Effect of a Multi-Strain Probiotic Supplement on Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Serum Biochemical Parameters of Long-Distance Runners: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Joanna Smarkusz-Zarzecka, Lucyna Ostrowska, Joanna Leszczyńska and Urszula Cwalina
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Joanna Smarkusz-Zarzecka: Department of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Mieszka I 4B, 15-054 Bialystok, Poland
Lucyna Ostrowska: Department of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Mieszka I 4B, 15-054 Bialystok, Poland
Joanna Leszczyńska: Department of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Mieszka I 4B, 15-054 Bialystok, Poland
Urszula Cwalina: Department of Statistics and Medical Informatics, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Szpitalna 37, 15-295 Bialystok, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: As many as 70% of athletes who practice endurance sports report experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, such as abdominal pain, intestinal gurgling or splashing (borborygmus), diarrhea or the presence of blood in the stool, that occur during or after intense physical exercise. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a multi-strain probiotic on the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms and selected biochemical parameters in the serum of long-distance runners. After a 3-month intervention with a multi-strain probiotic, a high percentage of runners reported subjective improvement in their general health. Moreover, a lower incidence of constipation was observed. In the group of women using the probiotic, a statistically significant ( p = 0.035) increase in serum HDL cholesterol concentration and a favorable lower concentration of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides were observed. These changes were not observed in the group of men using the probiotic. Probiotic therapy may reduce the incidence and severity of selected gastrointestinal symptoms in long-distance runners and improve subjectively assessed health condition.

Keywords: diet; gastrointestinal symptoms; gastrointestinal disturbances; long-distance runners; probiotics; laboratory tests (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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