Probiotics: The Key to Supporting the Immune System in Athletes
By Dr. Stephen Clouthier, DC
Following Ironman Texas 2012, my friends and I, for a period of weeks, recapped “the good, the bad and the ugly” of the race experience. There were many who were describing the various trips to the “porta potties” along the run course. Many blamed the warm lake water and its’ prolific bacterial flora for their frequent stops. One friend even described visiting all of the potties at least once on the run course. As I listened to the stories, I felt sheepish, as I had not needed to make a “visit” even once for gastrointestinal distress during the race.
I started to ask this question in my head, “If we all swam in the same water, why didn’t we all have GI distress on the run?” I am not a scientist but my thought immediately turned to what the condition of my “GI distressed” friends’ gut flora and immune system were prior to the race.