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. 2022 Sep 13;19(18):11534.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph191811534.

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

Mirella Di Dio  1 , Patrizia Calella  1 , Giuseppe Cerullo  1 , Concetta Paola Pelullo  1 , Valeria Di Onofrio  2 , Francesca Gallè  1 , Giorgio Liguori  1
Affiliations

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

Mirella Di Dio et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

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.

Keywords: athletes; diet supplementation; gastrointestinal disorders; probiotic; upper respiratory tract infections.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram of the selection of the articles included.
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