Do you need to supplement probiotics during exercise?
Athletes and heavy sports enthusiasts often face challenges such as temporary decrease in immunity, increased intestinal permeability, muscle damage and inflammation. Supplementing with probiotics can not only regulate intestinal flora and enhance antioxidant capacity, but also convert lactic acid, optimize nutrient absorption, and accelerate muscle repair. It is a key link in improving athletic performance and shortening recovery time.
Before exercise: Prepare for battle
1. Strengthen antioxidant defense • Supplement with formulas containing Bifidobacterium breve or Lactobacillus plantarum to increase the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase in the body*, reducing free radical damage and physical fatigue.
2. Energy conversion from lactic acid to propionate • Select strains that can convert lactic acid produced during exercise into the short-chain fatty acid propionate , providing additional fuel for muscles and increasing endurance.
3. Optimize nutrient absorption • About 30-60 minutes before exercise, take a dietary fiber drink containing probiotics to enhance the breakdown and absorption of dietary fat, complex carbohydrates and protein, ensuring sufficient energy and raw materials during training.
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During & After Exercise: Accelerate Recovery and Muscle Rebuilding
1. Enhance immune protection • Immunity can drop temporarily after strenuous exercise, which can easily lead to upper respiratory tract infection. Continuous supplementation with probiotics that promote the production of IgG and IgA antibodies can help reduce the frequency and severity of infections.
2. Improve intestinal barrier function • High-intensity, long-term training will increase intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and trigger systemic inflammation. Specific probiotics can repair the intestinal epithelium, maintain tight junctions, and prevent endotoxin spillover.
3. Promote protein utilization and muscle repair • Supplement with strains that can break down protein and release signal amino acids to assist rapid absorption in the small intestine for muscle repair and synthesis, achieving a more complete post-training reconstruction.
4. Anti-inflammation helps muscle reconstruction • Certain probiotics have anti-inflammatory activity, which can regulate the release of inflammatory factors and accelerate the repair of exercise-induced muscle damage.
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Practical tips: dosage, strains and product selection tips
• Minimum effective dose studies suggest that at least 1–10 billion CFU (colony forming units) of each strain is required to ensure efficacy.
• It is recommended to supplement in "divided doses" after meals or with sports drinks to increase the success rate of colonization.
• Labels must be read When purchasing a product, confirm that the three-level information of “genus, species, and strain” is indicated, as well as the number of CFUs at the end of the product’s expiration date.
• Duration: Daily supplementation is recommended for at least 4–6 weeks to observe significant changes in endurance, recovery, and immunity.
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Probiotics are not only the guardian of intestinal health, but also the secret weapon for athletic performance and recovery. Through practical strategies for timing, strains, and dosage, you can have the strongest physical strength and fastest recovery speed on the field, and build stronger athletic power from the inside out!
Sources:
12025 Nutritionist explains the benefits of twk10 exercise in 30 seconds 2024/12/22