Muscular development is highly prized in our society today. While this has lead to an increase in the number of individuals engaging in resistance training, it has also spawned an ever growing sports performance supplement industry. Accelerators of muscular development, in particular, are a big part of the market.
Colostrum is one such supplement that is reputed to enhance gains in muscle mass and improve athletic performance.
But, does it really live up to that reputation?
Colostrum is a substance that is, essentially, the first milk that female mammals secrete in the days following a birth. The fluid is very dense in nutrients like protein, vitamins, minerals, growth factors, immunoglobins, anti-microbial agents, as well as some carbohydrates.
In terms of hypertrophy, colostrum in supplement form, particularly bovine colostrum, is supposed to aid the user in developing muscular size. That's the theory, at least. Surprisingly, for a sports performance supplement that has been on the market for over twenty years, it is curious that it has very little in the way of human-based scientific research to back the claims made in its favour.
From the little research that can be found on colostrum, it appears to be a game of table tennis as to the benefits on increases in lean body mass, growth factors, immune function, or parameters of athletic performance. Short-term usage does not appear to convey any discernible benefits. Longer-term usage of 8 weeks or more in conjunction with exercise training might have an effect on increasing lean body mass in active individuals, and markers of performance in highly trained individuals. It might also have positive influences on the immune systems of athletes who are involved in strenuous exercise, prolonged exercise, and during intensive training periods, but this is not always proven to be true in research.
No comments:
Post a Comment