MicroLactin®

UPDATED:

In April 2024 a new article came out entitled ‘IgG is an Aging Factor that Drives Adipose Tissue Fibrosis and Metabolic Decline” which was a collabrative study by NYU, Peking, Bejing Universities discussing the potential role of IgG, the primary active ingredient in microlactin, and its role in aging. This warranted an update to this article. A researcher, Liheng was also kind enough to relay some emails with me to confirm my interpretation of the new and evolving scientific understanding of colostrum, microlactin and other IgG applications, and it absolutely changes the suggestions surrounding this supplement in the sport performance, anti aging and fitness space. IgG is an antibody that while seems effective at reducing DOMS, and having some benefits users have noted historically, tissue specific accumulation of IgG can cause metabolic dysfunction in aging and play into metabolic diseases. This means that for short term application BY A DOCTOR to combat infection or inflammation may be warranted and valuable, the doctor should consider the potential side effects from prolonged therapy.

Another key point Liheng communicated that researchers hoped those of us on the practical application side took note of was that adipose tissue and adipose accumulation of IgG is a driver of aging and metabolic disorders and the study showed that essentially getting leaner and staying leaner can help minimize the accumulation of and negative effects of IgG accumulation. And, colostrum, microlactin and other IgG applications should be discontinued for the purposes of ergogenic aid, anti-aging (our efforts seem ironic as science evolves sometimes haha), and should be limited to doctor supervised applications for specific circumstances that warrant it.

Original article remains below:

Every athlete and meathead is always looking for an edge, especially when it comes to recovery. We all want to stumble onto the holy grail and find something natural and safe that has PED like results. Well, that doesn’t exist, but MicroLactin® is a pretty cool, lesser known and talked about supplement that has quite a few benefits—both for athletes and the elderly.

Depending on how long you have been in the powerlifting world, you may remember At Large Nutrition being a big deal in powerlifting, and their Extreme Training Support (ETS) being a popular supplement for recovery and joint health. This really was a great product that made a notable difference in DOMS, and for people who had joint aches and pains it seemed to work well. I was young so the seemingly improved recovery from lessened DOMS was the attraction for me.

ETS was basically a multi mineral with vitamin C, D, E and the unique ingredient, MicroLactin®. It had a notable impact on DOMS, and for training partners I had at the time who needed something for joint pain, it seemed effective as well. This was my first experience with MicroLactin®, and it never seemed to catch on in the industry. ETS is no longer available, but MicroLactin® is still available from several companies on it’s own.

What is MicroLactin®? It is a hyperimmunized milk concentrate/hyperimmune colostrum. Essentially scientists discovered that mothers can pass immune boosting antigens via their milk, and that by exposing cows to specific bacteria (dead or inactive forms) you can stimulate the production of selected antigens in the milk. Microlactin has biologically active peptides in it that are antigen specific peptides which aid in immune response as well as peptides which generally lower inflammation, along with being dense in micronutrients. This was created by Stolle Milk Biologics and their milk powder was said, via self reported surveys to be beneficial to the people in Ohio to whom they distributed it back in the 1950s and 60s. This supplement has largely remained off the radar, except for when Chris Mason from At Large included it in his ETS. Although it has flown under the radar for many, it has been bolstering itself with clinical support, and some people who are in the know have played with it for years with themselves and their clients.

In 2009 and 2018 studies show also showed that it could improve the symptoms of adults with osteoarthritis, and on the WOMAC scale to evaluate the impact of symptoms it positively impacted pain, stiffness, activity and total score while glucosamine only improved the stiffness and total. Some research suggests it may also have a small beneficial effect on cholesterol, blood pressure and other markers of overall health.

Another 2018 study also showed that it improved the improvement of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in a collagen induced arthritis murine model. Most of these studies point to the anti-inflammatory effects of microlactin as being a significant player in these benefits.

All of this is great, but more applicable to most people reading my article, in 2019 it was examined for it’s efficacy in improving joint pain and discomfort, as well as exercise performance in populations outside of those with arthritis. Researchers aimed to determine the effectiveness of MicroLactin® on aspects that reflect quality of life in men and women who were in their mid forties with mild to moderate knee pain during exercise. MicroLactin® again led to improvements on the WOMACm as well as multiple visual analog scales indicative of joint health and stability, discomfort and pain. This was complimented by a significant improvement in distance covered during a 6-min walking test. Supplementation was well tolerated and researchers did not note any safety concerns. This still is not research examining the impact of microlactin on an intense training protocol for competitive athletics, but it is a step in the right direction with research for us meatheads who want to use it to improve performance (and do so knowing it is backed up with clinical support), and demonstrates some potential value to meatheads with achy joints in the meantime.

In conclusion, while research still does not really exist on DOMS, muscular recovery in healthy populations, and the like, there is research to support taking microlactin to improve joint discomfort and exercise performance if you suffer from joint pain. Anectodal evidence at this stage suggests it may improve DOMS and potentially recovery from training, which may lead to an improved training response. We need more research to clinically confirm this, but if you are having joint pain, give it a shot in conjuction with other joint care products or on it’s own. Based on it’s effects that are believed to relieve pain from various causes, individuals dealing with elevated inflammation, especially chronic may benefit from utilizing this supplement. The research tends to indicate it is generally “good for you” also, unless of course you are allergic to milk protein or have another reason to avoid it. If you try it, you may also experience generally improved recovery! Although most of the evidence supporting that is anectdotal at this point. A dosage of 2,000mg twice a day for the first two weeks followed by 1,000mg a day is the suggested dosage, and personally I do find it most effective taken with a multi mineral and vitamin complex.

Enjoy, and stay strong!

Coach Josh

Disclaimer- Always consult a physician before beginning any new supplement or exercise program. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure and disease and is for entertainment purposes only.

Citations

Blaha, O.. (2009). The effect of MicroLactin on the joint afflictions. Rheumatologia. 23. 55-56.

Colker, Carlon & Swain, Melissa & Lynch, Leila & Gingerich, Daniel. (2002). Effects of a milk-based bioactive micronutrient beverage on pain symptoms and activity of adults with osteoarthritis: A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical evaluation. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.). 18. 388-92. 10.1016/S0899-9007(01)00800-0.

Hung, Lan-Hsin et al. (2018) Hyperimmune colostrum alleviates rheumatoid arthritis in a collagen-induced arthritis murine model. Journal of Dairy Science, Volume 101, Issue 5, 3778 - 3787

Ormrod DJ, Miller TE. Milk from hyperimmunized dairy cows as a source of a novel biological response modifier. Agents Actions. 1993;38 Spec No:C146-9. doi: 10.1007/BF01991166. PMID: 8317311.

Ormrod DJ, Miller TE. The anti-inflammatory activity of a low molecular weight component derived from the milk of hyperimmunized cows. Agents Actions. 1991 Mar;32(3-4):160-6. doi: 10.1007/BF01980868. PMID: 1862738.

Patel, Kamal. Examine.com. 2022. https://examine.com/supplements/microlactin/research/#ref-1

Sharpe, S & Gamble, G & Sharpe, D. (1994). Cholesterol-lowering and blood pressure effects of immune milk. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 59. 929-34. 10.1093/ajcn/59.4.929.

Stolle Milk Biologics- https://smbiologics.com/

Zenk, John & Helmer, Tami & Kuskowski, Michael. (2002). The effects of milk protein concentrate on the symptoms of osteoarthritis in adults: An exploratory, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Current Therapeutic Research. 63. 10.1016/S0011-393X(02)80049-2.

Ziegenfuss TN, Kerksick CM, Kedia AW, Sandrock J, Raub B, Lopez HL. Proprietary Milk Protein Concentrate Reduces Joint Discomfort While Improving Exercise Performance in Non-Osteoarthritic Individuals. Nutrients. 2019 Jan 28;11(2):283. doi: 10.3390/nu11020283. PMID: 30696041; PMCID: PMC6412806.

Citations from Update

Yu L, Wan Q, Liu Q, Fan Y, Zhou Q, Skowronski AA, Wang S, Shao Z, Liao CY, Ding L, Kennedy BK, Zha S, Que J, LeDuc CA, Sun L, Wang L, Qiang L. IgG is an aging factor that drives adipose tissue fibrosis and metabolic decline. Cell Metab. 2024 Apr 2;36(4):793-807.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2024.01.015. Epub 2024 Feb 19. PMID: 38378001; PMCID: PMC11070064.