Lactic acid bacteria and biotic supplements

Author: Frédéric Delavier and Michel Gundill: Chapter from the book "Sports Supplements for Athletes".
2011-09-21

Prebiotic and Probiotic Supplements

These supplements have gained popularity thanks to the advertising of various fermented dairy products enriched with bifidobacteria and other beneficial bacteria. Probiotic supplements contain beneficial bacteria that will gradually "colonize" our intestines. With the help of probiotic supplements, we can better influence the activity of bacteria "living" in our digestive system. The goal, of course, is to strengthen the population of beneficial bacteria, which simultaneously means eliminating harmful bacteria. Indeed, bacteria in the intestines are constantly at war with each other. The largest group of bacteria eliminates all other groups.

The main drawback of probiotic-rich supplements is that they cannot be stored for long. These supplements must be kept cool at all times; otherwise, the bacteria contained in them will perish. However, the necessary conditions are met very rarely. More often than not, we see probiotic supplements "warming up" under neon lights.

Prebiotic supplements do not have such problems, as they do not contain any bacteria. They consist of fibers designed to promote the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria. The main representatives of prebiotic supplements are fructooligosaccharides and inulin. Ideally, it would be beneficial to combine prebiotic and probiotic substances to achieve faster results.

Benefits of "Biotic" Substances for Athletes

Renowned Soviet weightlifting champion A. Vorobyov long ago recommended the use of "biotic" substances. In his physical education manual, he advised drinking kefir and other fermented dairy products in the morning and evening to "normalize the digestive system." However, it is only recently that "biotic" supplements have gained popularity among athletes.

A study found that 91 percent of surveyed athletes participating in endurance sports, training an average of 13 hours per week, exhibited imbalances in their intestinal flora. They showed a deficiency of beneficial bacteria and an excess of harmful ones. Such imbalances can contribute to gastrointestinal disorders and infections. After four weeks of taking supplements containing prebiotic and probiotic substances, participants experienced improvements and strengthened their gut immunity, which often weakens due to physical exertion (A. Berg, 1999).

D. Chos (1999) also noted an imbalance in the intestinal flora among the French national swimming team and recommended that they take fermented dairy enzymes daily. It appears that this supplement yielded good results.