TY - JOUR
T1 - A novel role of probiotics in improving host defence of elite rugby union athlete
T2 - A double blind randomised controlled trial
AU - Pumpa, Kate L.
AU - McKune, Andrew J.
AU - Harnett, Joanna
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors declare they received financial support to conduct this study from FIT-BioCeuticals Ltd who manufactures the probiotics utilised in this study. FIT-BioCeuticals did not have any control over or input into the study or its findings. Author JH declares her academic position at the time this study was conducted, was supported by a philanthropic donation from Blackmores (a manufacturer of probiotics). Blackmores did not have any control or input into her teaching or research activities. Blackmores is the mother company of FIT-BioCeuticals Pty Ltd who providing funding for this study. The results of the study are presented clearly, honestly, and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation
Funding Information:
This project was jointly funded by FIT-BioCeuticals Ltd, Australia, and The University of Canberra's Research Institute for Sport and Exercise. The authors appreciate the support of Mr Haydn Masters who assisted with the collection of saliva samples, the team sports physician Dr Mike Cadogan who recorded all illness data for this project, Dr Marijke Welvaert for her statistical guidance, Mr Nathan D'Cunha for his assistance with saliva analysis, Mr David Williams and Mr Matthew Lieschke for their assistance in collating all the training load data, and the players and administrators for their support with the project.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Sports Medicine Australia
PY - 2019/8/1
Y1 - 2019/8/1
N2 - Objective: To examine the effects of a probiotic protocol on the incidence and severity of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in elite rugby union athletes across an international competition season. Associations were also investigated between salivary biomarkers of stress (cortisol, alpha-amylase) and mucosal immunity (secretory(s)-IgA). Design: A double-blind RCT was conducted over 27-weeks, divided into three stages: (1) control period; (2) domestic competition; and (3) international competition. Methods: Athletes were assigned a probiotic (n = 9) or placebo (n = 10) supplement. Ultrabiotic 60™ or placebo was taken with food twice daily for 17 weeks and SB Floractiv™ 250 mg added twice daily during stage three. Results: Five infections were diagnosed by the team sports physician across the 27-weeks, three within the intervention period in athletes randomised to the placebo group. No significant group x time interaction effects for salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase or s-IgA were identified over the 27-week time period, although a significant main effect for group and time was identified for salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase, and s-IgA (p < 0.05 for all). When considering stage, significant differences were identified in stage one with s-IgA lower in the probiotic group (p = 0.015). In stage two and three, salivary cortisol was higher in the probiotic group (p = 0.016 and p = 0.001 respectively), and salivary alpha-amylase was higher in the probiotic group in stage three (p = 0.007). Conclusion: The probiotic protocol used in this study was associated with an increase in salivary alpha-amylase supporting its possible role as a host defence peptide.
AB - Objective: To examine the effects of a probiotic protocol on the incidence and severity of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in elite rugby union athletes across an international competition season. Associations were also investigated between salivary biomarkers of stress (cortisol, alpha-amylase) and mucosal immunity (secretory(s)-IgA). Design: A double-blind RCT was conducted over 27-weeks, divided into three stages: (1) control period; (2) domestic competition; and (3) international competition. Methods: Athletes were assigned a probiotic (n = 9) or placebo (n = 10) supplement. Ultrabiotic 60™ or placebo was taken with food twice daily for 17 weeks and SB Floractiv™ 250 mg added twice daily during stage three. Results: Five infections were diagnosed by the team sports physician across the 27-weeks, three within the intervention period in athletes randomised to the placebo group. No significant group x time interaction effects for salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase or s-IgA were identified over the 27-week time period, although a significant main effect for group and time was identified for salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase, and s-IgA (p < 0.05 for all). When considering stage, significant differences were identified in stage one with s-IgA lower in the probiotic group (p = 0.015). In stage two and three, salivary cortisol was higher in the probiotic group (p = 0.016 and p = 0.001 respectively), and salivary alpha-amylase was higher in the probiotic group in stage three (p = 0.007). Conclusion: The probiotic protocol used in this study was associated with an increase in salivary alpha-amylase supporting its possible role as a host defence peptide.
KW - Alpha amylase
KW - Elite athlete
KW - Illness
KW - Immunity
KW - Stress
KW - Travel
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064458311&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/novel-role-probiotics-improving-host-defence-elite-rugby-union-athlete-double-blind-randomised-contr
U2 - 10.1016/j.jsams.2019.03.013
DO - 10.1016/j.jsams.2019.03.013
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85064458311
SN - 1440-2440
VL - 22
SP - 876
EP - 881
JO - Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
JF - Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
IS - 8
ER -