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Differential Health Effects on Inflammatory, Immunological and Stress Parameters in Professional Soccer Players and Sedentary Individuals after Consuming a Synbiotic. A Triple-Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study.
Quero, CD, Manonelles, P, Fernández, M, Abellán-Aynés, O, López-Plaza, D, Andreu-Caravaca, L, Hinchado, MD, Gálvez, I, Ortega, E
Nutrients. 2021;13(4)
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Synbiotic, a mixture of prebiotics and probiotics, is known to improve neurotransmitter interactions, immune, inflammatory, and stress responses by modulating the gut microbial composition. It is also believed that physical activity plays an important role in the modulation of immune function and stress response. The purpose of this triple-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study was to evaluate the health benefits of symbiotic intervention in fourteen sedentary students and thirteen soccer players, especially in terms of improving immunophysiological and metabolic parameters. The 300mg of symbiotic intervention contained Bifidobacterium lactis CBP-001010, Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-4036, Bifidobacterium longum ES1(109 colony-forming unit), and fructooligosaccharides (200 mg) plus 1.5 mg of zinc, 8.25 µg of selenium, 0.75 µg of vitamin, and maltodextrin. Following a one-month intervention with synbiotic formulation, soccer players showed improvements in anxiety, sleep quality and stress, a slight reduction in proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β, an exercise-induced significant increase in dopamine and a slight elevation of corticotropin-releasing hormone. For confirmation of results of this pilot study and to assess more significant effects of symbiotic intervention in athletes as well as in the general population, longer-term robust studies are required. The findings of this study can help healthcare professionals understand the extensive health benefits of synbiotic intervention and its relationship to physical activity.
Abstract
The main objective of this research was to carry out an experimental study, triple-blind, on the possible immunophysiological effects of a nutritional supplement (synbiotic, Gasteel Plus®, Heel España S.A.U.), containing a mixture of probiotic strains, such as Bifidobacterium lactis CBP-001010, Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-4036, and Bifidobacterium longum ES1, as well as the prebiotic fructooligosaccharides, on both professional athletes and sedentary people. The effects on some inflammatory/immune (IL-1β, IL-10, and immunoglobulin A) and stress (epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and cortisol) biomarkers were evaluated, determined by flow cytometer and ELISA. The effects on metabolic profile and physical activity, as well as on various parameters that could affect physical and mental health, were also evaluated via the use of accelerometry and validated questionnaires. The participants were professional soccer players in the Second Division B of the Spanish League and sedentary students of the same sex and age range. Both study groups were randomly divided into two groups: a control group-administered with placebo, and an experimental group-administered with the synbiotic. Each participant was evaluated at baseline, as well as after the intervention, which lasted one month. Only in the athlete group did the synbiotic intervention clearly improve objective physical activity and sleep quality, as well as perceived general health, stress, and anxiety levels. Furthermore, the synbiotic induced an immunophysiological bioregulatory effect, depending on the basal situation of each experimental group, particularly in the systemic levels of IL-1β (increased significantly only in the sedentary group), CRH (decreased significantly only in the sedentary group), and dopamine (increased significantly only in the athlete group). There were no significant differences between groups in the levels of immunoglobulin A or in the metabolic profile as a result of the intervention. It is concluded that synbiotic nutritional supplements can improve anxiety, stress, and sleep quality, particularly in sportspeople, which appears to be linked to an improved immuno-neuroendocrine response in which IL-1β, CRH, and dopamine are clearly involved.
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The Effects of 52 Weeks of Soccer or Resistance Training on Body Composition and Muscle Function in +65-Year-Old Healthy Males--A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Andersen, TR, Schmidt, JF, Pedersen, MT, Krustrup, P, Bangsbo, J
PloS one. 2016;11(2):e0148236
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Aging adversely impacts muscular structure and function, and sedentary subjects have an increased risk of developing lifestyle-related disease. Physical activity in aging subjects has repeatedly been shown to counteract these adverse effects, and in particular, the health benefits of recreational soccer have been investigated. The aim of this randomised trial was to examine the long-term effects of soccer training compared to resistance training on a range of musculo-skeletal structural and functional variables. Twenty-seven healthy elderly males aged 63-74 were randomly assigned to participate in either a soccer training group, a resistance training group or inactive control group for 52-weeks. Participants performed a one-hour training session twice per week for the first 16 weeks, and three times a week for the following 36 weeks. This study showed that 52 weeks of regular soccer training lead to decreases in BMI, improved skeletal muscle anti-oxidative potential, and favourably altered glucose control when compared with resistance training in elderly men.
Abstract
The effects of 52 weeks of soccer or resistance training were investigated in untrained elderly men. The subjects aged 68.1±2.1 yrs were randomised into a soccer (SG; n = 9), a resistance (RG; n = 9) and a control group (CG; n = 8). The subjects in SG and RG, respectively, trained 1.7±0.3 and 1.8±0.3 times weekly on average during the intervention period. Muscle function and body composition were determined before and after 16 and 52 weeks of the intervention period. In SG, BMI was reduced by 1.5% and 3.0% (p<0.05) after 16 and 52 weeks, respectively, unchanged in RG and 2% higher (p<0.05) in CG after 52 weeks of the intervention period. In SG, the response to a glucose tolerance test was 16% lower (p<0.05) after 16 wks, but not after 52 wks, compared to before the intervention period, and unchanged in RG and CG. In SG, superoxide dismutase-2 expression was 59% higher (p<0.05) after 52 wks compared to before the intervention period, and unchanged in RG and CG. In RG, upper body lean mass was 3 and 2% higher (p<0.05) after 16 and 52 wks, respectively, compared to before the intervention period, and unchanged in SG and CG. In RG, Akt-2 expression increased by 28% (p<0.01) and follistatin expression decreased by 38% (p<0.05) during the 52-wk intervention period, and was unchanged in SG and CG. Thus, long-term soccer training reduces BMI and improves anti-oxidative capacity, while long-term resistance training impacts muscle protein enzyme expression and increases lean body mass in elderly men. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01530035.