Data from a placebo-controlled longitudinal study with 11 elite soccer players indicated that a combination of three athlete-derived probiotic strains, Lactiplantibacillus platarum FB00015, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus FB00047 and Lactobacillus acidophilus FB00012 (known commercially as Nella by FitBiomics) was associated with significant improvements in self-reported sleep quality, energy levels and bowel movements.
These improvements were associated with a significantly higher ration of free-testosterone to cortisol, and a significant reduction in markers of oxidative stress, wrote the researchers led by Tindaro Bongiovanni, head of performance at Palermo Football Club, and Marina Santiago from FitBiomics.
“The probiotic intervention investigated in this study consists of three lactobacilli strains isolated from elite athletes, whose gut microbiomes have adapted to strenuous exercise,” they wrote in the journal Microbiome.
“We hypothesize that these exercise-adapted lactobacilli harbor genomic adaptations that contribute to the significant improvements observed in sleep quality, general health and energy levels after intervention. Moreover, the exercise-adapted microbiome more generally may be responsible for the health improvements conferred by exercise, including sleep quality.”
The paper is a collaboration that also featured scientists from Increnovo (USA), Giuliani SpA (Italy) and Harvard University (USA).
Mining the microbiome
Interest in how the gut microbiome is linked to athletic performance—and the potential of modulation of the microbiota via pre- and probiotics to boost performance—is an area of increasing interest.
Multiple papers in different populations of elite athletes have shown that the gut microbiomes of these competitors are more diverse and display a higher abundance of health-promoting bacterial species. This led to the logical question of whether it could be possible to mine these elite microbiomes for potential novel probiotic strains.
And this is what FitBiomics has been doing, resulting in its Nella product, which was used in this new study.
Commenting on the new study, Dr. Jonathan Scheiman, Co-founder and CEO of FitBiomics, said: “This publication not only underscores FitBiomics’ commitment to advancing science-backed wellness solutions through peer reviewed validation; it also marks a new chapter in our ability to rapidly translate the microbial attributes of the most fit people in the world into preventative medicine solutions to benefit everyone.
“Our research shows the profound impact of Nella on the microbiome outside of just ‘the gut,’ with brain and immune benefits. We are excited to publish the impact of Nella on improving a person’s quality of life and longevity by aiding with sleep, while also increasing energy and improving gastrointestinal function—all crucial factors in achieving optimal health and daily performance.”
Study details
Bongiovanni et al. performed a two-phase study design, with the first part being an open-label study in 257 people in the general population who signed up to participate in the two-week study. The participants, who had an average age of 40, took either a low dose of Nella (10 billion CFUs) or a high dose (35 billion CFUs).
Results of this study revealed that 94% of the participants reported notable health improvements after two weeks of supplementation, particularly in sleep quality, energy and post-exercise recovery.
The researchers then set out to validate these results with a placebo-controlled longitudinal study with elite Italian soccer players from a professional Serie B team. The players underwent a 12-week placebo phase followed by a 12-week probiotic phase during which they received four probiotic capsules per week containing 10 billion CFUs per capsule.
Survey data showed that the probiotics were associated with a 69% improvement in self-reported sleep quality, a 31% improvement in energy levels and a 37% increase in bowel regularity, compared to placebo.
Analysis of blood and stool samples from the study indicated there were significant reductions in oxidative stress and inflammation. In addition, multi-omics analysis of stool samples illuminated a biological pathway that leads to increased antioxidant production by gut microbes, supporting the body’s response to sleep deprivation.
There was also an increased ratio between free-testosterone and cortisol, which is associated with improved recovery from physical exertion and could explain the increased energy of the participants.
“This study provides novel insights into how a multi-strain Lactobacillus probiotic modulates sleep quality, exercise recovery, and gut microbiome composition in both the general population and elite athletes and introduces potential mechanisms through which this probiotic could be influencing overall health,” the researchers wrote.
“Our results emphasize the untapped potential of tailored probiotic interventions derived from extremely fit and healthy individuals in improving several aspects of health and performance directly in humans.”
FitBiomics
FitBiomics has been exploring the potential of athlete-derived probiotics for several years since spinning out from Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.
The company’s first product, Nella, launched in 2021 and is formulated with the three proprietary athlete-derived strains used in this study.
The company has also been commercializing its next-generation probiotic Veillonella, a strain that hit the headlines in 2019 with the publication of paper in Nature Medicine.
Speaking with NutraIngredients-USA at SupplySide West 2023, Carolina Barsa, chief innovation and growth officer at FitBiomics, explained that Veillonella is “essentially a microbe that converts lactic acid into short chain fatty acid, so taking a byproduct of fatigue and converting it into something that provides energy for your body’s cells.”
Source: Microbiome
2025, 13, 1, doi: 10.1186/s40168-024-01936-4
“A Lactobacillus consortium provides insights into the sleep-exercise-microbiome nexus in proof of concept studies of elite athletes and in the general population”
Authors: T. Bongiovanni, et al.
