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Probiotic and Prebiotic Supplementation in Elite Athletes with Spinal Cord Injury

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Spinal Cord Injuries
Interventions
Dietary Supplement: Multistrain probiotic preparation
Dietary Supplement: Oat Bran
Registration Number
NCT04659408
Lead Sponsor
Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil
Brief Summary

The main objective of this pilot study is to obtain information, which will be used for the design of a main randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a larger size based on feasibility, validity and sample size estimation as well as the potential effects of pre- and probiotic intake on intestinal microbiota. A larger trial will then be designed to test the hypothesis that adding probiotics or prebiotics may improve gut microbiome composition, gastrointestinal symptoms as well as cardiometabolic health indices in mid-term and possibly lead to improved sports performance over a longer-term period in athletes with a Spinal Cord Injury.

Detailed Description

In this pilot crossover randomized controlled trial, twenty (N = 20) para-athletes will participate in an intervention consisting of a four-week intake of probiotic, using the commercially available multistrain probiotic preparation "BactoSan pro FOS" from Mepha (Basel, Switzerland), followed by a four-week wash-out period, and a four-week prebiotic intervention using "Naturaplan Bio Oat Bran" (Coop, Switzerland). Total duration of the study will be 16 weeks.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
14
Inclusion Criteria
  • athletes with a spinal cord injury shortlisted as potential participants for major international events, such as the Paralympic Games 2021 in Tokyo and World Championship qualification
Exclusion Criteria
  • Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (i.e. ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease)
  • Taking antibiotics and/or other medication to alleviate gastrointestinal complaints at recruitment time point
  • Pregnancy

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Oat bran - BactosanMultistrain probiotic preparationThis group will receive oat bran first, followed by Bactosan.
Bactosan - oat branMultistrain probiotic preparationThis group will receive Bactosan first, followed by oat bran.
Oat bran - BactosanOat BranThis group will receive oat bran first, followed by Bactosan.
Bactosan - oat branOat BranThis group will receive Bactosan first, followed by oat bran.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Severe adverse eventsThrough study completion, an average of 4 months

The occurrence of severe adverse events (SAEs)

Dropout rateThrough study completion, an average of 4 months

The proportion of randomized participants who did not complete the study protocol

Recruitment rateAt baseline

Proportion of invited participants who agreed to participate in the trial

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Stool microbiome characterizationAt 0, 1, 2, 3 months

Stool probes will be sampled by the participants at home and send to the study center. The "What's in my Pot?" (WIMP) workflow (Oxford Nanopore Technologies) will be used to classify and identify species in real time, generating a graphical WIMP report of the sample composition and the most reliable placement in the taxonomy tree, assigning a score to each taxonomic placement.

Monitoring of inflammationAt 0, 1, 2, 3 months

C-reactive protein (CRP) from blood samples in mg/L

Loss of training days due to injury or illnessAt 0, 1, 2, 3 months

Assessed using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre (OSTRC) Overuse Injury Questionnaire, which consists of several multiple choice and open questions (no scale).

Gastrointestinal problemsAt 0, 1, 2, 3 months

Assessed using the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) of Eypasch, using a 5-point scale (0-4) with total range 0-144 and higher scores indicating better outcomes.

Food intake during three daysAt 0, 1, 2, 3 months

Self-reported intake (content and quantity) of food on a data sheet, including photo's. Calculations of the nutritional quality and quantity of consumed foods, drinks and nutritional supplements will be performed using PRODI® Swiss, a computer program for nutritional counselling and nutritional therapy.

Recording of leisure time activityAt 0, 1, 2, 3 months

Assessed using the Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (LTPA-Q), which records number of days and minutes of physical activity (no scale).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Swiss Paraplegic Centre

🇨🇭

Nottwil, Luzern, Switzerland

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