Doctors usually advise mothers to feed their newborns breast milk—as opposed to formula—because of the nutrients present that are not found in synthetic formula. Similarly, babies should drink mother’s milk because it contains many natural chemicals—like antibodies—that help to ensure the baby remains healthy and grows to be very strong.
With this understanding, there is a new trend among bodybuilders right now; the have been drinking breast milk as a means to help bulk up.
Brett Schoenfeld is a former competitive bodybuilder and he says, “It isn’t common, but I’ve known people who have done this. It’s certainly talked about quite a bit on the bodybuilding forums on the Internet.” More importantly, though, he is also an assistant professor of exercise science at CUNY Lehrman College.
While drinking human breast milk seems to be growing in popularity among bodybuilders, though, experts are not as quick to advise it.
Northwest Mothers Milk Bank clinical director Joanne Ransom, comments “Human breast milk is designed for human infants.” Furthermore, another expert notes that this is not a smart strategy to a bodybuilder’s goals.
For example, Dr. Jacques Moritz, director of the division of gynecology at New York’s Mount Sinai Roosevelt says, “There is nothing specific in breast milk that will cause adults to gain muscle mass.”
Also, Dr. Shayn Jayaker of St. John Providence Hospital says, “Breast milk probably isn’t your best mode of action here. Breast milk has less protein than cow milk you can buy at the store.”
Interestingly enough, though, and despite this adversity, human breast milk is quickly selling on the internet and some women—new mothers, in particular—could stand to make a decent chunk of change during this time of lactation.
Apparently some women are selling it for a dollar an ounce. However, some people might pay up to four dollars an ounce.
