exercise recovery

Purpose: Sleep and exercise influence each other through complex interactions. Sleep disorders incidence in athletes are high among several sports. Method: 24 CrossFit practitioners, of both genders, between the ages of 25 and 35, presenting difficulty in initiating sleep, with a total sleep time of less than 6 hours per night, were recruited into a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that lasted 8 weeks. Participants received capsules containing 3 mg of melatonin + 1200 mg of GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid) or placebo at 10:00 pm daily. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), cortisol and testosterone levels were measured and total-body skeletal muscle mass (TBSMM) by Lee’s equation performed by two different examiners. Results: Group melatonin + GABA gained an average of 600g of TBSMM while the control group lost 200g (p = 0.295). Both groups improve PSQI score (p = 0.007). No difference was found in cortisol and testosterone level. Conclusions: Although there was a difference between groups about TBSMM, it wasn’t statistically significant. Further studies will be necessary to demonstrate evidence of increased TBSMM from better sleep quality, with a larger number of participants and a longer trial.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between gut microbiome composition, athletic performance, and post-exercise recovery in endurance athletes following probiotic supplementation.  Method: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 40 male endurance runners (age: 28.3 ± 5.2 years) were randomly assigned to either a probiotic (n=20) or placebo (n=20) group for 8 weeks. The probiotic group received a daily supplement containing a blend of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Lactobacillus plantarum (20 billion CFU total). Fecal samples were collected before and after the intervention and analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Athletic performance was assessed through VO2max testing and time to exhaustion. Recovery was evaluated by measuring delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and creatine kinase (CK) levels. Results: The probiotic group showed a significant increase in gut microbial diversity (Shannon index: p<0.01) and relative abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus (p<0.001). Significant improvements were observed in VO2max (4.7%, p<0.05) and time to exhaustion (7.2%, p<0.01) in the probiotic group compared to placebo. The probiotic group also demonstrated reduced DOMS (23%, p<0.05) and lower peak CK levels (18%, p<0.01) relative to the placebo group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that changes in Akkermansia muciniphila and Bifidobacterium abundances were significant predictors of performance improvement (R² = 0.68, p<0.001). Conclusion: This study provides evidence that gut microbiome modulation through probiotic supplementation can enhance athletic performance and accelerate post-exercise recovery in endurance runners. These findings suggest that targeted manipulation of the gut microbiome may be a novel strategy for improving sports performance and recovery.