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Published on: April 28, 2014
Impact of Probiotics on the Performance of Endurance Athletes: A Systematic Review
Jara Díaz-Jiménez1, Eduardo Sánchez-Sánchez2, Francisco Javier Ordoñez3
1Campus Cádiz, Doctoral School of the University of Cádiz (EDUCA), Edificio Hospital Real (Primera Planta), Plaza Falla 8, 11003 Cádiz, Spain.
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.
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