Gastrointestinal (GI) distress is highly prevalent among endurance athletes, ranging from mild discomfort to conditions requiring clinical care, which can impair performance, enjoyment and long-term health. Probiotics have been highlighted as a potential nutritional strategy to mitigate symptoms. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the effects of a commercially available, multi-strain probiotic supplement (Symprove™) on self-reported GI symptoms in marathon runners. Ten runners (1 male, 9 female; mean age of 28±9 years) supplemented with the probiotic for 6 weeks preceding a marathon. GI symptoms were assessed weekly using the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS). Total GSRS scores decreased following 4 weeks of supplementation, with reductions of 31% at 4 weeks (p = 0.008), 38% at 5 weeks (p = 0.005), and 43% at 6 weeks (p = 0.005). Improvements were observed for individual symptoms, including pain, bloating, flatulence, loose stools, and urgent bowel movements (p ≤ 0.017). The total number of symptoms reported as moderate severity or worse was also lower from week 4 (p = < 0.001), and fewer runners reported at least one moderate or worse symptom in weeks 4 and 5 (p ≤ 0.017), although this effect was not significant during the marathon. Collectively, these findings suggest that supplementing with Symprove™ daily for at least 4 weeks may reduce GI distress during marathon training and on race day. Probiotic supplementation, therefore, appears to be a promising strategy for managing GI symptoms in runners; however, further research with larger sample sizes remains necessary to provide more definitive evidence.
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https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/36/S1/article-pS1.xml
