Milk and Exercise?

Recently there has been a lot of research done focusing on drinking milk after you exercise to quickly rehydrate and replenish nutrients in the body.

Why is hydration important?

Keeping the body hydrated even if you are just going through the motion of daily life is important to keep all the body systems functioning. When exercising your hydration needs are increased because of sweating and a higher breathing rate.

What about nutrition after exercise?

Depending on the intensity of your exercise different energy sources are used. The 3 main nutrients to replace are carbohydrate, protein and electrolytes. Carbohydrate will replace the lost energy stored and protein will help to rebuild muscles.

What does the research say?

• When compared to sport electrolyte drinks, milk is better at retaining fluid in the body.
•   The optimal time to refuel the body is in the first 30 minutes- 2 hours after exercise.
•  It is likely the most effective absorption of carbohydrate occurs when it is ingested with a small amount of protein.
• 10g of protein post exercise is ideal to stimulate protein synthesis. This could be 600mL milk, or 300mL milk and 200g yoghurt.
• A study found 500mL Fat free milk post exercise helped the participants to gain more muscle mass, strength and they also lost the most weight when compared to soy milk or a sugary beverage.
• Milk has a combination of carbohydrate and protein that can be absorbed quickly and effectively.
•  Milk is less expensive than buying a protein powder.

This research is forever changing.  Please don’t take this post as the final word on refuelling the body after exercise. There are many different ways this can be done with lots of different factors to consider. It is important to experiment (maybe not right before an important competition) and figure out what works best for you.

I hope you found this interesting
Bridget x

Have any of you tried using milk to rehydrate after exercise?