World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

INTESTINAL DYSBIOSIS IN ELITE ATHLETES AND ITS ATTENUATION BY PROBIOTICS WITH PREBIOTICS

Tyler M. Delarosa and Kedar N. Prasad*

ABSTRACT

Elite athletes such as Football, soccer, and basketball players who undergo sustained intense physical activity
during the training and the game, face gastrointestinal problems, immune dysfunction, and risk of respiratory
infection due to induction of intestinal dysbiosis (change in the composition of bacteria in favor of harmful
bacteria). These adverse health issues can interfere with the ability to perform during the game. The question arises
whether daily oral supplementation with probiotics with prebiotics would prevent the development of health
problems by reversing the intestinal dysbiosis. Several reviews and studies have shown that supplementation with
probiotics and prebiotics individually or in combination has produced inconsistent results on the beneficial health
effects in Elite athletes because of variation in the number of probiotics or the amounts of prebiotics, type of
athletes, and period of observation. Most studies have used Bifedo or lactobacillus strains of bacteria which are
acid sensitive. most of them are killed in acid pH of the stomach and bile acid of the intestine. Therefore, we have
proposed that changes in the diet and lifestyle and daily oral administration of probiotics with prebiotics that
include acid resistant strains of probiotic to reverse and prevent the development of intestinal dysbiosis after the
game. Adoption of such a strategy would prevent muscle and gastrointestinal damage, reduce recovery time, and
improve performance during the game.

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