title: A low-dose, 6-week bovine colostrum supplementation maintains performance and attenuates inflammatory indices following a Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test in soccer players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of a 6-week, low-dose bovine colostrum (BC) supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and performance decline in soccer players following the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST) during a competitive season period.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled design, two groups of soccer players were allocated to a 3.2 g/day of whey protein (WP, N = 8) or BC (N = 10) and performed a pre- and a post-supplementation LIST. Maximum isometric voluntary contraction, squat jump (SQJ), countermovement jump, muscle soreness, blood cell counts, creatine kinase (CK), C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were monitored for 2, 24, 48, 72 h post-LIST.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LIST induced transient increases in leukocytes, granulocytes, CK, muscle soreness, CRP, IL-6 and declines in lymphocytes and performance indices. Supplementation resulted in a faster recovery of SQJ, CK and CRP compared to pre-supplementation kinetics (trial × time: p = 0.001, 0.056, 0.014, respectively) and lower incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for IL-6, only in the BC group [pre-: 31.1 (6.78-46.9), post-: 14.0 (-0.16 to 23.5) pg h/ml, p = 0.034]. Direct comparison of the two groups after supplementation demonstrated higher iAUC of SQJ [WP: -195.2 (-229.0 to (-52.5)), BC: -15.8 (-93.2 to 16.8) cm h, p = 0.034], a trend for lower iAUC of CK in the BC group [WP: 18,785 (4651-41,357), BC: 8842 (4807-14,802) U h/L, p = 0.081] and a significant intervention × time interaction for CRP (p = 0.038) in favor of BC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-exercise EIMD may be reduced and performance better maintained by a low dose of BC administration following LIST in soccer players.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University, Eleftheriou Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Yiannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kotsis
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University, Eleftheriou Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mikellidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University, Eleftheriou Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Cleopatra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aresti
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University, Eleftheriou Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Persia
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Aristomenis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sotiropoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University, Eleftheriou Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Demosthenes B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Panagiotakos
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University, Eleftheriou Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Smaragdi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Antonopoulou
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University, Eleftheriou Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece. tnomikos@hua.gr.
authors.forename: Tzortzis
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0536-6397
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nomikos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D056352:Athletes; D054874:Athletic Performance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002417:Cattle; D003126:Colostrum; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000009:adverse effects; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D018763:Muscle Fatigue; D063806:Myalgia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012916:Soccer; D064133:Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000067816:Whey Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances; D000067816:Whey Proteins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Bovine colostrum; Exercise-induced muscle damage; Inflammation; Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test; Soccer; Squat jump