Cycling Plus, June 2003. By Joe Beer

Several months ago I wrote that I am not opposed to the use of milk or milk products. Quite the opposite, I have been advocating the use of lactose-free whey protein, another milk derivative, since the early 1990's and believe that whey protein is of benefit in recovery drinks. I also take live dairy biocultures from organic yoghurt, and from the early part of the year have been using colostrum too. Several athletes I coach have also been using it. But what is colostrum, why all the sudden interest and who is actually going to gain from using it?

Boving colostrum is the first milk a cow gives to her new-born calf to aid health and boost early immune strength. It contains proteins such as whey and casein which have themselves got high levels of antimicrobial factors such as immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, IgM; and growth factors like Igf-1+2 as well as other positive acting compounds. Without getting overly scientific, the antimicrobial factors are 100 times higher in colostrum than in milk and these are responsible for, among other things, the activation of the immune defence systems in areas such as mucous membranes. Conversely the growth factors (up to 200 times more in colostrum than in milk) act to regulate anabolic effects on muscle tissue and have a regulatory role on growth hormone. But before warning bells start to sound at the sound of 'anabolic effects', the published research has shown that taking 60g of colostrum a day for four weeks does not result in positive levels of any forbidden substance under IOC testing.

So the mother cow gives her calf colostrum (she has enough yield for three), while the remainder, after the calf has had its share, is flash pasteurised and spray dried to give a powder supplement. However, while this may sound a strange process, many cultures and groups, including the Maasai of Africa and farmers' families in Britain have long used colostrum as a much coveted foodstuff. But what does it do for cyclists and top level athletes?

The research
There have been several studies on athletes and the effect colostrum may have on performance. Probably the most relevant to Cycling Plus readers comes from Australian research into time trial performance after two hours at 65% VO2max. The researchers divided the 42 subjects into three groups, consuming one of the following per day for eight weeks:
1. Colostrum 20g + whey 40g
2. Colostrum 60g
3. Whey 60g (used as placebo)
Before and after the supplementation period the cyclists were tested by two VO2max tests 20 minutes apart and riding them at 65% VO2max for two hours then setting a 'work based' time trial - where a set amount of work needs to be completed. When statistics were analysed it was found that the first two groups had performances significantly faster than the third, whey only, group. The performances of athletes taking colostrum improved by 134 to 158 seconds while the whey group improved 37 seconds - not enough to be statistically significant in other words the whey-only group could have improved 37 seconds through luck rather than the effects of any intervention - for the intervention to be significant it would need to be more than 47 seconds. So that's a possible two to two and a half minute improvement against no significant gains. Interestingly this study first appeared in September 2000 at a pre-Olympic Congress in Brisbane, so its taken almost three years before the amateurs have caught up with what some pro-riders and switched on internationals will already be doing.

In practise
Several of the athletes I coach use Colostrum. Pro rider John Ibbotson of the Endurasport.com racing team (fresh back from some tough racing in Italy) has been using colostrum (Neovite UK, 20g per day). John has been reporting great recovery and other members of the team improved training effects. But that's anecdotal, so what of other research?

Here's a summary of what I have seen published on human subjects so far concerning colostrum:

1. Improved blood buffering capacity in female rowers:
Colostrum = 60g per day for nine weeks
Improvement: 21% rise in buffer capacity than control

2. Improved 5x10metre sprint performance in mixed hockey group:
Colostrum = 60g per day for eight weeks
Improvement: 93% faster than control

3. Improved treadmill running in second of 2x30min bouts:
Colostrum = 60g per day for eight weeks
Improvement: 2.3 fold improvement compared to control

4. Increased lean mass gain in resistance and aerobic training athletes:
Colostrum = 20g per day for eight weeks
Improvement: 1.49kg lean mass gain

So it appears that taking 20-60g of Colostrum per day does result in performance gains being made. In all cases these gains were achieved by athletes who were training - and not instead of training. There are other benefits too, which have been attributed to colostrum, such as helping with ulcerative colitis, allergies and diarrhoea. However, even looking just from the sports science perspective the evidence is fairly positive and, if taken alongside the anecdotal evidence, suggests that colostrum does possess genuine beneficial performance properties. Whether you see the supplement as worth the money (around 50p to £1 per day) is down to your own finance and priorities.

But as part of a fortify-yourself regime you could fit colostrum shakes alongside echinacea tinctures, increased sleep, a wholefood fruit and vegetable diet and a low dose multi-mineral and vitamin supplement.