How Athletes Benefit from Colostrum
Colostrum supplements are consumed by many world-class athletes. The IGF-1 present in the colostrum increases the uptake of blood glucose and facilitates the transportation of glucose to the muscles. This can be very helpful to restore and keep energy levels up. Besides that, IGF-1 can also slow down the speed of protein breakdown which happens after a workout. Colostrum helps in speeding up the process of protein synthesis which in turn results in the increase of lean muscle mass without increasing the amount of fat. Colostrum also improves the assimilation of nutrients that helps increase energy levels as well as performance.
Building Lean Muscle Mass
Colostrum contains several amazing growth factors that help you build lean muscle mass and also contains IGF-I and IGF-II, the insulin-like growth factors which are found naturally in colostrum help in promoting muscle growth. The IGFs present in humans is similar to that of bovines, but the colostrum from bovines have a greater concentration of IGF-1 than human colostrum. Thus, it can really be a boon to bodybuilders, athletes as well as others who are looking forward to increasing their lean muscle mass without increasing the fat in their bodies. Some have even touted colostrum to be the new creatine.
Recovery
The stimulation of muscle cell growth is also key to another aspect of athletic performance, recovery time. Each time we work our bodies strenuously, we cause some minor damage. For example, muscle-building workouts often cause tiny little tears in the tissue of the muscle that was stressed. Growth factors work to repair this damage quickly and strengthen the muscle for its next use. It has been proven that colostrum and its muscle-building growth factors give athletes a quicker recovery after a workout.
Preventing Infection
Colostrum, as mentioned above, is rich in various immune factors. These immune factors help athletes minimize their vulnerability to infections. Colostrum also prevents infection from E. Coli as well as prevents upper respiratory tract infection.
Performance and Metabolism
For any athlete, having a good metabolism is very important. Colostrum can help give the metabolism a boost by shifting the utilization of body fuel from carbohydrates to fats. Your body can, therefore, burn more fat, including the fat generated from carbohydrates and protein, which results in better fuel efficiency and weight loss.
Improving Strength
Bovine colostrum supplements can help improve the performance of athletes by helping them increase their endurance and strength. The supplementation of bovine colostrum has been compared with various muscle mass-building supplements like whey protein powder. It was found that the supplementation of colostrum during training sessions significantly helped increase the anaerobic power. Not just that, a study conducted on cyclists showed that within 2 months of bovine colostrum supplementation, the cycling performance of the athletes increased considerably. Besides these, the effects of colostrum in other sports like hockey, vertical jump, etc. have also been studied and results have shown that those taking colostrum supplements as compared to a placebo-controlled group had a significant boost in performance.
For more information on colostrum’s benefits for athletes, check out our article on Leaky Gut Syndrome
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BodyBoost
BodyBoost colostrum is the first milking after birth and is spray dried using low pressure indirect steam and carefully controlled temperatures to produce a high-quality powder while protecting the colostral proteins. Each colostrum product batch is thoroughly analyzed prior to shipment to assure its quality, efficacy and safety.
