title: The influence of bovine colostrum supplementation on exercise performance in highly trained cyclists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this experiment was to investigate the influence of low dose bovine colostrum supplementation on exercise performance in cyclists over a 10 week period that included 5 days of high intensity training (HIT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Over 7 days of preliminary testing, 29 highly trained male road cyclists completed a VO(2max) test (in which their ventilatory threshold was estimated), a time to fatigue test at 110% of ventilatory threshold, and a 40 km time trial (TT40). Cyclists were then assigned to either a supplement (n = 14, 10 g/day bovine colostrum protein concentrate (CPC)) or a placebo group (n = 15, 10 g/day whey protein) and resumed their normal training. Following 5 weeks of supplementation, the cyclists returned to the laboratory to complete a second series of performance testing (week 7). They then underwent five consecutive days of HIT (week 8) followed by a further series of performance tests (week 9).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The influence of bovine CPC on TT40 performance during normal training was unclear (week 7: 1+/-3.1%, week 9: 0.1+/-2.1%; mean+/-90% confidence limits). However, at the end of the HIT period, bovine CPC supplementation, compared to the placebo, elicited a 1.9+/-2.2% improvement from baseline in TT40 performance and a 2.3+/-6.0% increase in time trial intensity (% VO(2max)), and maintained TT40 heart rate (2.5+/-3.7%). In addition, bovine CPC supplementation prevented a decrease in ventilatory threshold following the HIT period (4.6+/-4.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low dose bovine CPC supplementation elicited improvements in TT40 performance during an HIT period and maintained ventilatory threshold following five consecutive days of HIT.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia. cshing@hms.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Shing
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Coombes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D003126:Colostrum; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology