Effect of probiotic supplementation on oxidative stress enzymes and mental health of athletes

According to this 2019 article, probiotic supplements are being used by athletes to promote health and athletic performance. Noorifard et al. explains that intensive exercise on the professional level can increase production of free radicals and stress hormones, cause damage to body tissues, and reduce immune activity. This study investigated if probiotic supplementation could affect psychological health and the amount of oxidative stress enzymes in athletes. The 40 participants (swimmers) were split into two groups of 20. One group received one glass of probiotic juice every day for 12 weeks (this was the test group), while the other group received placebo juice for 12 weeks (the control group). After 12 weeks of this intervention, the level of antioxidants was significantly higher in the test group compared with the control group. In addition, the group receiving the probiotics showed better psychological parameters than the group taking the placebo drinks. In conclusion, the consumption of the probiotic juice positively influenced the athletes’ antioxidant system and mental health. [NPID: antioxidants, mental health, swimmers, athletes, probiotics, exercise, supplements, immunity]

Year: 2019

Reference: Noorifard M, Dabbagh Moghaddam A, Asemi Z, Hamidi Farahani R, Mousavi Jazayeri S M, et al. Effect of Probiotic Supplementation on Oxidative Stress Enzymes and Mental Health of Athletes, Ann Mil Health Sci Res. Online ahead of Print ; 17(1):e84922. doi: 10.5812/amh.84922.