The goal of this randomised control trial is to measure the gut microbiome response to long-haul travel alongside the demands of pre-season amongst elite football players. The efficacy of a probiotic in modulating the gut microbiome to mitigate the detrimental impacts of long-haul travel as well as training in the heat will also be explored.
The main questions this study aims to answer are:
* How is the gut microbiome of the professional football player impacted by long-haul travel during the pre-season period?
* How is immune function impacted by the demands of pre-season?
* Can a probiotic dietary maintain gut microbial stability in response to long-haul travel? Researchers will compare the effects of the probiotic supplement with a placebo.
Participants will be required to:
* Provide a faecal sample at multiple points throughout the pre-season
* Provide a saliva sample at multiple points throughout the season
* Consume a daily supplement which will either be a placebo or probiotic capsule