Studies are now showing significant gains in fitness with colostrum supplementation. A widely reported study in Australia found a 20% increase in strength, stamina and shortened recovery time for both soccer players and cyclists.
Many body builders and fitness experts say colostrum works better than any other legal substance they ever experienced.
The growth factors found in colostrum are now known to enhance muscle tone, burn off body fat, promote skin elasticity, and increase bone density. TgF-alpha and -beta (transforming growth factors) stimulate production and repair of RNA and DNA, as well as repair of damaged muscle fibers in athletes. EGF (epithelial growth factor) stimulates enhanced skin healing. IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor
1) is able to “promote muscle growth by itself,” according to Muscle and Fitness associate editor Steve Schwade.
Bovine IGF-1 is effective in humans, differing in its structure by only 3 out of 67 amino acids, and bovine colostrum is found to be even higher in IGF-1 than human colostrum. The growth factors in colostrum stimulate protein synthesis and slow protein breakdown, resulting in increased lean muscle mass. At the same time, they shift the metabolism from burning carbohydrates to burning more fats.
Olympic skiers taking colostrum experienced less fatigue and improved their performance in a placebo-controlled study in Finland. They also showed only half the level of blood creatine-kinase, a marker of muscle injury, compared to placebo control.
Another Finnish study confirmed that athletes taking colostrum during strength and speed training did in fact show increased blood serum concentrations of IGF-1136.
Overall, colostrum is considered as powerful as steroids at generating increased muscle mass when used in conjunction with exercise, but without the risks and side effects.
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