Ralf Jäger, PhD, from Wisconsin-based Increnovo, presented compelling connections between gut health and athletic performance at the IPA World Congress + Probiota in Copenhagen in February, including a study with professional Italian football players that found that athlete-derived probiotics not only improved digestive health but significantly enhanced sleep quality—a crucial factor in athletic recovery.
Noting that getting athletes to commit to being subjects in research is a task in and of itself, Dr. Jäger used the analogy of when you’ve got a Ferrari, you don’t want to put the wrong gas in it.
“We were able to actually do the study during the season, which is very rare because usually we don’t get access to those athletes while they are actually in the season, [due to] the fear of basically making something wrong,” he said.
The hesitation comes from how any small change could negatively impact performance during the season, so agreeing to the study during the season was a big win for the researchers.
“I think the most important outcomes were gut health in general,” he said. “So there’s an increase in bowel movements and gut health overall but also a significant improvement in sleep. And sleep is extremely important for those professional athletes because when you sleep and get enough and good sleep, that’s the time when you recover. Therefore, the brain clears out and they actually are ready to go again. Energy increases, but very importantly, actually it gives the muscles enough time to actually repair itself so you see a faster recovery.”
In terms of how the research applies to non-professional athletes, Dr. Jäger said the findings suggest that recreational gym-goers may also experience reduced muscle damage and quicker recovery between workouts.
To hear more on probiotics and modulation of the gut microbiota may impact athletic performance and recovery, and the gut-muscle axis, watch the full interview.
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