2.3. Study Design
The schematic representation of the study is shown in The participants were instructed to maintain their daily habits (e.g., for diet and sleep) and to avoid foods containing a large amount of lactic acid bacteria (e.g., yogurt, fermented cheese, pickles, and lactic acid bacteria supplement) within the test period. For three days prior to the study, participants stayed at rest without exercise to unify their initial state as much as possible. During the 14 days of ingesting the test foods, the participants performed exercise under the supervision of a track and field coach every day. The experimental period was same as the previous study [In the participants’ diary, they recorded test food intake, exercise (type and duration), meal details, and their physical conditions. From the exercise record, the amount of exercise was evaluated as metabolic rate–hour (MET-h), an index of physical activities based on energy expenditure [The blood collection on days 1 and 15 before exercise were conducted at the same time of day (between 08:00 and 10:00 a.m.). The blood samples were collected using a vacutainer blood collection tube with a syringe.