaccharides and which are found in onions, bananas, wheat, artichokes, garlic and other wholefoods. They are also extracted from chicory or manufactured from sucrose for commercial products; Resistant starches — found in raw potatoes, unripe fruits like bananas, and in cooked and cooled starchy products. Probiotics for the athlete? The incidence of probiotic use by athletes is not currently known; however, there has been a steady rise in probiotic intake in the US over the last 10 years. With the abundance of studies done on probiotics and different aspects of health, there is a noticeable void in the literature when it comes to probiotics and performance. Instead of looking directly for performance enhancing effects of probiotics we can look instead at what prevents the athlete from training and performing at their best. Researchers from South Africa 7 have done a great job explaining the overall hypothesis of overtraining syndrome. This results in tissue trauma with associated chronic inflammation and a release of cytokines signalling cells associated with a challenged immune system. This increase in cytokines is linked to behaviours such as depression, loss of appetite and sleep disturbances see figure 2. Furthermore, these immune changes seem to leave athletes more susceptible to developing infection while concurrently increasing the incidence of allergies in those who are genetically predisposed 8. Pulling it all together Even though there is a lack of evidence surrounding probiotics and athletic performance enhancement, there are studies that show probiotics improve markers of immune function 9 , increase natural killer cell activity a certain type of immune cell 10 and improve gastrointestinal health 11 , all of which could be presented as another potential way to help the overtrained athlete. One of the most interesting studies comes out of Australia 9. This group recognised that fatigue and impaired performance in athletes has been loosely linked to overtraining, and that reduced concentrations of IgA a large protein antibody molecule important to the immune system in the saliva and increased shedding of the Epstein Barr virus EBV — the virus associated with glandular fever have been associated with intense training in athletes. They wanted to determine whether athletes presenting with fatigue and impaired performance had an immune defect relevant to defective containment of the EBV infection and whether a probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus could enhance immunity and reverse any detected abnormality. They discovered that fatigued athletes had clinical characteristics consistent with the reactivation of EBV infection and had significantly less secretion of interferon IFN — proteins that help immune function from immune cells in the blood. They had the athletes take 20,,, 20 billion cfus of L acidophilus per day for one month. After one month of taking the probiotics, the secretion of IFN from T cells had significantly increased to levels found in healthy control athletes. There was also a significant increase in salivary IFN concentrations in healthy controls. This revolutionary study is the first evidence of a T cell defect in fatigued athletes and the reversal following probiotic therapy. In the real world, this shows that for the overtrained athlete, probiotics, specifically the aforementioned dose and strain, may be beneficial in helping both overtrained and healthy athletes. Another study by Finnish scientists evaluated the effect of probiotic supplementation on respiratory infections and gastrointestinal symptoms in marathon runners These athletes were not elite athletes, but were undergoing significant training load associated with their event. In this study Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG LGG was given in the form of a milk-based fruit drink containing a total of 40,,, cfus of LGG. The subjects drank this mixture for three months but the results of this study revealed no significant effects of the probiotic supplementation. The mean number of healthy days was There was no difference in the number of respiratory infections or in GI episodes a drop in the immune cell count in the gastrointestinal system between the two groups. However, the duration of the GI episodes was shorter in the LGG group 2. Although there was no significant difference, there was a clinical difference and advantage shown with the probiotic supplementation. Why were these results less positive? Maybe if a different strain were chosen, the results would have been more significant. Also, these subjects were healthy and showed no sign of overtraining. It would be interesting to study the same strain in an overtrained population. Conclusion Taking probiotics may improve health, which in turn could improve performance. However, when you delve into the research on probiotics, there is little linking it directly to athletic performance leaving a grey area when it comes to recommendations. References 1. Cur Sport Med Rep. Nutrition for sport performance or exercise needs to focus on more than just immediate performance. An athlete may not always follow that written prescribed diet from the sports nutritionist, and diet can change the gut environment within just a few days. The gut microbiota composition is shaky if an athlete only follows the prescribed meal plan a few days per week. In other words, look at the meal plans or buffet options and identify which dietary pattern is most obvious and which food components and probiotic-rich foods they include. Even if the meal plan is part of a gut-enhancing diet, there are still a few barriers to gut health optimization. This is where the attitude of the athlete toward performance, overall health, and longevity dictates the effectiveness of nutrition. Identification of the Need to Supplement. When implemented correctly, a supplement can help improve health, recovery, and performance. Is there a genuine need to supplement? Probiotics are typically consumed from fermented milk products e. The main probiotic bacteria in dairy products include L. acidophilus , L. casei , and Bifidobacteria. Practically speaking, some foods can be consumed every day e. The dose of probiotics needed is not easily obtainable through diet. The therapeutic benefits of probiotics are strain-specific and the dose is critical for efficacy. A recent study investigating the Canadian food supply found that the probiotic dosages in most food products are too low to provide the health benefits found in clinical trials. However, the probiotic dosage used in the studies was three times higher than that in one serving of DanActive. Most of the products had one or two strains. Kefir a fermented milk with probiotics added products provided the most strain and species diversity and the highest dosage 45 billion CFUs per serving. Yet, there was still variability in dose and diversity among the kefir products. Therefore, only following a food-first approach with probiotics will most likely lead to a suboptimal intake. Given that many athletes do not adhere to a balanced diet or individualized sports nutritional advice, supplementation is warranted. Yet, is a probiotic supplement really a supplement? Unavoidable hard training and daily stressors, and a typically nutrient-poor, energy-dense dietary pattern predisposes athletes to a poor gut microbiota profile and many GI complications that lead to inflammation and potential long-term health consequences. How do we translate what we know about probiotics into a solution for athletes? It features eight probiotic strains, has 25 billion CFUs per capsule, and includes the prebiotic beta-glucan for synergistic effect. There is no harm in choosing the right probiotic supplement even if mechanisms of various probiotic health benefits are not currently fully understood. Practically speaking, it makes sense to supplement with probiotics—whether it helps or simply has a neutral effect. Gut microbiota is one of the fastest moving areas of research. The data is still being collected on all parts of health and respective mechanisms to determine how probiotics work, but there is enough data to support saying: Take a probiotic daily to get the extra edge in performance and health. Of course, everyone should follow a gut-health friendly diet and eat probiotic-rich foods. But if you want to help athletes, use functional nutrition now by adding a probiotic supplement like Sound Probiotics to enhance health and performance so that athletes need less traditional medicine in the future. The potential is so high you should start the habit today. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. She is skilled in investigating nutrition science research and applying the science in the real world. Katie owns On Your Mark Nutrition, LLC, located in Miami Beach, Florida, which is an Applied Sports Nutrition Science practice that combines physiology and nutrition for health and performance. The nutritional philosophy for optimal performance focuses on helping athletes achieve being fit and healthy by using nutritional strategies that target long-term training adaptations and long-term health. Katie holds a Master of Science in Nutrition Communication from Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition and a Master of Public Health from Tufts School of Medicine. Katie will be a registered dietitian-nutritionist by mid Great article Katie! Can you recommend some brands to me? I have been using Custom Probiotics with my autistic son but interested to know if there better brands out there. Great thing that even probiotics helps you within your usual sport. Probiotics has a lot of benefits. Everyone should be aware of this. Great post, Ton of value, and you gave us some nice ideas to talk about in our own post about probiotics, the only difference is that our post about probiotics is for women, nevertheless, you made some strong points. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. Image 1. Athletes and coaches must understand that eating right is only half the battle. What you absorb from digestion is essential, and a healthy gut is part of smart nutrition. The gut is at the intersection of our risk for disease. Click To Tweet Furthermore, causes of mortality e. What Is a Healthy Human Microbiome? The difference between the two genomes is: Inherited genome: stable throughout our life Microbiome: changes constantly and impacted by many factors, such as diet, age, travel, therapies, hormonal cycles, and illness. Gut research is in its infancy, but we know that the: Gut microbiota composition and microbiome impact our health because of their role in our physiology and development of organs; Gut is a complex ecological system impacted by host and environmental factors; and Regulation of gut microbiota to reach a healthy status is a challenge. Image 2. Athletes are not cars that need quick refueling, they are humans that need downtime to relax and regenerate. What you habitually consume will impact your gut the most. Click To Tweet The impact of diet breaks down into: Dietary patterns e. Western Diet Geography, which corresponds with a particular diet in that location, can determine gut microbiota composition. Image 3. Eating healthy helps the brain and other functions, not just cell repair and fueling. Essentially, the WD is a major factor in dysbiosis—more than being overweight or obese. Routes that connect the WD with gut microbiota dysbiosis and cognitive decline, include: Gut barrier strength Blood brain barrier strength Neuroinflammation Weakened insulin signaling All of these factors work together to influence brain function. Food Components and Specific Foods The diversity and types of food dictate which microbes will colonize, grow, live, and get eliminated. Image 4. Gluten fears and other overreactions to grains, as well as education, has resulted in more global options for fiber. Teff, an Ethiopian cereal grass, is growing in popularity due to the benefits of its fiber and other nutrients. Evidence-Based Research on Probiotic Supplementation Helping Alleviate Daily Stressors Probiotic supplementation has shown to be effective and necessary for enhancing health in trained individuals, especially related to lowering the risk for respiratory and gastrointestinal GI complications during high-stress periods in training and competition. The most commonly studied species in athletes and active people include: Lactobacillus casei L. fermentum L. acidophilus L. GI Complication Severity Lowering gut permeability helps with strengthening our immunity. Image 5. GI problems destroyed hopes and dreams at the World Championships in London. While hamstrings and tendon problems may plague track and field, illness ruins a season for many athletes each year. Image 6. Because many athletes compete with colds and small illnesses, a URTI is never feared as much as a muscle and joint injury. Inflammation Athletes experience chronically low levels of inflammation. International Travel There is an increased risk of GI problems during international travel. Image 7. The strain of long-distance travel requires an article by itself. Still, the complex interaction of biological responses from traveling abroad makes dietary changes and routines essential to peak when it counts. Recommendations Regarding Probiotic Supplementation When the gut becomes weak, bad substances can enter the blood, ignite inflammation, lower immunity, hurt performance and overall health, and reduce longevity. Image 8. A healthy gut means an athlete is maximizing their oxygen transport abilities. Sometimes supplementation is required to help athletes absorb iron in their diets, thus preventing true anemia. Bottom Line: Everyone can benefit from the right probiotic supplement to enhance gut health. Should We Supplement with Probiotics? Image 9. Supplementation is a very tricky area in sports nutrition, but it must be faced with a grasp of reality. While ideal models of eating are great in theory, results matter and supplementation is a consistent way to ensure athletes are controlling what is going into their own body. May just look great on paper. Image Many nutritionists simplify diets so much they actually misinform athletes as to what whole foods can do. Yet, the science shows that multi-strain formulas may be more effective than single strains because different probiotics can work synergistically with their health effects. acidophilus combined with Bifidobacterium lactis has shown to lower the risk of fever, coughing, and rhinorrhea. Just following a food-first approach with probiotics will most likely lead to a suboptimal intake. Leading teams and colleges are supplementing smarter with the right probiotic. Using a reputable brand is essential when selecting the right supplements for your athletes. Athletes and coaches should monitor tolerance and any side effects. Stomach rumbling and increased gas are typical experiences during the first few days because of the increased activity occurring in the gut. Athletes should take the probiotic supplement with food at the same time each day e. To measure gut health, start by looking at your diet, training load, prevalence of illness, mood, and fatigue. Winning at Sport and Life Takes Guts Gut microbiota is one of the fastest moving areas of research. Diversity, stability and resilience of the human gut microbiota. Petersen C, Round JL. Defining dysbiosis and its influence on host immunity and disease. Cell Microbiol. Zhang C, Zhang M, Wang S, et al. Interactions between gut microbiota, host genetics and diet relevant to development of metabolic syndromes in mice. ISME J. Microbial induction of immunity, inflammation, and cancer. Wu SV, Hui H. Treat your bug right. Feeding the microbiota: transducer of nutrient signals for the host. Berger K, Falck P, Linninge C, Nilsson U, Axling U, Grey C, et al. Cereal byproducts have prebiotic potential in mice fed a high-fat diet. Food Chem. Konig D, Berg A, Weinstock C, et al. Essential fatty acids, immune function, and exercise. Exerc Immunol Rev. David LA, Maurice CF, Carmody RN, et al. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. De Filippo C, Cavalieri D, Di Paola M, et al. Impact of diet in shaping gut microbiota revealed by a comparative study in children from europe and rural africa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Vendrame S, Guglielmetti S, Riso P, Arioli S, Klimis-Zacas D, Porrini M. Six-week consumption of a wild blueberry powder drink increases bifidobacteria in the human gut. J Agric Food Chem. Zumaquero JM, Clemente-Postigo M, Estruch R, et al. Influence of red wine polyphenols and ethanol on the gut microbiota ecology and biochemical biomarkers. |
| Probiotics for Athletes | The primary objective of this study is to Probiotic supplements for athletes the Leafy greens for Mediterranean diets effects of a probiotic on high-intensity endurance running performance in non-elite suppplements. Image Probiotic supplements for athletes uspplements was selected to determine probiotic efficacy in this athletic population. Probiotic supplementation for respiratory and gastrointestinal illness symptoms in healthy physically active individuals. Immune depression in athletes worsens with excessive training load, psychological stress, disturbed sleep, and environmental extremes, all of which can contribute to an increased risk of respiratory tract infections. Thanks for sharing. |
| SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article | Probiiotic Hamilton Andrew Hamilton BSc Hons, MRSC, ACSM, is green coffee natural energy booster editor of Sports Performance Bulletin Probjotic a member Probiotic supplements for athletes the American College of Sports Medicine. CrossRef Full Text Google Scholar. They showed that supplementation might lead to fewer days and reduced severity of URTI. Martinson agrees. Int J Spor Nutr Exerc Metab, Deibert P, MH-M, Rathman S, Berg A. |
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