MILK:

Natures Sports Drink

Research Overview on the Benefits
of Milk for Sports Recovery

Milk provides many important nutrients needed for overall health. Recently, a number
of studies have shown that milks powerful nutrient package has several benefits for
post-exercise recovery. In fact, this emerging research shows that drinking milk after
exercise can be as effective as some sports drinks in helping the body refuel, recover
and rehydrate. Below are summaries of key studies and a review paper highlighting milks
benefits following exercise.

Milk, the new sports drink? A Review.

Roy BD. A review. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2008;5:15.

Summary: This review discusses the use of milk as an exercise recovery beverage.
Milk has emerged as an effective post-workout recovery drink due to its powerful
nutrient package that supplies the nutrition the body needs after a workout. The
carbohydrates in milk help refuel the body, protein helps reduce muscle breakdown
and stimulate growth, and fluid and electrolytes aid in rehydration. Routinely
drinking milk after a resistance training workout has been shown to help improve
body composition. In addition, research shows that milk supports endurance
exercise performance when consumed between two intensive workouts.

Drinking milk has been shown to be an excellent

way to replace uid that is lost during exercise.
Milk as an effective post-exercise rehydration drink.
Shirreffs SM, et al. Br J Nutr. 2007;98:173.

Summary: In this study, 11 young men and women consumed one of four
beverages (fat-free milk, fat-free milk plus sodium chloride, a carbohydrateelectrolyte sports drink or water) immediately following a 1.8% loss of body weight
from exercising in the heat. Fluid balance was assessed before the exercise and
during five hours of recovery. Consuming the milk drinks resulted in less urine
output during the recovery compared to the sports drink or water. Subjects who
consumed the sports drink or water returned to a negative fluid balance one hour
after drinking the beverage. However, those who drank milk remained in either a
positive or neutral fluid balance throughout the entire five-hour recovery period.

2010 NATIONAL DAIRY COUNCIL

FMD10311

Low-Fat Chocolate Milk

Fat-Free Milk

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving

Amount Per Serving

Serving Size 1 cup (240mL)

Calories

160

Serving Size 1 cup (240mL)

Calories from Fat 25

Calories

80

Calories from Fat 0

% Daily Value*

Total Fat
2.5g
Saturated Fat 1.5g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol
10mg
Sodium 150mg
Potassium
430mg
Total Carbohydrate
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 25g
Protein 8g
Vitamin A 10%
Calcium 30%

4%
8%

26g

3%
6%
12%
9%
5%

Vitamin C 4%
Iron 4%

% Daily Value*

Total Fat
0g
Saturated Fat 0g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol
5mg
Sodium 105mg
Potassium
380mg
Total Carbohydrate
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 12g
Protein 8g
Vitamin A 10%
Calcium 30%

0%
1%

12g

2%
4%
11%
4%
0%

Vitamin C 0%
Iron 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie

diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower
depending on your calorie needs.

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie

diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower
depending on your calorie needs.

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for

Standard Reference, Release 22, NDB 01104 (2009)

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for

Standard Reference, Release 22, NDB 01085 (2009)

For illustration purposes only

For illustration purposes only

MILK:
Natures
Sports Drink
Fuel Your Workout with Milk
Adding milk to your post-workout plan can benefit your body because it
supplies many of the key nutrients needed as part of a daily training diet.
Milk is a wholesome food that can help athletes:

REFUEL muscles with CARBOHYDRATES

. 1,2
REDUCE muscle breakdown and stimulate growth
1-5
with HIGH-QUALITY PROTEIN.
REHYDRATE

with FLUID and ELECTROLYTES.

1,2,6,7

Pour More Nutrition into Your Post-Exercise Plan

One serving of milk helps supply post-exercise
nutrition needs because:
Refuel with milk
post-exercise by:

Milk has been shown to be an excellent way to replace fluid that

is lost during exercise. 6,7
Milk may help reduce muscle damage and improve muscle recovery
which, in turn, may help the body perform better during its next workout.
Milk can increase the bodys ability to make new muscle and may
help improve body composition over time, when its enjoyed as a
post-workout beverage. 4,5,13
In fact, emerging research shows that drinking milk after a workout can be
as effective as some sports drinks in helping the body refuel, recover and
rehydrate from exercise. 6-11

7-12

Sipping on low-fat or fat-free

milk regular, or delicious
flavors like chocolate, vanilla
and strawberry.
Blending low-fat or fat-free
milk, fruit and ice to satisfy
post-workout hunger with a
nutrient-rich smoothie.

Enjoying cereal or granola

of the American
of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine:
and
Performance. J AM Diet Assoc. 2009;109:509-27.
topped with low-fat or
2 Roy BD. Milk, the new sports drink? A review. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2008;5:15.
3 Elliot TA, et al. Milk
net muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006;38:667.
fat-free milk.
4 Hartman JW, et al.
of fat-free uid milk following resistance exercise promotes greater lean mass
than soy or carbohydrate
in young novice male
Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86:373.
5 Wilkinson SB, et al.
of uid skim milk promotes greater muscle protein
resistance exercise than does
of an
soy-protein beverage. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85:1031.
isonitrogenous and
6 Shirres SM, et al. Milk as an
post-exercise
drink. Br J Nutr. 2007;98:173.
7 Watson P, et al. A comparison of the eects of milk and a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink on the
of uid balance and exercise capacity in a hot, humid environment. Eur J Appl Physiol.
2008;104:633.
8 Cockburn E, et al. Acute milk-based protein-CHO
exercise-induced muscle damage. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2008;33:775.
9 Karp JR, et al. Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006;16:78.
10
K, et al. Acute eects of chocolate milk and a commercial recovery beverage on postexercise recovery indices and endurance cycling performance. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009;34:1017-1022.
11 Thomas K, et al. Improved endurance capacity following chocolate milk
compared with 2 commercially available sports drinks. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009;34:78-82.
12 Gilson SF, et al. Eects of chocolate milk
on markers of muscle recovery during intensied soccer training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41:S577.
13 Josse A, et al. Body
and strength training changes in women with milk and resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 Dec 9. [Epub ahead of print]

2010 NATIONAL DAIRY COUNCIL

FMD10322