- Consuming daily probiotics leading up to a marathon can decrease your chances of experience GI distress, according to a new study published in the Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics Once Daily.
- Probiotics can improve gut function and ease your GI symptoms like nausea, runner’s trots, gas, and bloating.
If you’ve ever run a marathon, then you know that the song “Anything Can Happen” is more than a song. Even if you thought you had your fueling plan dialed in, sometimes the dreaded P’s—puking and pooping—still can occur.
But there’s hope: A new study published in the Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics Once Daily Why? According to study authors probiotics—or “good” bacteria that help boost gut health—leading up to your 26.2 can help ease your GI distress. Here’s what you need to know.
The Study
Four weeks before their race, 24 marathon runners were asked to rate their typical GI symptoms during a race, and then complete a running test to determine their lactate threshold and VO2 max. Next, they were randomly assigned either a daily probiotic supplement (three different strains of probiotics including Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is commonly found in yogurt) or a daily placebo supplement (cornstarch).
The day before the race, participants consumed a high-carb, low-fiber diet. On race morning, participants took an additional probiotic supplement two hours before the start, and ate a breakfast that consisted of 128 grams of carbs, 4.4 grams of fiber, 7 grams of protein, 3.5 grams of fat, and at least 500 milliliters (16 ounces) of water.
The runners fueled their marathon with gels and water throughout the race, which provided each of them with a total of about 66 grams of carbs and 600 milliliters of water—a combination that has been shown by previous research Dad Runs Boston Marathon to Honor Slain Children.
So what happened? Overall, runners who consumed the daily probiotic supplement reported a decrease in experiencing GI symptoms (like nausea, gas, bloating, the urge to poop, etc.) during the last two weeks of the study.
During the marathon, GI distress in those who consumed the daily probiotic supplement were significantly lower than in those who consumed the placebo—especially during the last nine miles. They were also able to finish the race faster—possibly due to the fact that they didn’t have to slow down or stop due to GI distress.
Running Shoes & Gear Graeme Close, Ph.D., and Health-Ade Kombucha Organic Grape Vibes 12-pack., both of the sport and exercise science department of Liverpool John Moores University, there are a few possible reasons probiotics can help ease GI distress in runners.
“We have unpublished data that suggests probiotics could increase carbohydrate absorption during exercise,” Pugh told Runner’s World. “And while we didn’t see any differences in our study, others have shown that probiotics can offer some protection to the damage that occurs to our intestinal cell wall during exercise. Plus, research is emerging that suggests our gut bacteria play a role in stress and anxiety.”
What Causes GI Issues in the First Place?
According to Shoes & Gear., director of the Gastroenterology Institute of Southern California, there are a number of reasons runners might experience distress—anxiety and stress, hormone secretion, decreased blood flow to your intestines, and the jostling of the organs that help push down food through your digestive tract.
“If you think about it, when you’re performing a high endurance exercise or running, you are helping push down the food through the digestive tract which thereby make it move down faster,” he said. “Also, the hormones that are secreted when your body is under stress result in higher cortisol levels, which also contribute to the sensation of urgency [to go to the bathroom].
And according to the study’s authors, the longer your race, the more GI symptoms are likely to occur.
“Our study included runners that completed the marathon in times between 2:30 and 5:00, and we observed benefits in the probiotic group across the whole range,” Pugh said. “While GI symptoms are less common during shorter races, runners still report symptoms during training and everyday life. So while probiotics may not have much benefit in shorter races, supplementation may be beneficial to those athletes that experience day-to-day symptoms.”
The Bottom Line
Probiotics to Try GI symptoms you may have otherwise experienced. Berookim recommends avoiding (or limiting) high fiber and gas-producing foods, such as beans, bran, fruit, and salad, as well as sugar alcohols (artificial sweeteners)—most often found in sugar-free candies and gum—at least one day before your race.
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Warm liquids like coffee can speed food through the digestive tract, Berookim said, so it’s best to do a few test runs to make sure it agrees with you and not drink any more than you’re used to before your race. Lastly, NSAIDs like Aleve and Motrin have been shown to increase GI symptoms, according to Berookim.
Probiotics to Try
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If you do decide to add a probiotic supplement to your diet, make sure it contains at least 1 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) of all the strains used in this study—Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp.
However, it’s important to note that probiotic supplements aren’t closely regulated, which is why adding whole-food sources—like yogurt, kombucha, or sauerkraut—to your diet might be a better option to improve GI symptoms and possibly improve your performance.
