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Elliott Barwin

Department of Science, Seton Hill University

SNT 161 01

Dr. Tracy Bowman

February 21, 2021

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The first source I found when I was researching on Google Scholar after I

searched for probiotics in sports and they gave me quite a few options that have to do

with athletes and sports where probiotics and prebiotics can help them. The first thing

that stood out to me was that probiotics can really help athletes in cross country and

track and field who run for endurance. It can help with anyone’s upper respiratory

system and with their gut health or Gastroenterol. This research was funded by the

Editors of the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

As I was reading The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

(FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) defined probiotics as “live microorganisms

that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host” (C.

Hill et al., 1970). I found that probiotics are good bacteria that can be found in yogurt.

There are also bad bacteria, but probiotics help take away the bad bacteria to keep gut

health in check. Many athletes would be surprised that just a daily intake of some

probiotic foods could be very beneficial to them. The International Olympic Committee

(IOC) has stated that “probiotics are live micro-organisms that when administered orally

for several weeks can increase the numbers of beneficial bacteria in the gut” (C. Hill et

al., 1970).

There are many ways that you can get probiotics. Probiotics are commercially

sold in capsules or tablet form and it also has powder informal liquids in certain foods

such as yogurt and nutrition bars. There are also fermented foods, such as sauerkraut

or kimchi, which contain almost the same principles as probiotics but have not been

studied enough. There is also a lot of mystery out there about manufacturing and shelf

life. If an athlete is having trouble with GI Tract, then a nutritionist might tell them to eat
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yogurt or to eat sauerkraut so they get the good bacteria into their system to get

everything back into a healthy state.

It is important for athletes to take care of their bodies, especially those who have

prolonged or strenuous internal health conditions. A lack of probiotics can disrupt your

gut health. Taking care of the body is crucial for athletes; however, if they do not, it

could result in abdominal cramping, acid reflux (heartburn), nausea, vomiting, and

diarrhea to name a few. It is very hard for scientists to study the overall performance of

probiotics while dealing with athletes’ performance. They can not conclude that

probiotics cause you to recover faster from a workout or sports competition, but what

they can conclude is if you take in probiotics, then your overall health will improve which

is always a positive thing. “Supplementation with probiotics for individuals and athletes

traveling could be included in an overall illness prevention plan” (C. Hill et al., 1970).

The recommendation for when you should intake supplements for probiotics is at least

fourteen days before the event or competition to allow for enough time for the probiotics

to colonize in the gut.

It is very important to keep your gut in check, and the best way to do that is by

using probiotics. They are proven to be great for you when taken in moderation and with

healthcare professionals’ approval. It is also important to never implement probiotics

right before a game or event because you want time for the body to be able to get the

good bacteria.
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Bibliography

C. Hill, F., GR. Gibson, R., Michael. de Vrese, J., J. Aguilar-toala, R., RJ.

Maughan, L., I. Rowland, L., . . . MT. Shaw, P. (1970, January 01). International

society of sports Nutrition POSITION STAND: PROBIOTICS. Retrieved February

17, 2021, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12970-019-0329-0