Stool sample for banned substance?

Will athletic events need to check stool samples for a banned gut bacteria?  All joking aside, it is interesting to think that someone could take a certain probiotic and get better athletic performance from it.

It’d would also be interesting to know if these high level athletes (HLA) have this bacteria because they are HLA, or if they are HLA because they have the bacteria. The chicken or egg first conundrum. It’d also be interesting to know if they are more likely to eat anything that would promote this HLA bacteria.

Their study shows a spike in, what I’m calling HLA bacteria, post Boston marathon which helps break down lactic acid, possibly giving runners more endurance. A company is trying to make certain probiotics strains for particular types of athletes too, citing different bacteria in ultra marathoners vs elite rowers.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170820075017.htm

And in other gut bacteria news, extremely healthy elderly have similar microbiomes as healthy 30 yr olds, says this research article. Asking the question, “if you can stay active and eat well, will you age better, or is healthy aging predicated by the bacteria in your gut?” Great question! They can’t say if there is a cause and effect happening here, but I’m sure all the antibiotics we take as Americans isn’t helping matters.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171011123728.htm