Is there a bug that can make you run faster and further?
If elite athletes do have elite bacteria‚ researchers hope to develop a probiotic supplement with this mix‚ to boost the performance of amateur athletes
Athletic stars may have bugs in their guts that contribute to their success‚ US scientists said on Monday.The experts were investigating whether the types of bacteria in the guts of superior athletes gave them an edge.If elite athletes do have elite bacteria‚ the researchers hope to develop a probiotic supplement with this mix‚ to boost the performance of amateur athletes.Lead researcher Dr Jonathan Scheiman, from Harvard Medical School, said: "I was asked whether we could use genomics to predict the next Michael Jordan. But my response was that a better question is, can you extract Jordan’s biology and give it to others to help make the next Michael Jordan?" To find the answer‚ the team studied the faeces of 20 runners training for the 2015 Boston marathon‚ one week before and one week after the race.Scheiman said: "For two weeks I was driving around Boston collecting faecal samples daily and putting them on dry ice in the car."The results allowed them to see how the gut’s microbio...
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