Endurance e microbiota intestinal : estratégias nutricionais para minimizar efeitos negativos

Abstract

Endurance corresponds to cardiovascular exercises performed over a long period of time. Endurance athletes expose their bodies to extreme physiological circumstances that interrupt the body's homeostasis in several aspects, including the alteration of the intestinal microbiota (IM). Athletes have a greater diversity of IM when compared to sedentary ones, but overtraining seems to give way to a more harmful microbiota, which can increase intestinal permeability, inflammation, oxidative stress and susceptibility to infections. The present study is a literature review whose objective is to evaluate the effects of exercise on the intestinal microbiota in endurance athletes and the recommended nutritional strategies. It has been observed that the ingestion of probiotics, prebiotics, polyphenols and antibiotics can modify the intestinal microbiota, but their effects in athletes are in the early stages of investigation. There is reasonable evidence that consuming probiotics regularly can positively modify the population and structure of IM and can influence immune function as well as intestinal epithelial cell proliferation, function and protection in individuals following exercise programs. Supplementation with probiotics seems to be the most studied and most effective in minimizing harmful effects in endurance athletes. However, further studies regarding the strains used, concentrations and dosage, encapsulation and the way they are manufactured are necessary.