Wissenschaft gibt Entwarnung – Colostrum birgt kein Doping-Risiko

Science gives the all-clear – Colostrum poses no doping risk

December 31, 2024 Sven Altorfer

Athletes usually pay particular attention to a healthy diet and their bodies. Due to their high energy consumption and the exponentially high strain on the body, athletes like to use nutritional supplements. Colostrum, Mother Nature's natural immune and nutritional miracle, has therefore been of particular interest to athletes from all over the world for more than 20 years. Unfortunately and, as we now know, wrongly, the nutrient-rich colostrum was suspected for a while 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 banned substances. While colostrum is no longer banned by WADA, the agency still advises against taking it during professional sports competitions in its FAQ section. Scientific studies, biochemists and food researchers have now been able to give the all-clear for athletes: colostrum does not pose a doping risk. In addition, countless positive effects of colostrum on health can be proven.

In this article, we would like to explain why athletes no longer need to be afraid of taking colostrum during competitions, why it is not considered a doping agent and why taking it is even advisable for people who exercise regularly and intensively. We would also like to address WADA's reason for continuing to advise against taking colostrum during competitions.

Cow stroking

Colostrum - The Miracle Cure for Athletes

If you haven't read our detailed article about colostrum yet, feel free to do so again here .

In short, colostrum is the first substance that is given to a newborn after a mammal, such as a woman or a cow, becomes pregnant. Colostrum is produced in liquid form by the female mammary glands and contains concentrated and versatile ingredients in the form of antibodies, proteins, vitamins, amino acids and many other valuable ingredients that are intended to strengthen the new creature in the first few days after birth.

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

But what is IGF-1 actually?

IGF-1 – The basis for the doping discussion

Simply put, IGF-1 is a growth hormone that is found in dairy products, including colostrum.

Scientifically speaking, IGF-1 is a little more complex. It is a cytokine that is related in structure and function to the better-known insulin. IGF-1 stimulates the body's own protein synthesis and can therefore naturally support growth processes, such as those of organs or muscles. However, IGF (Insulin-like Growth Factor) differs in that it lacks immunological cross-reactivity. Immunological cross-reactivity is the binding of an antibody to two different antigens.

Basically, IGFs are involved in wound healing in the body, in hypertrophy (organ growth processes) and in the regeneration of damaged nerve cells.

There are two IGFs in total: IGF-1, which is also called somatomedin C or “basic somatomedin” and 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 that is relevant for 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 at one point?

The effect of IGFs – doping?

IGFs have a variety of effects on our body. They lower our blood sugar levels and stimulate growth factors in the body. They also work synergistically with other growth factors in our body.

IGFs also stimulate our DNA synthesis, protein synthesis, increase the rate of cell division 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 effect as a growth hormone briefly led the World Anti-Doping Agency before 2013 to classify the naturally occurring IGF-1 in colostrum as doping and to ban it as a muscle-building substance in and out of competition.

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

WADA notice

The advice against consuming colostrum during competitions in order to avoid the risk of a positive doping test, which has been included in WADA's FAQ section since 2013, still has a deterrent effect on some athletes.

They understandably do not want to risk a positive doping test and therefore often refrain from taking colostrum on the advice of WADA. We would like to explain below why this is not only scientifically questionable and partly unfounded, but also not necessarily in the interests of the athletes:

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

Shouldn't WADA then have classified cow's milk and other dairy products as doping substances? In theory, yes.

Because: Whey protein has been proven to contain as much IGF-1 as colostrum in some cases and, according to WADA's logic, should therefore not be consumed as a precaution. However, WADA does not advise against consuming whey protein and has not removed the advice against taking colostrum from its FAQs.

What does the current scientific knowledge say about this?

All clear: The scientific consensus makes it clear

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 culture, and nutritional benefits are just a few examples. Athletes in particular, who put more strain on their bodies than the "normal" person, can benefit from the nutrients in colostrum and should nourish and support their strained bodies well, which is why colostrum is a popular food choice for athletes.

But should athletes forego these benefits because the IGF-1 in colostrum supposedly poses a doping risk?

Several scientific studies and recognized scientists have researched the topic of IGF-1, colostrum and doping. The findings that were obtained make the WADA's advice against it in its FAQ section seem unfounded, because:

A study from Finland, which was a follow-up to the study on the alleged anabolic effect of colostrum, was able to clearly demonstrate that the discussed IGF-1 from the colostrum was already digested in the human intestine and did not pass intact into the blood. The critically discussed increase in the IGF-1 content in the blood can therefore actually only come from the body's own production from the liver - not from the colostrum.

The Max Rubner Institute has also made a clear statement on the discussion about IGF-1 in dairy products and the doping risk expressed by WADA:

"The normal IGF-1 concentration in the blood is in the range of 89 - 342 ng/mL, with a median of 182 ng/mL. Thus, the consumption of milk and dairy products only contributes to a small extent to increasing the IGF-1 concentration in the blood. Whether milk proteins increase the IGF-1 concentration in adults more than other proteins is not fully clear. Some observational studies found a positive association between the consumption of milk protein and IGF-1 concentration, but other studies could not confirm this."

The conclusion: Colostrum does not pose a doping risk

There are many reasons why taking colostrum during competitions does not pose a doping risk.

The lack of absorption of IGF-1 from colostrum in the human intestine has now been scientifically confirmed several times. The discussion about the doping risk from taking colostrum is therefore irrelevant and the WADA should actually give the all-clear. Numerous studies in anti-doping laboratories that have examined the increase in IGF-1 in the blood caused by taking colostrum and the scientific consensus agree: there is no risk of doping when taking colostrum because the human intestine does not transport it into the blood in an active state. Taking colostrum does not lead to an increase in IGF-1 in the blood, which could result in a positive doping result. The all-clear can therefore be clearly given.

There are no regulations for IGF-1 concentrations in colostrum or colostrum preparations. The general advice against taking colostrum is therefore blanket and unfounded, without specifying a maximum IGF-1 value for preparations. If colostrum is pasteurized, for example, IGF-1 is almost completely destroyed. Other dairy products also contain the same amounts of IGF-1 and WADA does not advise against these dairy products.

It is unclear whether the milk proteins in colostrum would increase the IGF-1 concentration in the blood any more than other proteins do.

According to scientific evidence, there is no evidence that colostrum makes muscles grow or improves the body's physiology, which once again makes the WADA's doping allegations appear unfounded.

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

You can now breathe a sigh of relief!