Clasado Biosciences prebiotics support gut health and immunity in athletes, study finds

New research has demonstrated the efficacy of Clasado Biosciences’ prebiotic ingredient Bimuno GOS in supporting gut and immune health. Compared to a placebo, daily supplementation of the galactooligosaccharide (GOS) improved gut barrier integrity, reduced the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms, and reduced upper respiratory symptoms in healthy male athletes. 

“The findings build on the emerging picture of how prebiotics can influence athlete health and performance through improving availability for training and competitions,” says lead investigator Dr. Neil Williams, senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, UK. 

“By supporting gut barrier integrity and immune responses under physical stress, prebiotics can help to reduce gastrointestinal symptoms and support immune function, therefore potentially reducing the health issues faced by athletes.”

Sports nutrition benefits

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, published in Experimental Physiology, involved 26 healthy male athletes who took a Bimuno GOS supplement daily, at 2.75 g of active GOS, or a placebo for six weeks. 

Participants performed a football-specific intermittent treadmill protocol in the heat (33°C) and 50% relative humidity on days 0 and 42 of supplementation.

On both days, the researchers also collected blood and saliva after the exercise to assess gut barrier damage, gastrointestinal symptoms, and immune defense. The participants also completed questionnaires on upper respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, daily and weekly, throughout the six weeks.

After six weeks, the athletes had a 38% reduction in blood levels of intestinal fatty acid binding protein, which is a biomarker of gut barrier damage. Moreover, the study reported a reduction in gastrointestinal symptom severity at rest and during exercise when supplementing with Bimuno GOS compared to the placebo.

Participants performed a football-specific intermittent treadmill protocol in the heat (33°C) and 50% relative humidity on days 0 and 42 of supplementation.Salivary immunoglobulin A, an important immune defense biomarker, increased after exercise in the Bimuno GOS group, while it decreased for the placebo group.

“The latest published study builds on the strong scientific foundation of Bimuno GOS. For formulators in sports nutrition, it’s a highly compelling proposition — clinical efficacy in athlete cohorts combined with increasing awareness of gut health from performance-conscious consumers,” says Dr. Lucien Harthoorn, R&D director at Clasado Biosciences.

Moreover, while the average duration of upper respiratory symptom episodes amounted to 8.9 days for the placebo group, the Bimuno GOS group reported an average of 3.2 days, with 2.9 times lower severity of symptoms.

Digestion and immunity support

Clasado Biosciences highlights the potential of Bimuno GOS to support consumer demand for a more holistic, gut-centric approach to athletic well-being.

To illustrate, Innova Market Insights’ 2025 Health & Nutrition Survey indicates that 56% of consumers globally have used nutrition-fortified foods and drinks to improve sports performance or recovery in the last 12 months, and 53% used supplements.

In the same survey, 50% of consumers reported using food and drinks with added nutrition to manage gut and digestion, for example, products high in protein, fiber, pro- and prebiotics.

Immunity is another important consumer demand, as the Innova Market Insights 2025 Trend Survey reported 26% of consumers purchasing functional foods and beverages in the last 12 months for immunity. Moreover, the market researchers’ data indicates a 78% annual growth in sports protein-based ready-to-drink launches with immune health claims from July 2020 to June 2025.

Bimuno GOS has secured several health claims in recent years. For example, last year, Clasado Biosciences secured 11 self-substantiated health claims for the prebiotic in Colombia for gastrointestinal health and immunity.

Moreover, Australia approved the ingredient for use in Therapeutic Goods Administration-listed products in the country. This includes supplements intended for therapeutic purposes.