Can Colostrum improve your athletic performance?
Athletes and body builders the world over, are always seeking to improve their performances.
At the same time researchers in the field of exercise and sports nutrition are constantly seeking to help people of all ages and physical strengths to improve their fitness levels, performance and recovery.
So what’s all the fuss about Colostrum?
First of all what is Colostrum?
Colostrum is the first secretion from the mammary glands of mammals after the birth of their young and it comes in before the milk, giving the newborn essential nutrients with which to begin it’s young life.
Human Colostrum is not available to us (except to newborns from their mums!) but the next best thing, which is extremely close, is Bovine Colostrum from cows. If you think about it, we benefit from Cow’s milk so why not their Colostrum?
So what are the benefits of Colostrum for adults and athletes?
First of all Bovine Colostrum contains as much as four times the amount of immune factors (IgF’s) as human colostrum. This helps you build and maintain a stronger immune system, a plus for all of us but especially if you are in training for an important event and want to stay well:
In addition
- The IGF-1 in Colostrum increases the uptake and utilisation of blood glucose by your muscles, which keeps energy levels up
- IGF-1 also assists in the process of slowing the rate of muscle protein breakdown that occurs after a vigorous workout
- Colostrum speeds up the synthesis of new protein resulting in lean muscle mass rather than stored fat
- Colostrum also improves the assimilation of nutrients from your gut, giving you more energy and better performance
Colostrum is a naturally occurring substance and therefore free of any artificial performance enhancers. This is important in professional competition when you need to be careful to avoid banned substances. So it may be found to be the most important natural substance to help athletes, and bodybuilders of any strength and fitness level, achieve their desired results.
Research studies both in Australia and overseas have shown that Colostrum can help:
- Increase strength and endurance
- Build lean muscle mass
- Burn body fat
- Boost immune function (important after strenuous exercise)
- Shorten recovery time and
- Speed healing after injury
All this, in addition to being accepted for use by athletes by the IOC (International Olympic Committee), makes Colostrum a unique and effective supplement for athletes, bodybuilders and anyone engaged in sport or a fitness regime.