Science Clears: Colostrum Is Not a Doping Risk

Athletes usually pay special attention to a healthy diet and their bodies. Due to their high energy consumption and the exponentially high stress on the body, athletes like to turn to nutritional supplements and supplements.

Colostrum, nature's natural immune and nutrient wonder, has therefore been of particular interest to athletes from around the world for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, and as we now know, unjustifiably, the nutrient-rich colostrum was once suspected of acting as a doping agent, which is why it was briefly banned for athletes and was on the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) list of prohibited substances.

While colostrum is no longer banned by WADA, the agency still advises against its use during professional sporting competitions in its FAQ section. Scientific studies, biochemists and food researchers have since been able to give the all-clear for athletes: colostrum poses no doping risk. Furthermore, countless positive effects of colostrum on health can be demonstrated.

Why athletes no longer need to fear taking colostrum during competitions, why it is not considered a doping agent, and why taking it is even recommended for people who exercise regularly and intensively — this is what we aim to clarify in this article. We also want to address the reason behind WADA's continued recommendation against taking colostrum during competitions.

If you haven't read our detailed article on colostrum yet, you can do so here.

In short, colostrum is the first substance released to a newborn after the pregnancy of a mammal, such as a woman or a cow. Colostrum is produced in liquid form by the female mammary glands and contains concentrated and diverse ingredients in the form of antibodies, proteins, vitamins, amino acids and many other valuable ingredients designed to strengthen the new organism in the first days after birth.

Among these healthy nutrients is IGF-1, which is a so-called growth factor.

But what exactly is IGF-1?

Simply put, IGF-1 is a growth hormone found in dairy products – and therefore also in colostrum.

From a scientific perspective, IGF-1 is somewhat more complex. It is a cytokine that is similar in structure and function to the better-known insulin-related is. IGF-1 stimulates the body's own protein synthesis and can therefore naturally support growth processes, such as those of organs or muscles. What distinguishes the IGF (insulin-like growth factor) however, due to its lack of immunological cross-reactivity. Immunological cross-reactivity is the binding of an antibody to two different antigens.

IGFs are fundamentally involved in wound healing in the body, in hypertrophy (growth processes of organs), and the Regeneration of damaged nerve cells.

There are a total of two IGFs: IGF-1, also known as somatomedin C or "basic somatomedin," which is discussed in this article, and IGF-2. IGF-1 is produced in our body by the liver.

The 'insulin-like growth factors' are highly conserved, homologous peptides that are produced by both fetal and adult tissues in the body.

In our blood and in the colostrum relevant to us, the majority of IGFs are bound to specific proteins that serve as transport proteins.

And how exactly do these IGFs work and why did WADA classify colostrum as doping for a time?

IGFs generally have diverse effects on our body. They lower our blood sugar levels and stimulate growth factors in the body. They also work in part synergistically with other growth factors in our body.

IGFs also stimulate our DNA synthesis, protein synthesis, increase the cell division rate and increase our metabolism. The natural serum concentration of IGFs in an adult is between 150 and 250 μg/l for IGF-1 and 400–900 μg/l for IGF-2.

IGFs are a natural component of our body. Their role as a growth hormone briefly led the World Anti-Doping Agency, prior to 2013, to classify the naturally occurring IGF-1 in colostrum as doping and to ban it as a muscle-building substance both in and out of competition.

Since 2013, this ban has been lifted and replaced by a recommendation against it in the WADA's "Questions and Answers" section. WADA suggests that taking colostrum could potentially lead to a positive doping test, even though WADA no longer classifies colostrum itself as a doping substance.

The recommendation against colostrum consumption during competitions to avoid the risk of a positive doping test, which has been found in WADA's FAQ section since 2013, still deters some athletes.

These athletes understandably do not want to risk a positive doping test and therefore often refrain from taking colostrum on WADA's advice. Why this is not only scientifically questionable and sometimes unfounded, but also not necessarily in the interest of athletes, we would like to explain in the following:

We already know that IGF-1 is found in some dairy products and can act as a natural growth factor.

Shouldn't WADA have then also classified cow's milk and other dairy products as doping agents? Theoretically, yes.

Because: whey protein has been shown in some cases to contain just as much IGF-1 as colostrum and, by WADA's logic, should therefore also be avoided as a precaution. Yet WADA does not advise against consuming whey protein, nor has it removed its caution against colostrum from its FAQs.

What does the current state of scientific knowledge say about this?

The effects that the nutrients in colostrum can have offer countless potential benefits for athletes: improved wound healing, support for the immune system, support for a healthy gut flora, as well as nutritional benefits, are just a few examples. Especially athletes who stress their bodies much more intensively than the 'average' person can benefit health-wise from the nutrients in colostrum and should provide good care and support for their strained bodies, which is why colostrum is a popular food choice for athletes.

But should athletes forgo these benefits because the IGF-1 in colostrum is allegedly a doping risk?

Several scientific studies and recognized researchers have investigated the topic of IGF-1, colostrum, and doping. The findings obtained make WADA's caution in their FAQ section appear unfounded, because:

A study from Finland, which conducted a follow-up to the study on the allegedly anabolic effects of colostrum, was able to clearly demonstrate that the IGF-1 in question from colostrum had already in the human gut and does not enter the bloodstream intact passed. The critically discussed rise in IGF-1 levels in the blood can therefore only originate from the body's own production in the liver — not from colostrum.

The Max Rubner Institute has also made a clear statement regarding the debate around IGF-1 in dairy products and the doping risk raised by WADA:

The reasons why taking colostrum during competitions poses no doping risk are manifold.

• The absence of IGF-1 absorption from colostrum in the human intestine has now been scientifically confirmed on multiple occasions. The debate around the doping risk from colostrum supplementation is therefore moot, and WADA should in fact issue an all-clear. Numerous investigations in anti-doping laboratories examining the rise in blood IGF-1 levels from colostrum supplementation, along with the scientific consensus, are in agreement: there is no doping danger, when taking colostrum, because the human gut does not transport it in its active state into the bloodstream. Taking colostrum does not lead to an increase in IGF-1 levels in the blood, which could produce a positive doping result. All-clear can therefore be given clearly.
• There are no regulations whatsoever regarding IGF-1 concentrations in colostrum or colostrum supplements. The general caution against colostrum supplementation is therefore generalized and unfounded, without specifying a maximum IGF-1 value for supplements. When colostrum is pasteurized, for example, IGF-1 is almost completely destroyed. Other dairy products also contain IGF-1 in comparable amounts, and WADA does not advise against consuming those dairy products.
• It is unclear whether the milk proteins in colostrum would raise IGF-1 concentration in the blood any more than other proteins do. The notion that colostrum promotes muscle growth or improves the body's physiology has not been scientifically proven, which once again makes WADA's doping suspicion appear unfounded.

What we do know clearly and can scientifically substantiate, however, is that colostrum supports the gut and immune system. This is not only recommended for athletes, but for virtually everyone, because it can improve overall well-being. The International Olympic Committee also confirms these positive findings about colostrum. Avoiding colostrum out of fear of a positive doping test is unfounded.

You can now breathe a sigh of relief!