Abstract
Background: Probiotic supplements contain different strains of living microorganisms that promote the health of the host. These dietary supplements are increasingly being used by athletes to improve different aspects such as athletic performance, upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), the immune system, oxidative stress, gastrointestinal (GI) problems, etc. This study aimed to identify the current evidence on the management of probiotics in endurance athletes and their relationship with sports performance. Methods: A systematic review of the last five years was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, Web of science, Sportdiscus and Embase databases. Results: Nine articles met the quality criteria. Of these, three reported direct benefits on sports performance. The remaining six articles found improvements in the reduction of oxidative stress, increased immune response and decreased incidence of URTIs. There is little scientific evidence on the direct relationship between the administration of probiotics in endurance athletes and sports performance. Conclusions: Benefits were found that probiotics could indirectly influence sports performance by improving other parameters such as the immune system, response to URTIs and decreased oxidative stress, as well as the monitoring of scheduled workouts.
Highlights
The gut microbiota is a complex community of microorganisms that stably colonize the intestinal surface
T lymphocytes was maintained in the probiotic group and the production of proinflammatory cytokines decreased, enhancing the immunomodulatory role of lymphocytes
There were no differences between the two groups in relation to upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs)
Summary
The gut microbiota is a complex community of microorganisms that stably colonize the intestinal surface. The gut microbiota in healthy individuals is dominated by four groups: Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes [1,2,3] Their functions are very diverse, ranging from fermenting, digesting and absorbing nutrients necessary to obtain energy and maintain the homeostasis of the organism, synthesis of vitamins and essential amino acids, modulation of the immune system and control of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, to the maturation of the nervous system through the secretion of neuroactive molecules, etc.
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