Colostrum and Athletic Performance

Colostrum is a food which kick starts our growth and development in life, it is what we are first fed when we enter this word, it provides us with the ultimate blend of nutrients, immune factors and growth factors; it is no wonder then that the benefits of consuming this food is now being investigated for elite athletes and the wider community in general.

Colostrum has a unique blend of immune and growth factors not present in any other food.  The growth hormone factors found in bovine and human colostrum are identical except that bovine colostrum is more concentrated. 

 Colostrum can help:

• Increase strength and endurance
• Build lean muscle mass
• Burn body fat
• Boost immune function
• Shorten recovery time
• Accelerate healing of injuries

Increasing Strength & Endurance

A 2002 study from the University of Tasmania, reported that eight weeks of colostrum supplementation resulted in an improvement in cycling performance. These findings were presented at the Pre-Olympic Sports Medicine Conference in Brisbane (Coombs et al., 2000). Compared to their initial performance eight weeks earlier, the group taking 20 grams of colostrum per day completed the time trial 158 seconds faster whereas the group taking whey protein improved their performance time by only 37 seconds.

Building muscle & Burn fat

According to a study conducted in Finland, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a protein found in colostrum,  induces protein synthesis, which leads to an increase in lean muscle mass without a corresponding rise in fat tissue.

Researchers found that exercisers who received 20 grams per day of colostrum had increased serum concentration of essential amino acids compared to those receiving placebo. This led to increased muscle protein synthesis, resulting in faster recovery time following maximal exercise. (Mero, A, et al. (2005) Protein metabolism and strength performance after bovine colostrum supplementation. Amino Acids 28(3):327-335).

Colostrum is the only natural source of IGF-1, which can improve muscle regeneration in injured muscle, and promote tendon healing. Additionally it increases muscle glycogen storage and improves the conversion of fats into energy, giving us more energy to train and assisting weight loss.

Boosting immune function

Strenuous exercise associated with athletic training and competition places a tremendous strain on body systems, including the immune system.  Following strenuous exercise there is a significant reduction in white blood cell count and Natural Killer Cell activity.  Natural killer (NK) cells are an integral part of the body’s immune defences, seeking out and killing foreign or infected cells. This decrease in NK activity indicates an increased susceptibility to infection following strenuous exercise.

Many studies have confirmed that colostrum supplementation boosts various immunological processes in the body thus preventing infection or reducing symptoms of viral and bacterial infections. A recent study (2006) by Dr. C.M. Shing and colleagues at the University of Queensland found that supplementation with low doses (10 grams/day) of bovine colostrum protein concentrate (CPC) over a period of normal and intense training by highly trained road cyclists significantly increases important immune variables.

Supplementing with Colostrum:

The usual recommended dosage of colostrum is 10 g daily. In studies of colostrum as a sports supplement for athletes, the much higher dose of 60 g a day was used.

 At Evelyn Faye Nutrition we have colostrum available in both capsule and powder form.

REDBAK Perform B-IgG 60 caps $15.95 ($25 off RRP)

with the mention of this post! 

For that price its worth trying!

 

Recent research on colostrum have come to the following conclusions:

 

Immunoglobulin from bovine Colostrum effectively reduces and prevents viral and bacterial infections in immune deficient subjects: bone marrow recipients, premature babies, AIDS, etc.
New England Journal of Medicine

Human clinical study: Immune factors in cow Colostrum, when taken orally, are effective against disease-causing organisms in the intestinal tract. Ingestion of bovine Colostrum’s immunoglobulins may be a new method of providing passive immunoprotection against a host of gut-associated disease causing antigens (viral and bacterial).
Dr. R. McClead, et. al.; Pediatrics Research

Colostrum stimulates the lymphoid tissue providing benefits in aged or immunodeficient people. Nature has used the oral route for the development of the immune system since the origin of mammals (safe and effective). Oral administration of immunofactors is simple, inexpensive, free of side effects and may be vastly beneficial in veterinary and HUMAN medicine, to correct immunodeficiency.
Drs. Bocci, Bremen, Corradeschi, Luzzi and Paulesu; Journal Biology

Cartilage Inducing Factor-A, found in Colostrum, stimulates cartilage repair.
Drs. Seyedin, Thompson, Bentz, et. al.; Journal of Biological Chemistry

IGF-1, found in Colostrum, stimulates bone and muscle growth and nerve regeneration. Also found: topical administration to wounds resulted in more effective healing.
Drs. Skottner, Arrhenius-Nyberg, Kanje and Fryklund, Acta. Paediatric Scandinavia