Probiotic Strains Isolated from an Olympic Woman's Weightlifting Gold Medalist Increase Weight Loss and Exercise Performance in a Mouse Model

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2022 Mar 26

PMID 35334927

Authors

Wen-Yang Lin

Yi-Wei Kuo

Jia-Hung Lin

Chi-Huei Lin

Jui-Fen Chen

Shin-Yu Tsai

Mon-Chien Lee

Yi-Ju Hsu

Chi-Chang Huang

Yung-An Tsou

Hsieh-Hsun Ho

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Obesity is a worldwide health problem. Calorie-restricted diets constitute a common intervention for treating obesity. However, an improper calorie-restricted diet can lead to malnutrition, fatigue, poor concretion, muscle loss, and reduced exercise performance. Probiotics have been introduced as an alternative treatment for obesity. In the present study, we tested the weight loss and exercise performance enhancement effectiveness of probiotic strains of different origins, including four isolated from an Olympic weightlifting gold medalist ( subsp. OLP-01, PL-02, subsp. SA-03, and subsp. LY-66). A high-fat diet (HFD) was used to induce obesity in 16 groups of mice ( = 8/group). The mice were administered probiotic supplements at a dosage of 4.1 × 10 CFU/kg/day for 10 weeks. All probiotic supplementation groups showed a significant reduction in body weight and fat mass compared with the HFD group. TYCA06, CS-773, BLI-02, PL-02, bv-77, and OLP-01 were the most effective in facilitating weight loss and fat reduction, which may be due to fatty-acid absorbing activity. PL-02, LY-66, TYCA06, CS-773, and OLP-01 elevated the animals' grip strength and exhaustive running duration. PL-02, LY-66, and OLP-01 increased tissue glycogen (liver and muscle) levels and muscle capillary density and reduced blood lactate production levels after exercise. In conclusion, OLP-01, PL-02, LY-66, TYCA06, and CS-773 were highly effective in enhancing weight loss and exercise performance. This study should be repeated on humans in the future to further confirm the findings.

Citing Articles

Impact of Probiotic Supplementation and High-Intensity Interval Training on Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating Inflammation and Hormonal Modulation.

Yang M, Chen H, Ho C, Huang W Nutrients. 2025; 17(4).

PMID: 40004951 PMC: 11858197. DOI: 10.3390/nu17040622.

Screening and Whole-Genome Analysis of Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria with Potential Antioxidants from Yak Milk and Dairy Products in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Wu D, Li H, Wang X, Chen R, Gong D, Long D Antioxidants (Basel). 2025; 14(2).

PMID: 40002360 PMC: 11851503. DOI: 10.3390/antiox14020173.

Mechanism of Action and Beneficial Effects of Probiotics in Amateur and Professional Athletes.

Nami Y, Barghi A, Shahgolzari M, Salehian M, Haghshenas B Food Sci Nutr. 2025; 13(1):e4658.

PMID: 39803224 PMC: 11717059. DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.4658.

Efficacy of subsp. LY-66 and PL-02 in Enhancing Explosive Strength and Endurance: A Randomized, Double-Blinded Clinical Trial.

Lee M, Hsu Y, Chen M, Kuo Y, Lin J, Hsu Y Nutrients. 2024; 16(12).

PMID: 38931275 PMC: 11206817. DOI: 10.3390/nu16121921.

Safety Assessment and Probiotic Potential Comparison of subsp. BLI-02, LPL28, TYCA06, and ET-66.

Chen J, Hsia K, Kuo Y, Chen S, Huang Y, Li C Nutrients. 2024; 16(1).

PMID: 38201957 PMC: 10780348. DOI: 10.3390/nu16010126.

References

von Deneen K, Wei Q, Tian J, Liu Y . Obesity in China: what are the causes?. Curr Pharm Des. 2011; 17(12):1132-9. DOI: 10.2174/138161211795656765. View

Huang W, Hsu Y, Huang C, Liu H, Lee M . Exercise Training Combined with OLP-01 Supplementation Improves Exercise Physiological Adaption and Performance. Nutrients. 2020; 12(4). PMC: 7231274. DOI: 10.3390/nu12041145. View

Yan F, Li N, Shi J, Li H, Yue Y, Jiao W . Lactobacillus acidophilus alleviates type 2 diabetes by regulating hepatic glucose, lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in mice. Food Funct. 2019; 10(9):5804-5815. DOI: 10.1039/c9fo01062a. View

Jacobs I . Blood lactate. Implications for training and sports performance. Sports Med. 1986; 3(1):10-25. DOI: 10.2165/00007256-198603010-00003. View

Bron P, Kleerebezem M, Brummer R, Cani P, Mercenier A, Macdonald T . Can probiotics modulate human disease by impacting intestinal barrier function?. Br J Nutr. 2017; 117(1):93-107. PMC: 5297585. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114516004037. View

Lee M, Hsu Y, Ho H, Kuo Y, Lin W, Tsai S . Effectiveness of human-origin Lactobacillus plantarum PL-02 in improving muscle mass, exercise performance and anti-fatigue. Sci Rep. 2021; 11(1):19469. PMC: 8484333. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98958-x. View

Sjodin B, Jacobs I . Onset of blood lactate accumulation and marathon running performance. Int J Sports Med. 1981; 2(1):23-6. DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1034579. View

Joyner M, Coyle E . Endurance exercise performance: the physiology of champions. J Physiol. 2007; 586(1):35-44. PMC: 2375555. DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2007.143834. View

Jang H, Park H, Kang D, Chung H, Nam M, Lee Y . A protective mechanism of probiotic Lactobacillus against hepatic steatosis via reducing host intestinal fatty acid absorption. Exp Mol Med. 2019; 51(8):1-14. PMC: 6802638. DOI: 10.1038/s12276-019-0293-4. View

10.

Luscombe-Marsh N, Noakes M, Wittert G, Keogh J, Foster P, Clifton P . Carbohydrate-restricted diets high in either monounsaturated fat or protein are equally effective at promoting fat loss and improving blood lipids. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005; 81(4):762-72. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/81.4.762. View

11.

Huang C, Hsu M, Huang W, Yang H, Hou C . Triterpenoid-Rich Extract from Antrodia camphorata Improves Physical Fatigue and Exercise Performance in Mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012; 2012:364741. PMC: 3398672. DOI: 10.1155/2012/364741. View

12.

Hsu Y, Wu M, Lee M, Huang C . Exercise training combined with Bifidobacterium longum OLP-01 treatment regulates insulin resistance and physical performance in db/db mice. Food Funct. 2021; 12(17):7728-7740. DOI: 10.1039/d0fo02939d. View

13.

Zibellini J, Seimon R, Lee C, Gibson A, Hsu M, Sainsbury A . Effect of diet-induced weight loss on muscle strength in adults with overweight or obesity - a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Obes Rev. 2016; 17(8):647-63. DOI: 10.1111/obr.12422. View

14.

Lee M, Hsu Y, Ho H, Hsieh S, Kuo Y, Sung H . Subspecies SA-03 is a New Probiotic Capable of Enhancing Exercise Performance and Decreasing Fatigue. Microorganisms. 2020; 8(4). PMC: 7232535. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8040545. View

15.

Chamberland V, Rioux P . Not only students can express alcohol dehydrogenase: goldfish can too!. Adv Physiol Educ. 2010; 34(4):222-7. DOI: 10.1152/advan.00088.2009. View

16.

Dent P, Lavoinne A, Nakielny S, Caudwell F, Watt P, Cohen P . The molecular mechanism by which insulin stimulates glycogen synthesis in mammalian skeletal muscle. Nature. 1990; 348(6299):302-8. DOI: 10.1038/348302a0. View

17.

Cheng Y, Liu J . Effect of GG on Energy Metabolism, Leptin Resistance, and Gut Microbiota in Mice with Diet-Induced Obesity. Nutrients. 2020; 12(9). PMC: 7551584. DOI: 10.3390/nu12092557. View

18.

Agha M, Agha R . The rising prevalence of obesity: part A: impact on public health. Int J Surg Oncol (N Y). 2017; 2(7):e17. PMC: 5673154. DOI: 10.1097/IJ9.0000000000000017. View

19.

Perdikari A, Leparc G, Balaz M, Pires N, Lidell M, Sun W . BATLAS: Deconvoluting Brown Adipose Tissue. Cell Rep. 2018; 25(3):784-797.e4. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.09.044. View

20.

Ogden C, Yanovski S, Carroll M, Flegal K . The epidemiology of obesity. Gastroenterology. 2007; 132(6):2087-102. DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2007.03.052. View