TRIAL: University of Queensland and University of Tasmania
Exercising in the heat causes digestive stress which results in weakening of the intestine walls, according to Dr Cecilia Shing, University of Tasmania. This leads to the introduction of bad bacteria from the digestive tract into the bloodstream.
Using BioCeuticals® UltraBiotic 45, Dr Shing will attempt to prevent this leakage of bacteria from the digestive tract during exercise in hot conditions. If successful, the study will support the use of probiotics to improve exercise performance, general physiological function and mental alertness in athletes and other occupations where heat stress is a major factor, e.g. firefighters, mining engineers and defence personnel.
Another facet of this study that is being investigated by the University of Queensland, is the role that probiotics can play on inflammation in heat stress. Associate Professor Luis Vitetta and his research team hypothesise that BioCeuticals® UltraBiotic 45 may be able to instruct the innate immune system to up- or downregulate inflammatory responses to environmental insults such as heat stress.