What Is It?.. And What Are The Benefits Of Colostrum?
Colostrum is often called “first milk” or “immune milk”. It is the first “milk” that comes from the mammary glands of all mammals. In cows, it is produced up to 4 days after birth, at which time it gives way to the cow milk we all know so well. The purpose for colostrum is to develop the immune system and digestive system of the newborn mammal. Without colostrum a calf will die as it has no ability to develop an effective immune system and limited digestive capability to absorb nutrients and grow. Additionally, colostrum is loaded with growth factors which provides the spark for the young mammal to start packing on lean tissues.
While colostrum is similar to milk, there are indeed many differences. First, milk is produced in the mammary glands as a nutritive. Colostrum is actually produced in the bloodstream where dozens of immune factors, growth factors, anabolic hormones and every essential macronutrient are compiled into natures most dense source of life force. Do take notice that colostrum contains every essential macronutrient. This means that colostrum contains every essential amino acid, every essential fatty acid and even every essential sugar (there are many other sugars besides glucose which keep immune function healthy). Colostrum is the one food you would want if you could only live on one food.
How Does It Work To Build Muscle?
First, it should be mentioned that colostrum powder contains IGF-1 and IGF-2, or insulin like growth factor 1 and 2. When bodybuilders take synthetic human growth hormone (HGH), they are actually benefiting their muscle growth via IGF-1. HGH stimulates production of IGF-1 which is responsible for the bulk of HGH anabolic effects on muscle tissue. The IGFs in colostrum would be broken down via digestion upon oral consumption, none the less there appears to be some evidence tying bovine colostrum and serum IGF-1 levels together.
There have been mixed results based on study design but studies have shown that bovine colostrum supports higher serum levels of IGF-1 in people that are either suffering illness or who are undergoing rigorous exercise. The first study I’ll mention observed 90 ill and mechanically ventilated hospital patients that were given 30 grams of colostrum per day or placebo. In this study, (Roohelhami et al 2023) those 45 patients given colostrum measured significantly higher serum IGF-1 levels than the 45 patients who where given whey protein as a placebo. An additional benefit was noted in that the colostrum group also suffered less diarrhea than the placebo group which can be life saving in that stage of illness.
The second study of note focused on explosive athletes while being put through three different 8 day training conditions (with a 13 day break between each period). The athletes were divided into three groups and all went through the same training phases, the only difference being their supplements taken. One group took a smaller amount of colostrum, another group took a larger (5X more) amount of colostrum while the last group only took whey protein. This study (Mero et al 1997) shows a positive correlation of serum IGF-1 levels and colostrum intake, with the lower intake increasing IGF-1 more than whey and the higher colostrum intake increasing IGF-1 more than both whey and low colostrum intake. These results seem to indicate that bovine colostrum preserved higher serum IGF-1 levels in the face of oxidative stress induced by high intensity exercise.
So how can we tie these two studies together even when the test subjects are seemingly so different? It can be seen in that both study groups, their IGF-1 levels are elevated and preserved even under environments of high stress, whether due to illness or extreme exercise. So it seems that bovine colostrum can be useful in preserving IGF-1 in high stress environments (like highly intense physical training) that might otherwise diminish an internal environment in the body that is conducive to muscle growth. This is my theory which may be further reinforced by a seemingly contradictory study (Davison et al 2020) on colostrum consumption which didn’t show an increase in serum IGF-1 with healthy test subjects who were only performing moderate exercise (low stress).
Use Colostrum For Bulking Or Cutting Fat?
Studies demonstrate that colostrum consumption only stimulates lean tissue growth, which in turn diminishes fat tissue. One study (J Antonio 2001) in particular showed that colostrum consumption increased lean tissue body mass more than whey protein when 20 grams each was consumed. What is so significant about the findings in this study is that while the colostrum only caused an increase in lean tissue, the increase in weight caused by whey was largely fat mass. It is apparent that whether we are trying to gain weight and muscle, or trying to lean up and cut while even still building lean mass, colostrum will magnify bulking and cutting results.
Colostrum is extremely high in protein and lower in fat and total carbohydrate than milk. Orally, it has a 98% absorption rate which is extremely bioavailable, like whey protein. So why is colostrum studied to be more anabolic than whey protein? Aside from the IGF-1 and 2 effects, bovine colostrum contains 87 growth factors. These are compounds that communicate with our cells, telling our body to begin lean tissue growth. All 87 of these growth factors contribute to the stimulation of muscle, connective tissue, skin and bone growth among other tissues in the body.
How To Optimize Bodybuilding Gains From Colostrum
In studies, the highest lean mass gains come from dosages of 20 to 50 grams of colostrum powder daily. In fact greater dosages show diminished returns. A great example in a study (Coombes et al 2002) that showed 20 grams of colostrum plus 40 grams of whey protein provided better athletic performance results in comparison to 60 grams of colostrum alone. With this in mind, we can understand that it is the combination of colostrum growth factors with additional high quality protein that yields the greatest results.
This is why I consume 20-25 grams of colostrum per day along with plenty of high quality protein in the form of grass-fed meat, free range eggs, organ meats, plant protein and gelatin (connective tissue protein). From this I have gotten great result gaining muscle while staying extremely lean.
To Achieve “Natural Steroid Like” Gains From Colostrum, Quality and Potency Is Key
You must remember that if your colostrum is low quality, the fragile growth factors will be denatured and you are consuming an expensive protein powder at that point. It is very important to remember, colostrum consumption is effectively downloading a biological anabolic and immune building software program into our body. It is very fragile and must be raw to transfer its growth and immune factors into us. I purchase in bulk from Surthrival (2-kilo) or Immune Tree (1-kilo or less) both of which source the same high quality grass fed, non-temperature denatured, non-defatted whole grass fed colostrum powder harvested within 6 hours of birth (Most other colostrum products are diluted with milk, harvested days after birth). The only processing it undergoes is dehydration under 115 degrees and it is produced by healthy pasture fed cows.
If you want to read about how lactoferrin in colostrum is great for weight loss, click here
If you want to read about how colostrum can heal “leaky gut”, click here
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