As the 2026 Guinness Men’s Six Nations prepares to kick off in February, Clasado has shared insights into how elite rugby research is driving forward the next generation of sports nutrition formulations, with gut health emerging as a critical factor in athlete performance and availability.
Dr Lucien Harthoorn, R&D Director at Clasado, commented: “As millions prepare to watch Europe’s most celebrated rugby tournament unfold, there’s a parallel story playing out in sports nutrition research that formulators should be paying close attention to. Elite athletes face a unique physiological challenge: peak performance whilst maintaining immune function, to avoid leaving players vulnerable to illness at the worst possible times. This isn’t just a professional athlete problem anymore; the sports nutrition category has evolved dramatically, with active lifestyle consumers increasingly adopting training regimens and nutritional strategies once reserved for elite performers. They’re experiencing similar challenges – pushing their bodies hard whilst trying to maintain consistency in training and everyday life.
“Research in elite rugby players has explored how supporting the gut microbiome might influence immune resilience and training availability. In a study involving top-flight rugby players, supplementation with Bimuno® GOS was associated with a 24% reduction in the duration of upper respiratory symptoms, while also decreasing gastrointestinal symptom severity. Forthcoming research in elite female rugby players adds further weight to these findings, with results expected to be published in the foreseeable future. For athletes where missing training sessions can impact performance, this kind of consistency matters enormously.
“Across the UK and Europe, immune health remains a key priority for health and nutrition consumers and we’re seeing this consciousness extend into the sports nutrition space. Athletes, whether elite or recreational, are making the connection between gut health, immune function, and their ability to train consistently. The gut houses approximately 70% of the body’s immune cells, making it a logical starting point for supporting immune resilience. But the benefits for athletes go beyond just immune function. Research suggests the gut microbiome influences multiple performance-related factors: from maintaining gut barrier integrity under physical stress to modulating inflammation for better post-exercise recovery.”
Steven Riley, Head of Marketing at Clasado, added: “For formulators developing sports nutrition products, prebiotics such as Bimuno GOS represent an evidence-based ingredient that addresses multiple consumer needs simultaneously. In this context, we’re not talking about performance enhancement in the sense of muscle strength, but rather supporting the foundational health that allows athletes to train consistently, recover effectively, and stay readily available for training and competition.
“As the Six Nations kicks off and rugby fever grips Europe, it’s worth remembering that the next major game-changer in sports performance is not just about what happens on the pitch, but what happens in the gut. For formulators, the clear opportunity is to meet the growing demand for products that help active consumers maintain the consistency and resilience their training goals require, with scientifically validated ingredients such as our multi award-winning Bimuno GOS prebiotic.”
To learn more about the science behind Bimuno GOS, please click here.
