Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 Improves the State Anxiety and Sports Performance of Young Divers Under Stress Situations: A Single-Arm, Prospective Proof-of-Concept Study

Abstract

BackgroundAthletes will increase their state anxiety under stress situations, which will lead to the decline of sports performance. The improvement of anxiety by probiotics has been reported, but there is a lack of research in the athlete population. The purpose of the current study is to explore the effectiveness of probiotics in improving athletes’ state anxiety and sports performance under stress situations.MethodsWe conducted this single-arm study in Chongqing Institute of Sports Technology. In the 8-week study, 21 Chongqing young divers (mean age: 9.10 ± 1.80) were given probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 (1 × 109 colony-forming units/100 g) daily. The state anxiety and sports performance of athletes were measured before, during, and after the intervention, and the gut microbiota of athletes was measured before and after the intervention.ResultsThe intervention results showed that cognitive state anxiety, somatic state anxiety, and anxiety emotion were improved (cognitive: Z = −3.964, P < 0.001; somatic: Z = −3.079, P = 0.003; anxiety: Z = −2.973, P < 0.001). In terms of gut microbiota, the intervention did not change the gut microbial composition (such as α diversity and β diversity) but increased the abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae. At the 8th week, the performance of athletes under stress was significantly improved (χ2 = 7.88, P = 0.019).LimitationsFirst of all, due to the restriction of the number of subjects in this study, there was no control group. Secondly, although the athletes’ diet was recorded in this study, the influence of this factor on gut microbiota was not eliminated. Finally, the anxiety level of the athletes in this study was obtained through a self-report, lacking physiological data in state anxiety.ConclusionThe results show that probiotics intervention can improve the state anxiety of athletes under stress situation and improve the performance of athletes under stress situation.

Effect of Probiotic Yogurt Supplementation(Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12) on Gut Microbiota of Female Taekwondo Athletes and Its Relationship with Exercise-Related Psychological Fatigue

“…In addition, our previous study found that Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis can improve the state anxiety and exercise performance of divers at different pressure levels [ 15 ]. Probiotic supplementation can improve the post-exercise psychological fatigue of taekwondo athletes, which may be due to the ability of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp.…”

“…Previous research has also demonstrated that adding the subspecies of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 to the diet can regulate hypoxia and improve the performance of divers under stressful conditions [ 14 ], as well as improve their state anxiety and resilience under pressure (high and low pressure) [ 15 ]. Therefore, supplementing with probiotics can promote the clearance of post-competition psychological fatigue by improving emotional, stress, and cognitive function.…”

Antidepressant Shugan Jieyu Capsule Alters Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Microbiome Function in Rats With Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress -Induced Depression

“…At the species level, SG and SJW significantly reversed the CUMS-model related increase in the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium-animalis . However, it was reported that probiotic intervention (given probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp ) can improve the state of anxiety in athletes under stressful situations and their performance under these conditions ( Dong et al, 2020 ). While promising that probiotics may alleviate anxiety/depression, the underlying mechanisms need to be further explored.…”

The Effect of Long-Term Moderate Static Magnetic Field Exposure on Adult Female Mice

“…Firmicutes is called the “fat bacteria”, because it absorbs excess calories from food and leads to obesity, and its reduction explained the lower body weight of mice in the 150 mT SMFs group compared with the sham group. Bifidobacterium is a probiotic and exercise can increase its abundance [ 32 , 33 ], and it was reported that Bifidobacteria improved athletic performance by improving anxiety and reducing stress in athletes [ 34 ]. Therefore, 150 mT SMFs ameliorate exercise capacity and gut microbiota, which in turn reduces the depression-like behavior in female mice.…”