Supplementation of Probiotics and Its Effects on Physically Active Individuals and Athletes: Systematic Review

Abstract

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the effects of probiotic supplementation on physically active individuals. The participants, interventions, comparisons, outcome and study design inclusion criteria were (a) studies involving healthy adults or older subjects of both sexes who did physical exercise (including athletes and physically active individuals), (b) interventions with probiotics, (c) inclusion of a control group, (d) outcomes not previously defined, and (e) clinical trials and randomized clinical trials, with no language or date restrictions. The search was conducted in the following scientific databases: MEDLINE, Embase, SciELO, Scopus, and Lilacs. Search terms were “Probiotics” OR “Prebiotics” OR “Microbiota” AND “Exercise” OR “Athletes.” The articles were first screened by title and abstract by two independent reviewers and disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. Data were extracted independently by the same two reviewers; results were extracted in duplicate and then compared to avoid errors. A total of 544 articles were retrieved and 24 were included. A total of 1,680 patients were included, most of them being male (n = 1,134, 67.5%), with a mean age of 30.9 ± 6.1 years. Following probiotic supplementation, positive effects have been reported for several outcomes including respiratory tract infection, immunologic markers, and gastrointestinal symptoms in both athletes and nonathletes. However, published studies have distinct protocols and measured outcomes, and some of them have small sample size and failed to prove beneficial effect on probiotic supplementation, leading to inconclusive results for standardized supplementation protocols.

Precision Nutrition and the Microbiome Part II: Potential Opportunities and Pathways to Commercialisation

“…Interestingly, based on the results of a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing probiotics with placebo to prevent acute upper respiratory tract infections in children, adults and older people ( n = 3720), Hao et al [163] concluded that probiotics were better than placebo for reducing the incidence of such episodes, the duration of episodes as well as cold-related school absence and antibiotic use. A recent systematic review of the effects of probiotic supplementation on physically active individuals ( n = 1680, athletes and non-athletes) concluded that positive effects were reported for several outcomes including respiratory tract infection, markers of immunity and gastrointestinal symptoms; however, the study failed to identify standardised supplementation protocols owing to the distinct protocols employed across the studies, as well as different measured outcomes and small sample size [164].…”

Effect of fermented milk on upper respiratory tract infection in adults who lived in the haze area of Northern China: a randomized clinical trial

“…The protective effect of yogurt mainly comes from probiotics (Hao et al 2015;Kok and Hutkins 2018), which have indicated various beneficial effects in protecting the hosts' gastrointestinal and immune systems (Rijkers et al 2010). According to several systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials, probiotics can be used to prevent and treat URTIs in both children and adults (Wang et al 2016;M€ oller et al 2019).…”

Plasma Amino Acid Response to Whey Protein Ingestion Following 28 Days of Probiotic (Bacillus subtilis DE111) Supplementation in Active Men and Women

“…Administration of beneficial bacteria by the use of probiotics has been shown to promote mucosal and epithelial health of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, providing a barrier excluding and eliminating various antigens. Evidence suggests that probiotics are an effective strategy to delay or prevent upper respiratory tract infections [ 1 , 2 , 3 ], reduce indices of GI discomfort during exercise [ 4 ], and improve carbohydrate utilization during prolonged cycling [ 5 ]. While a bulk of the literature regarding probiotics pertains to endurance athletes, data is emerging that suggests that probiotics may provide a benefit in the adaptation and recovery of athletes engaged in resistance or team sport training [ 6 , 7 ].…”