MultiV-PRO

PRO & PRE BIOTICS FOR OPTIMAL GI HEALTH

Distance runners, competitive cyclists, elite triathletes or any other kind of endurance athletes require a vast amount of caloric intake to maintain optimal hydration and energy levels.  This alone puts a lot of stress in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.  On top of that, quite frequently during training or racing, endurance athletes may experience GI problems.  Research shows that up to 70% of athletes experience some GI difficulties at some point of their training or racing [1-3] . GI complaints may vary from bloating and flatulence to episodic stomach aches, stomach cramps, acid reflux, constipation or diarrhea, just to mention some.

Don’t panic.  Excluding any pathological issues behind these GI problems, there are nutritional steps that you can take regularly to enhance the GI function and, in the long term, avoid potential distress caused either by a caloric overload or other reasons.

Good GI activity is fundamental for effective nutrition because most of the essential nutrients are absorbed and digested in the gut.  Healthy gut means better nutrient absorption, improved utilization of energy from the food and less stress throughout the digestion process.  This may additionally lead to fewer GI complaints during training and racing.

However, advancing the GI health is a process that does not happen overnight.  GI activity is enhanced by an increase in the number of the microorganisms that live normally in the gut (mainly some kind of bacteria). When these bacteria grow in number, they create colonies.  Colonies are formed only by long-term and consistent food and supplement intake.

Among the most widely used food supplements to improve digestion health are probiotics and prebiotics. Over the years, research has shown that probiotics, (mainly some type of bacteria and yeast) are digestible microorganisms that can alleviate symptoms of lactose intolerance and treat or prevent diarrhea [4, 5] .  The prebiotics on the other hand, are non-digestible oligosaccharides that can stimulate and regulate the growth of probiotic microorganisms and, over time, improve nutrient absorption and health [4, 5] .

During the past decade, research has started considering the health benefits from a combined formula of probiotics and prebiotics.  In an extensive review of clinical trials in humans published by the British Journal of Nutrition in 2002, the authors mention the therapeutic and prophylactic benefits of probiotics, as well as their ability to enhance the immune system by activating a variety of immune system related genes.  Also, the authors mention the immunological effects that prebiotics have by activating or enhancing the activity of the probiotic microorganisms [6].  So, the prebiotics increase the numbers of the probiotic microorganisms (the bifidobacteria in particular) that exist in the gut. Additionally, prebiotics have been linked to an enhancement of mineral absorption in the large bowel [8]. Interestingly, more research results demonstrate that patients with chronic GI diseases or individuals with compromised or distressed GI tract receive the greatest benefit from prebiotic supplementation (review: [7]).

In conclusion, a combination of probiotics and prebiotics may work synergistically.  The former has been proven over the years to enhance the number of the healthy microorganisms in the gut, and the latter to enhance the activity of the former.

Optimal nutrition and GI activity can achieve greatness through optimal nutrient absorption in the gut. Optimal nutrient absorption in the gut requires a healthy gut. And a healthy gut can be achieved by regular intake of probiotics and prebiotics that provide a beneficial, synergistic effect.

So that you can go out and train and race as hard as you can.

References

1. Waterman, J.J. and R. Kapur, Upper gastrointestinal issues in athletes. Curr Sports Med Rep, 2012. 11(2): p. 99-104.
2. de Oliveira, E.P. and R.C. Burini, Food-dependent, exercise-induced gastrointestinal distress. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2011. 8: p. 12.
3. Moses, F.M., The effect of exercise on the gastrointestinal tract. Sports Med, 1990. 9(3): p. 159-72.
4. Macfarlane, G.T. and J.H. Cummings, Probiotics and prebiotics: can regulating the activities of intestinal bacteria benefit health? BMJ, 1999. 318(7189): p. 999-1003.
5. Vieira, A.T., M.M. Teixeira, and F.S. Martins, The Role of Probiotics and Prebiotics in Inducing Gut Immunity. Front Immunol, 2013. 4: p. 445.
6. Saavedra, J.M. and A. Tschernia, Human studies with probiotics and prebiotics: clinical implications. Br J Nutr, 2002. 87 Suppl 2: p. S241-6.
7. Tuohy, K.M., et al., Using probiotics and prebiotics to improve gut health. Drug Discovery Today, 2003. 8(15): p. 692-700.
8. Roberfroid, M.B., Prebiotics and probiotics: are they functional foods? Am J Clin Nutr, 2000. 71(6 Suppl): p. 1682S-7S; discussion 1688S-90S.

Q: How does the new MultiV-PRO differ from the regular MultiV?  

A:  The new MultiV-PRO is designed for extremely hard training endurance athletes.   This upgraded formula uses a clinically effective dose of  1,3-1,6 Beta-Glucan and is supported by a significant volume  of research on promoting a healthy immune system.   It contains 50% more Iron amino acid chelate and an endurance-specific pre & probiotic blend to aid in the digestion of micro and macro nutrients.  

Also, because of the recent research showing the detrimental affect of too much vitamin C & E, it’s also the first Multivitamin that is doesn’t have vitamins C & E, yet still offers a blend of polyphenols for oxidative support.  Read more about this new research here.

Q: How does MultiV-PRO differ from other Multivitamins?  

A:  Endurance athletes put a lot of stress on their body so they have significantly different needs and requirements than the general population. Because of this, higher levels of micro-nutrients are required in order to avoid overtraining and other ailments.  If these unique requirements are not met, the immune system, digestive system and cardiovascular system all become compromised. The new MultiV-PRO delivers clinically effective doses of of essential nutrients like Iron amino acid chelate, 1,3-1,6 Beta-Glucan, Gingko Biloba, a polyphenol blend and pre and probiotics which are not found in any other multivitamin.

Q: What is Beta Glucan and what does it do?  

A: It’s important to note that not all Beta Glucans are created equal.  First Endurance uses the ONLY yeast-derived (saccharomyces cerevisiae) 1,3-1,6 Beta Glucan becaue it’s been clinically proven, on endurance athletes, to decrease upper respiratory tract infections and reduce the risk of illness and infection associated with hard training.   The specific Beta Glucans used in the new MultiVHP prototype allow you to stay healthy and strong more often than ever before. Click here for detailed information. 

Q: What are pre and probiotics and how do they help my endurance?  

A: Endurance athletes require more calories than average people in order to fuel their training.  This, coupled with the stress of everyday life, can compromise your digestive system and negatively effect the absorption of all micro and macro nutrients.  Prebiotics are non-digestible oligosaccharides that can stimulate and regulate the growth of probiotic microorganisms and, over time, improve nutrient absorption and health.  Probiotics are digestible microorganisms that can alleviate symptoms of lactose intolerance and treat or prevent diarrhea. Read more on what this means to your performance here.  

Q: Why doesn’t the MulitV-PRO contain Vitamin C or Vitamin E?  

A:  Recent clinical studies have shown Vitamin C and Vitamin E may be detrimental to endurance capacity and training because they down-regulation the bodies own natural inflammatory response.   Read more about this new research here.

Q: Do endurance athletes require more Iron than other people?  

A:  The new MultiV-PRO contains 150% of the RDA daily value of Iron because research shows 30-50% of endurance athletes have depleted iron levels. When iron levels are low, less oxygen is delivered to the muscles and aerobic capacity declines. To ensure peak performance, the new MultiV-PRO is formulated with a highly bioavailable Iron Amino Acid Chelate that’s also gentle on the stomach.

Consuming more than 100% of the RDA of Iron is not recommended for the general public.  For hard-training endurance athletes, however, Iron and blood ferritin is often compromised and can therefore limit oxygen carrying capacity and endurance performance.   Consuming 150% of a highly bioavailable Iron amino acid chelate is not only safe for endurance athletes, it’s recommended and highly beneficial.