A new peer-reviewed study has been published that demonstrates the efficacy of Clasado Bioscience's prebiotic ingredient, Bimuno GOS, in supporting gut and immune health in athletes.
The trial, published in Experimental Physiology, adds "further strength to the evidence behind Bimuno GOS’ performance powered by gut health approach," the company said in a statement.
The study and results
The randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted during a six-week period at Nottingham Trent University.
A study found that healthy male athletes taking daily Bimuno GOS (2.75g of active GOS) during a simulated football match in hot conditions had better gut barrier integrity, less severe gastrointestinal symptoms and shorter upper respiratory symptoms compared with the placebo group.
Key findings after 6 weeks of daily supplementation of Bimuno GOS in athletes included the following:
- A 38% reduction in pre-post change in I-FABP, a biomarker of gut barrier damage
- A reduction in gastrointestinal symptom severity at rest and during exercise when supplementing with Bimuno GOS compared with placebo
- The average duration of upper respiratory symptom episodes throughout the study was 8.9 days for the placebo group; this was only 3.2 days for the Bimuno GOS group and symptom severity was approximately 2.9 times lower
- Salivary IgA, a key immune defence biomarker, increased after exercise in the Bimuno GOS group, whereas it decreased for the placebo group.
Dr Neil Williams, Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University and Lead Investigator, said: "The findings build on the emerging picture of how prebiotics can influence athlete health and performance through improving availability for training and competitions."
By supporting gut barrier integrity and immune responses under physical stress, prebiotics can help to reduce gastrointestinal symptoms and support immune function, therefore potentially reducing the health issues faced by athletes.
Dr Lucien Harthoorn, R&D Director at Clasado, added: "The latest published study builds on the strong scientific foundation of Bimuno GOS."
For formulators in sports nutrition, it's a highly compelling proposition — clinical efficacy in athlete cohorts combined with increasing awareness of gut health from performance-conscious consumers. Bimuno GOS delivers on all fronts.
According to market intelligence company Meticulous Research, the global sports nutrition market is expected to surpass $82bn by 2031 and data from FMCG Gurus shows that more than 50% of performance consumers now prioritise digestive and immune health besides their main fitness goal.
This marks a move towards a more holistic, gut-centric approach to athletic wellbeing, with Clasado positioning its Bimuno GOS at the forefront of the field.