Effects of Probiotics Supplementation on Risk and Severity of Infections in Athletes: A Systematic Review.

2022-09-13
International journal of environmental research and public health 19(18)

PubMed: 36141804
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811534

Study Design

Type: Systematic Review
Population: healthy athletes
Methods: Search of MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus; according to the PRISMA guidelines, randomized controlled studies performed on healthy athletes with a note dose of probiotics supplementation were considered; 16 studies were selected

The aim of this review was to appraise the literature on the effects of probiotics supplementation on gastrointestinal (GI) and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) risk and prognosis in athletes. The search was conducted using the following electronic databases: MEDLINE (PubMed); Web of Science; Scopus; and SPORTDiscus (EBSCO). According to the PRISMA guidelines, randomized controlled studies performed on healthy athletes with a note dose of probiotics supplementation were considered. From the 2304 articles found, after eliminating reviews and studies on animals and unhealthy subjects and after screening of titles and abstracts, 403 studies were considered eligible. From these, in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 studies were selected, ten of which concerned endurance athletes. The majority of the studies reported beneficial effects of probiotics in reducing the risk of developing the examined infections or the severity of related symptoms. However, due to the differences in formulations used and populations analyzed in the available studies, further research is needed in this field to achieve stronger and more specific evidence.

Research Insights

Supplement	Dose	Health Outcome	Effect Type	Effect Size	Source
Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis LAFTI B94	—	Reduced Gastrointestinal Infections	Beneficial	Small	View source The majority of the studies reported beneficial effects of probiotics in reducing the risk of developing the examined infections or the severity of related symptoms.
Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis LAFTI B94	—	Reduced Infection Severity	Beneficial	Small	View source The majority of the studies reported beneficial effects of probiotics in reducing the risk of developing the examined infections or the severity of related symptoms.
Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis LAFTI B94	—	Reduced Risk of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections	Beneficial	Small	View source The majority of the studies reported beneficial effects of probiotics in reducing the risk of developing the examined infections or the severity of related symptoms.