Travel for athletes jetting to competitions can cause gut problems

Athletes jetting to competitions all over the planet must endure a downside, new research has shown — the travel plays havoc with their gut.

A study which tracked Irish cricket players around the globe found that the bacteria normally present in their gut changed during international travel.

The organisms were replaced by microbes more often associated with symptoms of diarrhoea, cramping, bloating and changes in the frequency of bowel movement.

The research also found an increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant microbes in the digestive systems of travelling athletes, particularly in those experiencing digestive problems abroad.

The study followed the Irish cricket players as they prepared for the 2016 ICC Twenty20 World Cup.

Researchers at the APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre partnered with the Sport Ireland Institute and Cricket Ireland to study the gut microbiome — the term for the collection of organisms such as bacteria in the gastro-intestinal tract — of male and female cricket players.

Based at UCC and Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, researchers tracked changes in the cricket players’ gut microbiomes as they travelled to Zimbabwe, Namibia, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and India in the run up to the 2016 ICC Twenty20 World Cup.

“We found that the type of gut-microbes present in cricket players while at home differed from those present during travel periods, in particular after travel to India,” said the lead author of the report, Dr Ciara O’Donovan.

Although research on the gut microbiome of other athletes such as rugby players had been carried out previously, the researchers chose cricketers for this study because of the range of destinations they visit as a team.

“Importantly, those microbes that were different have previously been associated with symptoms of gut distress and notably, several of the athletes we studied did encounter such symptoms.”

The findings have implications for how athletes manage their lifestyle while away from home, according to Dr. Sharon Madigan, Head of Performance Nutrition at the Sport Ireland Institute.

“Months of training can be lost if an athlete picks up a bug that can stop them from competing at an event. This is devastating if this event is only every four years like a World Cup or Olympic and Paralympic Games”.

For now, practical advice includes avoiding foods known to be associated with gastrointestinal distress during travel, especially uncooked or unpasteurised products.