Combined probiotics with vitamin D3 supplementation improved aerobic performance and gut microbiome composition in mixed martial arts athletes

Katarzyna Przewłócka; Marcin Folwarski; Mariusz Kaczmarczyk; Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka; Joanna Palma; Zofia Kinga Bytowska; Sylwester Kujach; Jan Jacek Kaczor

doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1256226

Combined probiotics with vitamin D₃ supplementation improved aerobic performance and gut microbiome composition in mixed martial arts athletes

Front Nutr. 2023 Oct 11:10:1256226. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1256226. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Katarzyna Przewłócka¹, Marcin Folwarski², Mariusz Kaczmarczyk³, Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka⁴, Joanna Palma⁴, Zofia Kinga Bytowska¹, Sylwester Kujach^{5

6}, Jan Jacek Kaczor^{1

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Bioenergetics and Exercise Physiology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
² Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
³ Department of Clinical and Molecular Biochemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland.
⁴ Department of Biochemical Research, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland.
⁵ Department of Physiology, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdańsk, Poland.
⁶ Department of Neurophysiology, Neuropsychology and Neuroinformatics, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
⁷ Department of Animal and Human Physiology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.

Abstract

Introduction: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is characterized as an interval sport in which the training program focuses on enhancing both aerobic and anaerobic capacities. Therefore, strategies targeting the intestinal microbiome may be beneficial for MMA athletes. Moreover, vitamin D supplementation may amplify the positive effects of certain bacterial strains. We previously demonstrated that the combined of probiotics and vitamin D₃ supplementation improved the lactate utilization ratio, total work, and average power achieved during anaerobic tests in MMA. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether combined probiotic and vitamin D₃ ingestion can modify the composition of the gut microbiome and epithelial cell permeability, influence the inflammatory response, and ultimately enhance aerobic capacity.

Methods: A 4-week clinical trial was conducted with 23 male MMA athletes randomly assigned to either the probiotic + vitamin D₃ (PRO + VIT D) group or the vitamin D₃ group (VIT D). The trial employed a double-blind, placebo-controlled design and involved measurements of serum inflammatory markers, gut microbiome composition, epithelial cell permeability, and aerobic performance.

Results: After 4-week of supplementation, we found a significantly lower concentration of calprotectin in the PRO + VIT D group (34.79 ± 24.38 mmol/L) compared to the value before (69.50 ± 46.91) supplementation (p = 0.030), augmentation of beta diversity after the intervention in the PRO + VIT D group (p = 0.0005) and an extended time to exhaustion to 559.00 ± 68.99; compared to the value before (496.30 ± 89.98; p = 0.023) after combined probiotic and vitamin D₃ supplementation in MMA athletes. No effect was observed in the VIT D group.

Conclusion: Our results indicate that combined treatment of probiotics and vitamin D₃ may cause alterations in alpha and beta diversity and the composition of the gut microbiota in MMA athletes. We observed an improvement in epithelial cell permeability and an extended time to exhaustion during exercise in MMA athletes following a 4-week combined probiotic and vitamin D₃ treatment.

Keywords: MMA athletes; aerobic capacity; gut microbiome; inflammation; intestinal permeability; probiotics.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was partially funded by the project from the Ministry of Education and Science: IDUB 664/306/63/73–3326. The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other external support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.