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Probiotic supplements have been shown to reduce the number and length of infections suffered by long-distance runners.
Strenuous training can affect the immune system and make athletes vulnerable to coughs and colds, but a study has shown that taking probiotics more than halves the days that runners show symptoms.
The study focused on 20 top-level endurance runners during their intensive winter training program. All 20 received two month-long courses of pills -- one containing the bacterium Lactobacillus fermentum, and the other containing no active ingredients.