Protein supplementation improves recovery and training adaptions, resulting in an increase in lean body mass with subsequent greater gains in strength and power (Campbell et al, 2007)

Microbiota composition and diversity positively correlates with protein intake and exercise and is linked to a more favourable inflammatory and metabolic profile.

While moderate exercise intensity reduces infection risk, high intensity exercise actually increases infection risk.  Immune suppression in athletes worsens by psychological stress, environmental extremes, exposure to large crowds, or increased exposure to pathogens due to elevated breathing during exercise (Neiman, 1997).

Probiotics have been reported to reduce the number, severity, and duration of upper respiratory infections and GI distress in athletes (Gleeson et al., 2011; Salarkia et al., 2013; Haywood et al., 2014; Cox et al., 2010).Probiotic Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 reduces exercise-induced muscle damage and increases recovery. (PeerJ, July 2016. Ralf Jäger, Kevin A. Shields, Ryan P. Lowery, Eduardo O. De Souza, Jeremy M. Partl, Chase Hollmer, Marin Purpura and Jacob M. Wilson

This research examined the effect of administration of protein and Bacillis coagulans probiotic on muscle damage, and performance following a damaging exercise bout. The results provide evidence that Bacillus Coagulans supplementation in combination with protein tended to reduce muscle damage, improves recovery time, and prevented the decline in peak power maintaining physical performance subsequent to damaging exercises – as measured by a reduction in muscle swelling, reduction in blood creatine kinase levels, decrease in soreness, increase in perceived recovery, increase in power and an increase in amino acid levels.

Combined effect of Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 and HMB supplementation on muscle integrity and cytokine response during intense military training.  (Yftach Gepner, Jay R. Hoffman, Elad Shemesh, Jeffrey R. Stout, David D. Church, Alyssa N. Varanoske, Hila Zelicha, Ilan Shelef, Yacov Chen, Hagai Frankel, and Ishay Ostfeld . 1 JUL 2017)

The purpose of this study was to compare the coadministration of the probiotic Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 (BC30) with β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) calcium (CaHMB) to CaHMB alone on inflammatory response and muscle integrity during 40 days of intense military training. Results provide further evidence that the combination of the probiotic BC30 with CaHMB may be more beneficial in maintaining muscle integrity during intense military training.