Exercise is good for you. But strenuous exercise has been shown to worsen your mood. This unexpected natural supplement can prevent that.
It is a strange recent scientific finding that strenuous exercise, like marathon running, negatively affects mood. There are several possible reasons, including changes in serotonin and cortisol, dehydration, low blood sugar and inflammation.
Science has recently established that the microbiota in your gut communicate with the emotional centers of your brain. There is a large and growing body of evidence that supplementing probiotics can improve depression, stress and anxiety.
This new double-blind study gave either a placebo or probiotics to 14 marathon runners for 30 days before running a marathon. The probiotic supplement included Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus lactis, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Bifidobacterium bifidum.
Total mood disorder (TMD) is a broad indicator of mood, including tension, depression, anger and fatigue on the one hand and vigor on the other. After the marathon, TMD worsened in the placebo group. But the probiotics prevented the worsening, meaning that probiotics can prevent the negative emotional effects of strenuous exercise.
The probiotics also prevented inflammation.
This intriguing study suggests that taking probiotics can prevent the negative effects of strenuous exercise on mood.
Nutrients. 2024;16(21):3761.