Probiotics: The sleeping giant of sports nutrition?

Three reasons why you should be taking probiotics as part of your sports performance and nutrition programme:

Immunity

A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition showed that a daily intake of 1 Billion CFU’s of the two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus Plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei, reduced the risk of acquiring common cold infections.
Ref: DOI 10.1007/s00394-010-0127-6

Recovery
A study of 40 Irish international rugby players shows how the improved profile of gut bacteria in these players is primed for tissue repair, to harness energy from the diet, and aids in ‘high cell turnover, which is common in elite sport.
Ref: https://gut.bmj.com/content/67/4/625

Muscle building
A probiotic called Lactobacillus Plantarum, isolated from Taiwanese pickled cabbage has improved exercise performance and fatigue significantly.
Also found in the clinical study was a change in body composition, which showed that body fat significantly decreased and muscle mass significantly increased.
Ref: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31752370/