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Milk Better Than Sports Drinks? |
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Written by Superhuman
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Thursday, 17 January 2008 |
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Thirty years ago, scientists thought water was the best fluid replacement. While that’s still largely correct, sports beverages are sometimes superior because they provide water, energy and electrolytes. Milk might be even better because
it sustains water balance longer and provides a protein source that can promote tissue adaptation and repair after exercise. British researchers, led by the legendary sports nutritionist Ron Maughan, found that low-fat milk (2 percent) restored and sustained body water levels in dehydrated people better than water or a sports drink. They induced dehydration through exercise that resulted in a weight loss of 1.8 percent. On three separate days, dehydrated subjects drank either milk, milk plus sodium, water or sports drink (subjects drank a volume equal to 150 percent of sweat loss). Urine output was normal in the milk treatments, but increased considerably when they consumed water or the sports drink. Because of urinary fluid losses, subjects were again dehydrated 1 hour after consuming the water or sports drinks, while they remained hydrated after consuming milk or milk plus sodium. Low-fat milk is an excellent post-exercise fluid replacement beverage, except in people who are lactose intolerant. (British Journal Nutrition, 98: 173–180, 2007)
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