Colostrum

[Guest guest]

Have any of the members supplemented with colostrum? I have included

a number of abstracts and additional information regarding colostrum

in this post; any additional information would be greatly appreciated.

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The Colostrum Edge?

B. Kreider, PhD, FACSM

Muscular Development 37(10), 2000

In a previous MD article, I described the importance of ingesting

quality protein in your diet in order to maintain the availability of

essential amino acids necessary to promote growth and recovery. I

also suggested that dietary supplementation of protein (e.g., soy,

egg, caseine, whey, etc) may serve as a convenient way of increasing

the quality of protein in the diet.1-3

Whey protein is generally regarded as the highest quality protein

available to athletes.1-2 However, a potentially more beneficial form

of quality protein has been recently marketed to athletes – bovine

colostrum. This article discusses the potential ergogenic value of

bovine colostrum supplementation for athletes...

Effects of Bovine Colostrum Supplementation in Athletes

There is fairly strong evidence from animal and human basic research

that indicates BC supplementation can increase the availability of

growth factors and improve immune function.4-6 However, less is known

regarding the potential ergogenic value of BC supplementation during

training. A recent study by Mero and colleagues4 from the University

of Jyv@skyl@ in Finland evaluated the effects of 8-days of BC

supplementation during training on IGF-I, immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG),

hormones (insulin, testosterone, cortisol, and growth hormone), amino

acids, and high intensity exercise performance. In a double-blind and

randomized manner, nine trained male sprinters and jumpers

participated in three experimental sessions lasting 8-days. One

session was used as a control session and two sessions involved

dietary supplementation of liquid BC or a milk/whey protein placebo.

Subjects ingested 67.5 ml of the supplement twice daily during a

standardized training period. Blood and saliva samples were obtained

prior to the start of supplementation and on the morning of the sixth

day of supplementation. Subjects then ingested a standardized meal

and donated blood and saliva samples prior to performing a counter

jump performance test and a 90-minute exercise bout consisting of a

series of jump, sprint, and strength tests. Blood and saliva samples

were measured several times following the exercise bout as well as on

day 7 of supplementation and one-day following supplementation (day

9). Results revealed that BC supplementation significantly increased

IGF-I levels in a linear manner from pre to post-training…..

Research supports contentions that BC can serve as a source of high

quality dietary protein. Additionally, that BC may have some added

benefit in comparison to other forms of protein due to a high

concentration of growth factors, immunoglobulins, and antibacterial

compounds. BC supplementation has been reported to increase

availability of growth factors and enhance immunity in animals and

humans. Theoretically, this may promote greater gains in strength and

muscle mass during training. However, although there is some

preliminary evidence to indicate that BC supplementation during

training can increase IGF-I and/or enhance training adaptations, most

of the available evidence is preliminary in nature.

Consequently, it is my view that although BC can serve as an

excellent source of dietary protein, additional research is necessary

before definitive conclusions can be made regarding its ergogenic

value for athletes.

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Colostrum update – 2002 update on research

Dr Louise M Burke

Colostrum is a protein-rich substance secreted in breast milk in the

first few days after a mother has given birth. It is high in

nutrients, immunoglobulins and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs).

Unlike the adult gut, the gut of a baby has `leaky' junctions

that allow it to absorb whole proteins including immunoglobulins,

thus developing the immuno-competence needed to survive outside the

uterus. Recently, companies have developed supplements rich in

colostrum derived from cows for use by humans……

In any case, studies that report a favourable metabolic or

physiological response to colostrum supplementation often fail to

find any transfer into a performance benefit ( et al. 2001,

Brinkworth et al. 2002, Mero et al. 1997). Changes in body mass or

composition (e.g. increase in lean body mass or decrease in fat free

mass) following colostrum supplementation are not consistent, with

one study reporting an increase in lean body mass in colostrum users

compared with a placebo group ( et al. 2001), while other

studies have not found any differences in changes in body mass or

body composition between supplement and placebo groups over the

duration of the study (Brinkworth et al. 2002, Buckley et al. 2002,

Coombes et al. 2002, Hofman et al. 2002).

Clearly colostrum is a `hot' supplement in the athletic world and

merits further research. However, there is insufficient evidence at

present to support definite performance benefits or to define the

target group who might benefit from colostrums use. With commercial

supplements costing $AUS 25-70 per week to provide a daily dosage of

20-60 g/d, and the suggestion that it may take at least four wk to

show benefits, athletes and coaches are reminded that colostrum

supplementation involves a considerable expense.

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J, MS, Van Gammeren D. The effects of bovine

colostrum supplementation on body composition and exercise

performance in active men and women. University of Delaware, Sports

Science Laboratory, Newark, Delaware 19176, USA.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of 8 wk of

bovine colostrum supplementation on body composition and exercise

performance in active men and women. Subjects were randomly assigned

to a placebo (whey protein) and colostrum group (20 g/d in powder

form). Each subject participated in aerobic and heavy-resistance

training at least three times per wk. Body composition was assessed

via dual x-ray absorptiometry analysis. Treadmill time to exhaustion,

one repetition maximum strength (bench press), and the total number

of repetitions performed during one set to exhaustion at a submaximal

load for the bench press (50% and 100% of body weight for women and

men, respectively) were ascertained. The whey protein group

experienced a significant increase (P < 0.05) in body weight (mean

increase of 2.11 kg), whereas the colostrum group experienced a

significant (P < 0.05) increase in bone-free lean body mass (mean

increase of 1.49 kg). There were no changes in any of the other

parameters measured. Thus, supplementation with bovine colostrum (20

g/d) in combination with exercise training for 8 wk may increase bone-

free lean body mass in active men and women.

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EFFECT OF AN ORAL BOVINE COLOSTRUM SUPPLEMENT

ON RUNNING PERFORMANCE J.D. Buckley, M.J. Abbott, S. , G. D.

Brinkworth, P.B.D. Whyte Centre for Research in Education and Sports

Science, University of South Australia.

Bovine colostrum is secreted by cows during the first few days after

calving and is a rich source of bioactive components, including

growth factors. Oral supplementation with a whey fraction of bovine

colostrum has been shown to significantly increase serum insulin-like

growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations with no effect on vertical

jump performance (Mero et. al., 1997). The present study employed a

double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel, randomised design to

determine the effect of supplementation with a low fat, low lactose,

concentrated bovine colostrum protein powder (intact™, NorthField

Laboratories Pty Ltd) on plasma IGF-1 concentrations and endurance

running performance. After an initial familiarisation period in the

two weeks prior to commencement, 39 males, aged 18-35 years,

completed an 8 week running program (3 x 45 minutes/week at lactate

threshold) whilst consuming 60 g/day of intact™ bovine colostrum

(n=23, peak, Unexpected End of Expression.O2 53.5 ± 1.1 ml·kg-1·min-

1) or whey protein (n=16, peak !Unexpected End of Expression.O2 54.2

± 1.7 ml·kg-1·min-1).

All subjects followed dietary guidelines provided by the researchers

and kept food diaries throughout the study period for subsequent

dietary analysis. Subjects completed 2 incremental treadmill running

tests to exhaustion (10 km/hr, incremented 1% grade every 3 min)

separated by 20 minutes of recovery at weeks 0, 4 and 8. There were

no differences in plasma IGF-1 concentrations between the groups at

week 0 (colostrum 231.1 ± 10.7 ng/ml, placebo 221.0 ± 13.3 ng/ml;

P=0.37).

Plasma IGF-1 concentrations did not change in either group during the

study period (P=0.90). There were no differences in the distance

covered (m) or work done (kJ; vertical distance covered x body mass x

9.81 m/s2) during the first (colostrum 4649 ± 238 m, 155.8 ± 15.7 kJ;

placebo 4464 ± 320 m, 140.2 ± 19.6 kJ; P>0.46) or the second

(colostrum 4044 ± 357 m, 120.6 ± 21.3 kJ; placebo 3942 ± 388 m, 110.7

± 21.1 kJ; P>0.91) treadmill runs at week 0.

Distance covered and work done during the first treadmill run

increased in both groups during the study period (P<0.01), but at

similar rates (P>0.69). During the second treadmill run both groups

exhibited similar increases in the distance covered and work done

from weeks 0-4 (P>0.20) but, from weeks 4-8 the intact™ colostrum

group continued to improve whilst the performance of the placebo

group plateaued, such that by week 8 the colostrum group ran further

(colostrum 4662 ± 251 m, placebo 4237 ± 323 m; P=0.04) and did more

work than the placebo group (colostrum 150.7 ± 17.1 kJ, placebo 124.2

± 18.9 kJ; P=0.03). The TEM for running time (which equates to

distance covered and work done) was 2%. There were no differences in

dietary intakes between the two groups. These results indicate that

oral supplementation with intact™ bovine colostrum improves the

ability to perform a second bout of maximal exercise following a

relatively short period of recovery from a prior bout of maximal

exercise.

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Many thanks in advance

Carruthers

Wakefield, UK