IHC is great for those who train regularly but don't gain the expected results. As a dietary and sports supplement, colostrum boosts the immune system protecting against infections caused by the physical and psychological stress of competing. IHC allows maximum training and fitness, and increases the efficiency of the digestive system to supply IHC's amino acids and other factors to muscles and vital organs. The combination of decreased illness, increased nutrient uptake, and increased strength results in reduced downtime for training, faster recovery, greater lean muscle mass and superior overall performance.

Faster recovery from effort
The fitness effects of colostrum were recently documented in new studies from Australia. Footballers, cyclists and rowers of the national teams used colostrum to enhance their performance and to protect against over-training. They showed significantly improved stamina and shortened recovery between activities.

When involved in competitive sport, performance on the day is critical. In order to achieve peak performance, effective training prior to the event is essential. Training can be affected by injury or illness and performance is dependent upon strength, stamina and recovery times. A slight improvement in any one of these areas can provide the advantage over your opponent that is needed, particularly in endurance or multi-heat events. IHC has the potential to do just this.

In addition to providing essential nutrients and antimicrobial compounds required for normal growth during the first few days of life, MIG also contain important repair factors. Repair factors include insulin-like growth factors IGF-1 and IGF-2, transforming growth factors TGF-b1 and TGF-b2 and epithelial growth factor EGF.

IHC's repair factors regulate cellular division, synthesise new protein and increase efficiency of nutrient uptake. They shift fuel utilisation from carbohydrate to fat, producing fuel more efficiently. Insulin-like growth factors help supply muscles with fuel during long-term exercise and help rebuild glycogen stores during recovery. Colostrum is rich in carnitine, important for long chain fatty acid metabolism within the mitochondria. Epithelial Growth Factor has a potent effect on the gut to enhance nutrient absorption.

For example, The Finnish Olympic Ski Team athletes were subjected to acute exercise and levels of their blood creatine-kinase (the marker for muscle damage) were monitored for seven days. Compared to the placebo group, the athletes who consumed colostrum showed half the blood creatine-kinase levels four days after the acute exercise. They were less fatigued and their performance improved. read more

Dr John Buckley, presented a paper at the Australian Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport on the benefits of dairy colostrum supplementation for sports performance. The study showed that oral supplementation with dairy colostrum improves the ability to perform a second bout of maximal exercise following a relatively short period of recovery from a prior bout of maximal exercise. 

Greater lean muscle mass
As well as increasing recovery from effort, studies show the improved absorption of amino acids and repair factors to muscles and vital organs by colostrum brings greater lean muscle mass and lower body fat. IHC's amino acid profile includes Arginine. Arginine is glycogenic, which helps the body burn calories efficiently. It is considered crucial for optimal muscle growth and tissue repair. It stimulates the release of growth hormones and promotes wound healing and regeneration of the liver.

IHC also contains protein factors which have very important anabolic properties involved in signalling to deliver muscle repair and growth response without upsetting the balance of hormones, which leads to disproportionate growth and other unpleasant side effects. Unlike steroids, IHC does not interfere with the body's natural hormonal functions. These factors are found in high quality first milk and colostral powder such as IHC. They are:
Insulin-like Growth Factors (IGF-I and IGF-II)
Transforming Growth Factor-B (TGF-B)
Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF)
Epithelial Growth Factor (EGF)

There are other nutrients of value in AHC to the serious athlete, but none have received the same attention as IGF-1. A small amount of IGF-1 leads to increasing cellular division, changing the structure of the dividing cells, synthesising new protein and increasing efficiency of nutrient uptake.

Studies have shown that dairy colostrum can increase the serum levels of IGF-1 in male athletes. As it has been shown that IGF-1 in colostrum is only absorbed into the blood stream in fragmented segments, it is likely that this increase in serum IGF-1 levels occurs via the combination of training, conditioning of the digestive tract and possible enhanced stimulation of human IGF-1 synthesis via the intestinal mucosa. If a person has an unhealthy digestive system, then they will not adequately absorb the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that they need to stay healthy. If their body is able to absorb these nutrients, they will recover faster after effort. One of the factors contained in dairy produce is lactoferrin - an iron binding compound which aids the absorption of iron. Studies also show that other factors assist the recovery of the microvilli (finger-like projections lining the gut walls responsible for digestion) after damage by infection or prescription drugs or even ibuprofen. The restored gut surface means greater nutrient absorption, means more nutrients for the body to use, means faster recovery from effort. 

For an athlete, the combination of IHC's repair factors, immune modulating compounds, minerals and vitamins that are contained in IHC have a beneficial effect on recovery, development and performance.
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Stronger bones and tendons, and faster repair of damaged tissue

MIG contains natural antibodies for immune boost, immuno-modulatory components that act as anti-inflammatory agents and factors which aid in growth and strength. These allow maximal training as the immune system does not become depressed, the athlete does not become sick and the strengthened tissue is less likely to be damaged. read more

If an injury does occur, IHC's repair factors help to rebuild muscle, bone and cartilage. AHC contains proteins with properties for signalling muscle repair and growth, without upsetting the normal hormonal balance.

The role of Interleukin One (IL-1) in iHC is that of an immune modulator, but it also has the effect of producing basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). In a difficult muscle or tendon injury fibroblasts are the first line of repair. Both acidic and basic FGF, present in colostrum, stimulate proliferation of muscle cells. The single most important effect of basic FGF is its induction of more IGF-1 receptors in muscle, preparing it to become anabolic (to grow).

Repair factors prepare muscle satellite cells for proliferation and differentiation, particularly in conjunction with fibroblasts during the healing process, and brings about strong autocrine IGF-1 production. Terminal differentiation to myotubules completes the healing event, and is directed almost entirely by IGF-1.

A study confirms the two compounds similar to EGF - Transforming Growth Factors-A & B (TGF), coupled with IGF-1 - are biochemically unsurpassed in their role in cartilage and muscle repair. TGF-B is present in the regeneration processes but with specific application in cartilage. This compound, along with IGF-1, directly stimulates the development of cartilage in vitro. TGF-B is present in colostrum at a concentration 10-fold that of blood serum. Though its effects have a known capacity to inhibit proliferation but not differentiation of muscle, it is the second best compound available for the synthesis and repair of cartilage. IGF-1 is the best, and was first identified by its ability to enhance chondroitin synthesis and sulfation of proteoglycans.

Repair factors also play important roles in the control of osteoblast (bone deposition) function through complex cellular and molecular mechanisms of action. The most prominent factors are those produced locally by osteoblasts and are present in the bone matrix. They include IGF, FGF, TGF, and bone morphogenetic proteins. Some of the signalling mechanisms of these factors have been identified in osteoblastic cells. read more
 
Some of the research in this area:

Antonio, J, et al. The effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on body composition and exercise performance in active men and women. Nutrition 17(3):243-247 (2001). Actively training male and female athletes were given colostrum supplementation or placebo for a period of 8 weeks. Subjects receiving colostrum but not placebo showed an increase in lean body mass.

Brinkworth, GD, et al. Effect of bovine colostrum supplementation on the composition of resistance trained and untrained limbs in healthy young men. European Journal of Applied Physiology 9(11):53-60 (2004). Either bovine colostrum or whey protein were given to young men who were either in training or not in training. Those in the training group who received colostrum showed a significantly greater increase in both upper arm circumference and cross-sectional area compared to those receiving whey, while those who were not in training showed no change.

Buckley, JD, et al. Effect of bovine colostrum on anaerobic exercise performance and plasma insulin-like growth factor I. Journal of Sports Science 21(7):577-588 (2003). Athletes in training were given either bovine colostrum or placebo for 8 weeks. Those receiving colostrum showed a significant increase in peak anaerobic power over placebo.

Buckley, J., et al. "Oral supplementation with bovine colostrum increases vertical jump performance." Presented at 4th Annual Congress of the European College of Sports Science, Rome 14-17 July, 1999.

Crooks, C, et al. Bovine colostrum supplementation increases levels of s-IGA in distance runners: a study based on athletes in training for the 2002 Rotorua marathon. Unpublished research. Marathon runners in training were given bovine colostrum or placebo for 12 weeks in a double blind study. Those in the colostrum group showed significantly more secretory IgA (s-IgA) in their saliva than either the placebo group or sedentary controls. The colostrum group also reported a significantly lower rate of upper respiratory infections (URI) during this period.

Coombes JS, Conacher M, Austen SK, Marshall PA. "Dose effects of oral bovine colostrum on physical work capacity in cyclists."Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Jul;34(7):1184-8. Related Articles, Links, Dose effects of oral bovine colostrum on physical work capacity in cyclists. School of Human Movement Studies, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.

Hofman, Z, et al. The effect of bovine colostrum supplementation on exercise performance in elite field hockey players. International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 12(4):461-469 (2002). Colostrum supplementation in elite field hockey players, both male and female, resulted in improved sprint performance over placebo.

Kuipers, H, et al. Effects of oral bovine colostrum supplementation on serum insulin-like growth factor-I levels. Nutrition 18(7-8):165-172 (2002). A study for the International Olympic Committee showed no increase in blood IGF-1 or IGF-bp3 levels after 4 weeks time.

Mero, A, et al. IGF-I, IgA, and IgG responses to bovine colostrum supplementation during training. Journal of Applied Physiology 93(2):732-739 (2002). Colostrum supplementation increases levels of IGF-1 and IgA in training athletes, but the IGF-1 in the colostrum is not absorbed intact.

Mero A, et al. (1997) Effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on serum IGF-1, IgG, hormone, and saliva IgA during training. Journal of Applied Physiology. 83:1144-1151.