Sport and probiotics

A balance between phases of high stress and recovery phases is the ideal combination in sports. The reality is often different. Unfortunately, this is not always possible for athletes who set high goals or even compete. There is no question that sport is healthy. Regular sport protects against free radicals and thus prevents premature aging and the development of diseases such as diabetes or cancer. However, danger threatens when the oxidative stress on the body becomes too high. Both occasional and competitive athletes must therefore pay particular attention to their health: It is no coincidence that half of endurance athletes repeatedly suffer from digestive problems and – during competition phases – even respiratory infections. Studies show that specially developed probiotics can support the health of athletes, especially during intense exercise.

Scientific studies mostly examine the effect of probiotics on competitive athletes. In order to confirm that amateur athletes also benefit from probiotics in terms of health during intensive stress, a practical test was carried out as part of an application observation. This made it possible to illustrate how susceptibility to infections, sleep quality and gastrointestinal complaints change: 24 KONGA® hobby athletes who took part in this energetic strength-endurance workout at least 4 times a week were given a probiotic containing 10 billion symbionts from 6 scientifically researched and specially combined bacterial strains per serving, specially developed for athletes and people under high stress, once a day for 12 weeks.

“If the intestine is weakened, immune function is also impaired, which in turn has a negative effect on the performance of athletes”

Respiratory infections in sports

Evidence shows that the intestine and the immune system are closely linked. If the intestine is weakened, immune function is also impaired, which in turn has a negative effect on the performance of athletes. Univ.-Doz. DDr. Barbara Prüller-Strasser showed in her clinical study published in 2016 that specially selected bacterial strains have a positive effect on the frequency of respiratory infections in competitive sports. In this observational study conducted at the beginning of 2019, 40% of KONGA® female athletes reported suffering from frequent infections before taking the probiotic. After 12 weeks of use, only 2 out of 24 female subjects were still struggling with the above-mentioned complaints. A complete success, because this application observation took place in the winter months from December to March – during the usual flu and cold season. In addition, signs of illness of the upper respiratory tract, such as colds, coughs or sore throats, which often occur during long, intensive training sessions in the winter months, occurred only rarely at the end of the observation period.

Athletically active people often suffer from digestive problems

Between 30 and 50% of endurance athletes suffer from gastrointestinal complaints, which severely limits their performance. For athletes who are affected by gastrointestinal problems shortly after starting their activity, this is naturally a major problem. More than one third of the test persons in this application observation stated that their quality of life was restricted due to gastrointestinal complaints.

Regular, but also unusually intense physical stress leads to reduced blood flow in the intestines. This leads to irritation of the intestinal mucosa and thus to inflammation and loosening of the tight junctions. Tight junctions are the proteins that connect the cells of the intestinal wall and thus make an essential contribution to maintaining a healthy and stable intestinal barrier: The intestinal epithelial cells are close together, similar to a tightly woven network. But if the connecting proteins become loose, the intestine becomes “leaky gut” and allergens, pathogens, etc. can enter the bloodstream. The consequences range from digestive problems and increased susceptibility to infections to allergies and food intolerances – which in turn are associated with reduced performance, fatigue, lack of energy and sleep problems, etc. A particularly effective way to prevent or counteract this “leaky gut” is the targeted use of probiotic bacteria. As illustrated in the 2012 clinical study by DDr. Manfred Lamprecht, those 6 specially combined probiotic bacterial strains, which were also used in the application observation, can support the reconstruction of the weakened intestinal barrier.

The probiotic treatment reduced the zonulin value (marker for the opening of the tight junctions and thus for the permeability of the intestinal barrier) in the stool, furthermore the CP(carbonyl protein) value (marker for oxidative stress),- the IL(interleukin)-6 and the TNF-α value (marker for ongoing inflammatory processes). These results mean less gastrointestinal discomfort and increased well-being during sports for the respective athlete. This positive effect was also confirmed in the application observation: After 12 weeks of using the probiotic, 67% of the KONGA® athletes with previously existing gastrointestinal problems reported that they no longer experienced any complaints at all.

“The proven positive effect on the state of health of athletes clearly speaks for probiotic support in the context of regular physical activity”

Sleep is the most important recovery phase in sports

More than 50% of KONGA® female athletes complained about their poor sleep quality before the application observation. More than 20 hormones are formed in the intestine, including the precursor of the sleep hormone melatonin. It is therefore obvious that a disturbed intestinal flora can have a number of negative effects on our physical and psychological well-being, including our sleep. Good sleep with a sleep volume of seven to eight hours is crucial for a successful regeneration phase, especially for athletes.

After the application observation, more than 90% of the participants reported a particularly good and restful sleep. Not only the quality of sleep improved massively, but also the general state of health of the amateur sportswomen: It is interesting to note that before starting to take the probiotic, only 3 out of 24 test subjects rated their state of health as “very good”. After the observation period, however, 95% of the participants rated their state of health as “good” or even “very good”.

Probiotics for athletes have passed the practical test

The 12-week application observation with the probiotic specially developed for athletes makes the practice check for scientifically already proven effects of this bacteria combination on the health of athletes. The proven positive effect on digestion, susceptibility to infections, sleep quality and thus on the general state of health of athletes clearly speaks for probiotic support in the context of regular physical activity – because both amateur and professional athletes can optimize their state of health with the right intestinal bacteria to achieve athletic goals without limiting their performance or quality of life.

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