This story puts a whole new spin on the "got milk?" question that's long been a marketing gem for the cow milk industry.
In this scenario bodybuilders are posting the "got milk?" question to lactating women looking to sell breast milk -- or it's being posed by lactating moms pumping breast milk looking to sell the bounty to exercise fanatics who believe breast milk will boost their health and muscle-building abilities.
The question is cropping up on Internet forums and classified ad sites. A forum on Bodybuilding.com calls breast milk the "greatest supplement ever."
Apparently some bodybuilders are striving to get some breast milk into their diet and vitamin regimen with the belief that breast milk can give them an edge in building bulk and muscle.
"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," said Brett Schoenfeld, an assistant professor of exercise science at CUNY Lehman College and a former competitive body builder.
The problem, researchers say, is that there is no scientific evidence that breast milk provides adults with any of those benefits. In fact breast milk has less protein than cow's milk, 2.5 grams per cup compared to 7.9 grams.
Breast milk is for babies for a reason, say medical experts, as it provides what an infant needs in fat, sugar, carbs and protein during its first months of growth. It also contains important immune elements to fight diseases.
"Human breast milk is designed for human infants," said Joanne Ransom, clinical director of the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank, and it's not an answer to a bodybuilder's goals, noted another expert.
"There is nothing specific in breast milk that will cause adults to gain muscle mass," said Dr. Jacques Moritz, director of the division of gynecology at New York's Mount Sinai Roosevelt.
In fact breast milk not handled properly can potentially cause adverse health issues, such as serious infections, due to possible high levels of the staphylococcus bacteria, which is created when breast milk is not kept at proper temperature. There is also the chance that a breastfeeding mother's milk may not be screened against potential contagious diseases.
If those reasons aren't enough to stay clear of breast milk for fitness reasons, the cost may be enough to turn off bodybuilders. Breast milk is much more expensive: a gallon of cow's milk goes for about $3.50 while just one ounce of breast milk is being sold online for $10.
