Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study
Nutritional supplements are popular among athletes to improve performance and physical recovery. Protein supplements fulfill this function by improving performance and increasing muscle mass; however, their effect on other organs or systems is less well known. Diet alterations can induce gut microbi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/3/337 |
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| author | Diego Moreno-Pérez Carlo Bressa María Bailén Safa Hamed-Bousdar Fernando Naclerio Manuel Carmona Margarita Pérez Rocío González-Soltero Maria Gregoria Montalvo-Lominchar Claudia Carabaña Mar Larrosa |
| author_facet | Diego Moreno-Pérez Carlo Bressa María Bailén Safa Hamed-Bousdar Fernando Naclerio Manuel Carmona Margarita Pérez Rocío González-Soltero Maria Gregoria Montalvo-Lominchar Claudia Carabaña Mar Larrosa |
| author_sort | Diego Moreno-Pérez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nutritional supplements are popular among athletes to improve performance and physical recovery. Protein supplements fulfill this function by improving performance and increasing muscle mass; however, their effect on other organs or systems is less well known. Diet alterations can induce gut microbiota imbalance, with beneficial or deleterious consequences for the host. To test this, we performed a randomized pilot study in cross-country runners whose diets were complemented with a protein supplement (whey isolate and beef hydrolysate) (n = 12) or maltodextrin (control) (n = 12) for 10 weeks. Microbiota, water content, pH, ammonia, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were analyzed in fecal samples, whereas malondialdehyde levels (oxidative stress marker) were determined in plasma and urine. Fecal pH, water content, ammonia, and SCFA concentrations did not change, indicating that protein supplementation did not increase the presence of these fermentation-derived metabolites. Similarly, it had no impact on plasma or urine malondialdehyde levels; however, it increased the abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum and decreased the presence of health-related taxa including Roseburia, Blautia, and Bifidobacterium longum. Thus, long-term protein supplementation may have a negative impact on gut microbiota. Further research is needed to establish the impact of protein supplements on gut microbiota. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T10:35:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-118f91d4043a4025af8802a7e8cb1498 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T10:35:29Z |
| publishDate | 2018-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-118f91d4043a4025af8802a7e8cb14982022-12-22T03:36:43ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432018-03-0110333710.3390/nu10030337nu10030337Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot StudyDiego Moreno-Pérez0Carlo Bressa1María Bailén2Safa Hamed-Bousdar3Fernando Naclerio4Manuel Carmona5Margarita Pérez6Rocío González-Soltero7Maria Gregoria Montalvo-Lominchar8Claudia Carabaña9Mar Larrosa10Departamento de Educación, Métodos de Investigación y Evaluación, Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, ICAI-ICADE, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28015, SpainFacultad de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid 28670, SpainFacultad de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid 28670, SpainEscuela de Doctorado e Investigación, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid 28670, SpainDepartment of Life and Sports Sciences, University of Greenwich, Kent ME4 4TB, UKEscuela de Doctorado e Investigación, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid 28670, SpainEscuela de Doctorado e Investigación, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid 28670, SpainFacultad de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid 28670, SpainEscuela de Doctorado e Investigación, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid 28670, SpainEscuela de Doctorado e Investigación, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid 28670, SpainEscuela de Doctorado e Investigación, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid 28670, SpainNutritional supplements are popular among athletes to improve performance and physical recovery. Protein supplements fulfill this function by improving performance and increasing muscle mass; however, their effect on other organs or systems is less well known. Diet alterations can induce gut microbiota imbalance, with beneficial or deleterious consequences for the host. To test this, we performed a randomized pilot study in cross-country runners whose diets were complemented with a protein supplement (whey isolate and beef hydrolysate) (n = 12) or maltodextrin (control) (n = 12) for 10 weeks. Microbiota, water content, pH, ammonia, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were analyzed in fecal samples, whereas malondialdehyde levels (oxidative stress marker) were determined in plasma and urine. Fecal pH, water content, ammonia, and SCFA concentrations did not change, indicating that protein supplementation did not increase the presence of these fermentation-derived metabolites. Similarly, it had no impact on plasma or urine malondialdehyde levels; however, it increased the abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum and decreased the presence of health-related taxa including Roseburia, Blautia, and Bifidobacterium longum. Thus, long-term protein supplementation may have a negative impact on gut microbiota. Further research is needed to establish the impact of protein supplements on gut microbiota.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/3/337sport supplementsfecal ammoniaBifidobacterium longumfecal pHbranched short-chain fatty acids |
| spellingShingle | Diego Moreno-Pérez Carlo Bressa María Bailén Safa Hamed-Bousdar Fernando Naclerio Manuel Carmona Margarita Pérez Rocío González-Soltero Maria Gregoria Montalvo-Lominchar Claudia Carabaña Mar Larrosa Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study Nutrients sport supplements fecal ammonia Bifidobacterium longum fecal pH branched short-chain fatty acids |
| title | Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study |
| title_full | Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study |
| title_fullStr | Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study |
| title_short | Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study |
| title_sort | effect of a protein supplement on the gut microbiota of endurance athletes a randomized controlled double blind pilot study |
| topic | sport supplements fecal ammonia Bifidobacterium longum fecal pH branched short-chain fatty acids |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/3/337 |
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