The Effect of Prebiotics on Endurance Performance

Overview

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a six-week period personalised food intervention with prebiotic supplementation on intense exercise performance in healthy, recreationally active adults.

Full Title of Study: “Modulation of the Intestinal Microbiome, and Its Effects on Endurance Exercise Capacity in Moderately Trained Individuals”

Study Type

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Masking: Single (Participant)
• Study Primary Completion Date: August 23, 2021

Detailed Description

The study conforms to a randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled parallel study design. a prebiotic supplement will be selected based on a participants gut microbiota. 1 sachet of prebiotic or placebo will be given twice a day over a period of 6 weeks. Before the start of the study, a VO2max test will be performed. Subjects will bring faecal samples which is collected at home. A time to exhaustion of approximately 80% of their VO2max will be performed at baseline and after the 6 weeks intervention period.

Interventions

• Dietary Supplement: Prebiotic
  • 6 weeks of prebiotic supplementation twice a day
• Other: Placebo
  • 6 weeks of maltodextrin supplementation twice a day

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

• Experimental: Prebiotic intervention group
  • Prebiotic supplementation
• Placebo Comparator: Placebo control group
  • Maltodextrin

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

• Time to Exhaustion
  • Time Frame: From baseline to end of the study (up to max 45 days)
  • Time on cycle ergometer until exhaustion

Secondary Measures

• Gut microbiota composition
  • Time Frame: From baseline to end of the study (up to max 45 days)
  • Composition of the gut microbiota by faecal sample analysis
• Plasma short chain fatty acids
  • Time Frame: From baseline to end of the study (up to max 45 days)
  • Short chain fatty acids in plasma
• Blood glucose
  • Time Frame: From baseline to end of the study (up to max 45 days)
  • Fasted blood glucose
• Insulin
  • Time Frame: From baseline to end of the study (up to max 45 days)
  • Fasted insulin
• Intestinal permeability by sugar test
  • Time Frame: From baseline to end of the study (up to max 45 days)
  • Intestinal permeability measured by a sugar drink test

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

• Male or female 18 – 40 y – BMI range 18.5 – 25 kg/m2 – Recreational active (performing non-competitive physical endurance exercise at least two times per week with a minimum duration of 60 minutes per exercise bout) Exclusion Criteria:

• Smoking – Performing regular resistance training (3+ times per week, carrying out progressive overload training) – Subject following an overly imbalanced or restrictive diet as per nutritional advice – Participants who received antibiotics in the 90 days prior to the start of the study – Self-admitted lactose intolerance – Administration of probiotic or prebiotic supplements in the 14 days prior to the study

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: 40 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

• Lead Sponsor
  • Maastricht University
• Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
  • Principal Investigator: Fred Troost, Principal Investigator – Maastricht University
• Overall Contact(s)
  • Freddy Troost, Dr., +31(0)43 3884296, f.troost@maastrichtuniversity.nl