Probiotics: Why You Should Consider Them
Probiotics are the live healthy bacteria found in raw, fermented and living foods.
They play an important role in your overall health and especially that of your digestive system.
Why Should You Consider Them?
As an athlete, you need a lot nutrients. Probiotics can improve your guts ability to digest and absorp proteins and fats ensuring you are optimizing absorption of all the nutrients you are chomping. Probiotics are claimed to positively influence your body’s immune response. They do this by facilitating higher levels of the natural virus fighter protein, called Interferon. Probiotics also increase antioxidant absorption which is key to breaking down the level of free radicals left over in your system after training. They have been known to reduce intestinal inflammation, hypersensitivity to food and bloating which athletes can suffer from.
Foods That Contain Probiotics
Greek or Plain Yoghurt is a great source of probiotics as is kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, gouda, mozzarella and cheddar. The key is to consume a wide variety of fermented and natural foods to ensure you are getting the different strains of probiotics into your system. They are also available as a supplement.
The Takeout
Whilst following a simple training program of systematic overload and recovery will improve your riding, these improvements will be amplified if you follow a more holistic approach and give your body what it needs. Including a daily intake of probiotics is said to improve your digestion and recovery whilst boosting your immune function.
Related: The health benefits of green tea
| REFERENCES: Harvard Medical School & National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health | IMAGES: Woolworths & Pexels |