Clasado Biosciences, a global leader in the development of scientifically proven prebiotic ingredients and product solutions for the gut microbiome, has announced the publication of a new peer-reviewed study demonstrating the efficacy of prebiotic ingredient Bimuno® GOS in supporting gut and immune health in athletes.

Titled ‘Prebiotic Bimuno GOS reduces illness symptoms and supports gut barrier function and immunity after intermittent exercise in the heat’, the study, published in Experimental Physiology, adds further strength to the evidence behind Bimuno GOS’ ‘performance powered by gut health’ approach.

The randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study was conducted over six weeks at Nottingham Trent University. It found healthy male athletes taking daily supplementation of Bimuno GOS (2.75g of active GOS), undergoing a simulated football match in hot conditions, had improvements in gut barrier integrity, reduced severity of gastrointestinal symptoms as well as significantly shorter and less severe upper respiratory symptoms compared to a matched placebo.

Dr Neil Williams, Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, and Lead Investigator, commented: “The findings build on the emerging picture of how prebiotics can influence athlete health and performance through improving availability for training and competitions. By supporting gut barrier integrity and immune responses under physical stress, prebiotics can help to reduce gastrointestinal symptoms and support immune function, therefore potentially reducing the health issues faced by athletes.”

Key findings after 6 weeks of daily supplementation of Bimuno GOS in athletes showcased:

• A 38% reduction in pre-post change in I-FABP, a biomarker of gut barrier damage.
• A reduction in gastrointestinal symptom severity at rest and during exercise when supplementing with Bimuno GOS compared with placebo.
• The average duration of upper respiratory symptom episodes throughout the study was 8.9 days for the placebo group, this was only 3.2 days for the Bimuno GOS group, and symptom severity was approximately 2.9 times lower.
• Salivary IgA, a key immune defence biomarker, increased after exercise in the Bimuno GOS group, whereas this decreased for the placebo group.

Dr Lucien Harthoorn, R&D Director at Clasado, added: “The latest published study builds on the strong scientific foundation of Bimuno GOS. For formulators in sports nutrition, it’s a highly compelling proposition – clinical efficacy in athlete cohorts combined with increasing awareness of gut health from performance-conscious consumers. Bimuno GOS delivers on all fronts.”

According to market intelligence company Meticulous Research, the global sports nutrition market is expected to surpass USD $82 billion by 2031, and data from FMCG Gurus shows that over 50% of performance consumers now prioritise digestive and immune health besides their main fitness goal. This marks a move towards a more holistic, gut-centric approach to athletic wellbeing – a field where Bimuno GOS leads the charge.

With over 130 scientific publications and 25+ clinical trials, Bimuno GOS is the most studied galactooligosaccharide ingredient on the market for adult nutrition. Its composition and versatility make it the prebiotic of choice for sports nutrition-specific applications such as powder blends, protein powders, sports RTD, tablets and functional foods.

To learn more about Bimuno GOS and the scientific portfolio behind it, click here.