Performance nutrition science is filled with promising data on the positive effects of food and certain supplements to enhance power, endurance and focus in athletes.
With the data expanding to optimized recovery and general overall health for athletes, a broader approach to supporting athletic performance is not only emerging, but also just plain smart: as athletes are humans first, then athletes.
While the data is still emerging to support a direct performance enhancing benefit of probiotic use with athletes, the data is growing that there are ancillary benefits probiotics use can have on an athlete’s overall health: which in turn helps to keep the athlete training, competing and recovering according to their optimal schedule.
Optimal intestinal health is of prime importance in athletes for many reasons, including maintaining healthy inflammatory response, supporting optimal immune health (as over 70% of active immune tissue resides in the gut) and aiding in digestion and absorption food along with production of support nutrients required for optimal health (B12, short chain fatty acids…).
Below are the top reasons why athletes of any age and sport may benefit from using a research validated, high quality probiotic blend.
1. Combat exposure to pathogens and infections from travel
Helping to fight travelers diarrhea which can increase the risk of dehydration, missed training session and suboptimal performance.
2. Combat the side effects of OTC pain medications
Especially NSAIDS and prescribed antibiotics.
3. Support gut health during training
Especially in hot and high intensity training environments
4. Support the occurrence, severity and/or duration of GI (gastro intestinal) complaints
Such as nausea, stomach and intestinal cramps, vomiting and diarrhea and RTIs (respiratory tract infections) post training/event (especially in endurance athletes).
5. Deliver probiotics to the gut when food intake variety is low
Especially important in youth athletes who don’t eat a variety of fiber rich food sources.
With all of this in mind, Thorne is proud to announce FloraSport 20B™, an NSF certified for Sport® probiotic. FloraSport 20B™ was designed specifically to support the needs of high volume and high intensity training athletes, as well as add additional support for athletes that are traveling, who are at higher risk of exposure to pathogens (be it from foreign food or poor quality water), as well as athletes who are on antibiotic therapy.