Neovite Colostrum’s recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology looked at the effect of intense exercise on the barrier function of the gut
Running for 20 minutes on a treadmill at 80% of VO2 max increased the subjects’ core temperatures by two degrees on average. This rise correlated to a 250% increase in measured gut permeability (leaky gut). We replicated this in the laboratory where we grew a monolayer of gut cells on a culture medium. At 39 degrees the cells showed an accelerated rate of death and we were able to measure increased conductance across the membrane compared with regular 37 degree incubation.
John Rolfs, Managing Director of Colostrum (UK) Ltd, European distributors for new Zealand’s largest producer and owners of retail brand Neovite, comments : “Exercise induced gut disorders are common in athletes, it’s called the “runners trots”. As well as causing diarrhea, cramps and nausea symptoms, it will also significantly affect performance and health. This new study now gives us the medical science which, I have no doubt will have a positive impact for endurance athletes and all sufferers from heat stress.”
Disruption of the barrier function of the gut can lead to acute symptoms, characterised as heat stroke, where circulating endotoxins from the gut damage the internal organs of the body and this can be fatal. Chronic symptoms are less well understood. Some years ago, Dr Tony Ashton published a study where he measured gut endotoxins directly from the blood serum of athletes after exercise. The liver and the immune system are stressed trying to remove these toxins from circulation. Chronic endotoxaemia can lead to symptoms of fatigue and loss of form with susceptibility to infection. This will be the limiting factor on the volume and intensity of training any individual can tolerate.
When we gave our subjects neovite in the trial, their increase in measured permeability was reduced by 80%. When we added the colostrum to the culture medium for the gut cells incubated at 39 degrees, the rises in premature cell death and in conductance were reduced by two thirds. We measured a six-fold increase in heat shock protein secreted by the gut cells for their protection.
These results corroborate the reports from users that they suffer much less gut disorder, have improved immune responses and substantial increases in weekly training loads.
Neovite colostrum sponsors many elite athletes including tennis player Elena Baltacha, who had health problems early on in her career, but now takes Neovite colostrum daily and ranks inside the WTA world top 50. Veteran runner Cecilia Morrison took two world records at 1500 and 5000 metres and has been using Neovite colostrum for the past four years, as have many of our sponsored athletes.
Neovite colostrum currently supplies national sports governing bodies with colostrum and sponsors champions and record breakers in rugby, cycling, triathlon and running.
The immune study published in the British Journal of Nutrition which shows changes in immune markers after a two hour cycle trial. Neovite are following up both of the published studies with further work. We are also investigating the cellular biology and gut cell gene expression changes in gut cells with St George’s Medical School in London and human performance with sports scientists Prof Don MacLaren and Dr Graeme Close at Liverpool JM University.
I hope this goes some way to explain why colostrum is beneficial to elite athletes. On sale since 2001, Neovite remains the UK’s most competitive colostrum offering and the only one used in UK research.
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