Research
Mixed
Athletes have distinct gut microbiota compositions compared to sedentary individuals, characterized by higher diversity and abundance of health-promoting bacteria, influenced by exercise and protein intake.
Regular exercise and a diet high in protein and fiber can positively shape your gut microbiota, increasing diversity and beneficial bacteria. This is a natural way to support gut health.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Athletes have varying gut microbiota compositions that appear to reflect the activity level of the host in comparison to sedentary people, with the differences linked primarily to the volume of exercise and amount of protein consumption.
Why this rating
Based on observational studies.
Source
International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Probiotics
Ralf Jäger et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2019
DOI 10.1186/s12970-019-0329-0
narrative_reviewCited 258×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Specific probiotic strains reduce the frequency, severity, and duration of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in athletes, particularly under conditions of high training load or environmental stress.Good
- Specific probiotic strains improve gut barrier integrity, reducing gut permeability and systemic endotoxemia caused by intense, prolonged exercise.Moderate
- Probiotic supplementation does not consistently improve athletic performance metrics (e.g., VO2 max, peak power) across all strains and populations.Moderate
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