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Lee Swanson Research Update
Probiotics Give Endurance Athletes an Immune Boost
April 2008
A small study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that probiotic supplements may boost the immune system health of long distance runners, protecting them from respiratory illnesses.
A daily probiotic capsule was found to enhance the activity of T cells, key players in the immune system, researchers reported after following 20 elite endurance athletes during four months of intensive winter training.
"In combination with the recent report that L. rhamnosus supplementation reduced the duration of gastrointestinal symptoms in marathon runners in the two weeks after the race (Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exer. Metabl. 17:352-363, 2007) our findings point to the potential benefits of this form of nutritional intervention," wrote the authors led by David Pyne.
The new study adds to the body of science by reporting that the "friendly" bacteria may also produce benefits in endurance athletes undergoing strenuous training, previously reported to be more susceptible to upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) linked to the role of strenuous exercise in suppressing the immune system.
Pyne and co-workers recruited the athletes and randomly assigned them to receive either a daily probiotic supplement containing Lactobacillus fermentum or placebo. After 28 days of receiving either the probiotic or placebo, they received nothing for one month before crossing over to the other intervention. By the end of the study all the athletes had each had the probiotic and placebo formulations.
Athletic performance of the subjects was assessed using a treadmill, while blood samples were taken at regular intervals to measure the immune response. The length and severity of respiratory tract infections were recorded by the subjects themselves.
The researchers report no difference in running performance as a result of placebo or probiotics supplementation. On the other hand, the number of days of symptoms of URTI was halved when the athletes took the probiotic, compared to placebo.
Specifically, symptoms of URTIs lasted 30 days when receiving the Lactobacillus supplements, compared to 72 days while taking the placebo. The severity of the symptoms was also less when receiving probiotics, stated the researchers.
The blood samples showed that blood levels of interferon gamma, an important component of the bodys immune response, were doubled when the subjects received probiotics, compared to placebo.
British Journal of Sports Medicine, Published online ahead of print.
