Athletes exposed to high-intensity exercise suffer from increased gastrointestinal permeability, a condition called as leaky gut syndrome.
Highlights
- Rio Olympics participants suffer from an upset stomach
- Experts say the culprit may be leaky gut syndrome
- Physical exertion due to heavy exercise may have contributed to leaky gut in athletes
Leaky Gut Syndrome
The bowel is lined by a thin mucosal barrier, which plays a role in absorbing nutrients and preventing large molecules and germs passing from the gut into the blood stream. When the barrier becomes less effective, the condition is called as leaky gut, causing widespread symptoms. Some of the factors that increase permeability of the intestinal wall are- Alcohol and caffeine
- Antacids and painkillers
- Food additives
- Refined carbohydrates
- Stress
- Environmental contaminants
A new research study suggested that zinc carnosine may benefit athletes with leaky gut syndrome. The study was conducted by Professor Raymond Playford, a gastrointestinal expert and Professor of Medicine at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry.
Zinc carnosine is a health food product that improves gastrointestinal activity. It is an artificially produced derivative of carnosine. Pharmaceutical industries produce zinc carnosine as a dietary supplement with added value for gastric health.
The current research involved eight volunteers who participated in a four-arm, double-blind placebo-controlled test. The participants were divided into groups where each group received either zinc carnosine, placebo, bovine colostrum or zinc carnosine and colostrum for 14 days prior to standardized exercise taken two and 14 days after starting treatment. The body temperature was increased by two-degree Centigrade in the participants during heavy exercise. The rise in temperature may be a contributing factor in causing the increased leakiness of the gut.
Cell structure experiments were also conducted to understand the mechanisms behind how zinc carnosine and bovine colostrum worked. The results showed that supplementation of zinc carnosine improved the performance of the mucosal barrier of the gut. The findings also suggested that zinc carnosine supplemented with bovine colostrum enhanced the performance even more. Both zinc carnosine and bovine colostrum are readily available as a health food. The researchers concluded that zinc carnosine taken alone or with bovine colostrum might benefit athletes with a leaky gut.
The study is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
- Zinc carnosine works with bovine colostrum in truncating heavy exercise–induced increase in gut permeability in healthy volunteers - (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2016/06/29/ajcn.116.134403.abstract)
- Exercise, intestinal barrier dysfunction and probiotic supplementation - (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23075554)
- Zinc carnosine, a health food supplement that stabilises small bowel integrity and stimulates gut repair processes - (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1856764/)