The widespread adoption of bovine colostrum immune-boosting supplements utilizing the liposomal delivery mechanism is increasing amongst athletes, especially ultra-distance, endurance athletes.
Consequently, it is worth examining the bovine colostrum immune-boosting properties as well as how the liposomal delivery mechanism works as part of the explanation of why these nutritional supplements are increasing in popularity.
What is bovine colostrum?
Webmd.com describes bovine colostrum (BC) as a “milky fluid that comes from the udder of cows the first few days after giving birth before true milk appears.” It is extremely high in antibodies and nutrients.
Why?
The straightforward answer to this question is that cows do not transfer their natural immunity to their newborn calves just before the delivery takes place. Consequently, the calve receives its natural immunity from the colostrum that is released just before the normal milk is released.
The liposomal delivery mechanism
A liposome is a spherical-shaped sac that can be used “as a vehicle for administration of nutrients and pharmaceutical drugs.” The fundamental benefit of utilizing the liposomal delivery mechanism to deliver the immune-boosting BC nutrients to the human body is designed to ensure the increased bioavailability of the nutrient contained within the liposome.
In other words, the liposome is not affected by the digestive enzymes in the digestive tract. Consequently, it allows the encapsulated nutrient to be absorbed into the bloodstream without being destroyed by the digestive enzymes.
Therefore, the nutrients contained within BC can be extracted, encapsulated in a liposome, and consumed by human athletes or anyone who needs to take an immune-boosting supplement.
The merits of using bovine colostrum as an immune-boosting mechanism for athletes
The human immune system consists of antibodies, white blood cells, the lymphatic system, the spleen, thymus, and the bone marrow. Collectively, its sole aim and function are to actively fight infections in the body. However, an individual’s natural immune system can sometimes lose its ability to fight off infections; therefore, requiring an immune-boosting supplement.
Michael Gleeson, in his article titled, “Effects of exercise on immune function and risk of infection,” notes that “recent research indicates that a person’s level of physical activity influences their risk of respiratory tract infections such as a cold, most likely by affecting immune function.”
He goes on to state that people who exercise moderately and regularly seem to experience a reduction in their susceptibility to illness when compared to someone who does no exercise. However, endurance athletes who train long and hard for extended periods of time seem to display an increased risk of suffering from colds and influenza.
Why?
This is because the human body’s natural immunity drops by about 50% of its normal levels straight after the exercise session has been completed. This immunity rises again after several hours. But the athlete is at risk of contracting any number of illnesses caused by viruses floating in the air at the time his immunity is very low.
Consequently, it is a good idea for the ultra-distance athlete to use a bovine colostrum immune-boosting supplement on a daily basis to help his natural immune system to recover quicker from the long-distance training.
