Background
While growing evidence suggests beneficial effects of probiotics on the gut-brain-axis, only a limited number of studies have investigated the impact of gut microbiota modulation on muscle physiology (gut-muscle-axis). The probiotic BC30 (Ganeden Biotech Inc., Maryfield Heights, OH) has been shown to increase protein absorption and the anabolic potential of a respective protein source has been directly linked to peak plasma leucine levels. Post-workout administration of slow digesting proteins such as casein show inferior results on muscle protein synthesis in comparison to fast absorbed proteins such as whey. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to determine if the co-administration of a probiotic with a slow digested protein has a beneficial effect on body composition, performance, and measures of perceived health.