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Post-workout milk boosts fat burn

ANDRÉ PICARD

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 1:24 PM EDT 24/08/07

Want to get the most from your workout? Then ditch the Gatorade and reach instead for a tall, cool glass of milk ...Read the full article

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  1. Ian St. John from Toronto, Canada writes: I guess the 'Milk Farmers Rap' needs an update..

    'We got the big bad Bessie with the M-I-L-K!'
    ...
  2. David Gibson from Hamilton, Canada writes: Milk after exercize? Good moooooove.
  3. Hugh Draper from Canada writes: I hope the fatties who go for pop and junk-food after exercise read this.
  4. Austin Powers from Canada writes: The Lindsay (Ontario) 10K Milk Run hands out free ice cream bars after the run - does that count?
  5. dawson D from Canada writes: interesting that this info has been validated...about 15 years ago, i was told by a cycling coach that the best thing to eat/drink after a training ride was chocolate milk and a baked potato with olive oil drizzled on top.

    i guess he was right!
  6. E H from Toronto, Canada writes: 735 calories! Surely there's a more efficient way of getting your protein than that. Five of those drinks a week and you've added 1 lb to your weight, right there.
  7. Philippe Davidson from Canada writes: How about trying a glass of soya juice instead of milk? It's rich in protein as well, and it doesn't contain the fat... make that unsweetened preferably.
  8. J M from Calgaristan, Canada writes: Gee, do ya think there is something wrong with the 735 calorie number? It takes about 2L of milk to get 735 calories, not 2 cups which is about 180 calories.
  9. Plain Jane from Toronto, Canada writes: This research was partially funded by the U.S. National Dairy Council. If a tobacco agency had funded research proving that a cigarette combined with a workout helps you lose weight, would this article/ad still have been printed? Milk's great, but this sounds like another one of those filler articles based on a single study, printed to take up space with fluff that doesn't require that the newspaper do anything more than regurgitate a press release. Maybe if they drank more milk, they'd have the energy to actually research a story like this to give it more depth?
  10. MJ Patchouli from Regina, Canada writes: JM that's exactly what I was thinking -- skim milk has about 87 calories per cup; whole milk comes in around 157.

    And Plain Jane -- good for posting that; yes studies funded by the interest group aren't that valid somehow.

    It's like when some ridiculous super-sugar loaded kids cereal commercial says, 'Part of this nutritious breakfast,' and shows a photo of wheat toast, cereal in a bowl, a glass of orange juice and milk on the side -- what' they're not saying is that shag carpet could also be part of that nutritious breakfast, and bring slightly better food value than the cereal.
  11. T J from Canada writes: I'm udderly amazed. I would never have thought about drinking a glass of milk after a 10k run.
  12. Jason Thorne from Vancouver, Canada writes: I either drink milk or water after a workout, but I guess I am going to have to start drinking more milk. I would consider the findings to be true, only because I read an article recently comparing milk to soy and the milk was better, but having a dairy lobby group backing the study does put into question the validity of the research. The article I read didn't include energy drinks though, although my thought on them were that they are good for drinking while doing physical activities.
  13. Murray Braithwaite from Canada writes: I've keep careful notes of my exercise routine and have also found milk to be superlative. I drink 500 ml (170 cal, 16g protein, 0g fat, 24g of sugar) immediately after eachworkout.

    Impugning scientific research by the source of funding the Cambridge University philospher Jamie Whyte skewers as the fallacy of motive well in his book Crimes against Logic. It as a crutch for lazy thinking.

    The reference in the article to the benefits of high sugar (carbs) content in chocolate milk as a factor is speculative--that study did not involve skim milk, so no comparative conclusion can be made as between skim milk and chocolate milk based on the evidence. (See the February issue of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism for the study.)

    An interesting result of this particular study is that soy protein did not have the same benefits as milk protein for either fat-burning or muscle gain.
  14. Amanda Cockshutt from Sackville NB, Canada writes: Concerning the calorie count for the drinks, this is clearly a reporting error. The 735 is kjoules. There are 4.184 kjoules per kcal. The protein, carbohydrate and fat content of the milk give this value when you calculate it out.

    Wouldn't it be great to see a team full of young soccer players chugging back milk after a game rather than blue Gatorade.
  15. MJ Patchouli from Regina, Canada writes: Hey, Amanda -- I grew up in Sackville! Love it there...

    I'm going to switch from my pure cranberry juice cut with mineral water to skim milk after my workouts and see what happens. Need more protein and calcium anyway!

    As for soy -- there are more documented problems with a large soy intake all the time.
  16. Vickky Angstrom from Calgary, Canada writes: No way two cups of milk has 735 calories - Amanda I hope you are right. The moment I saw that caloric value ascribed to the three drinks the study lost all credibility for me. 2 cups of skim milk ( as several have pointed out) should be about 200 calories - even with added vanilla and sugar it would be pretty hard to push the count over 300 without making it disgustingly sweet.

    Another flaw in the logic - Soya milk has lots of high quality, digestible protein too - so you can't theorize that it is the protein content in the milk that makes the difference -- even if milk really was superior, it would not be the protein, it would have to be something else -- this study smells.
  17. Karina_I (my art at windstream.ca) from Canada writes: To Philippe Davidson from Canada who writes: "How about trying a glass of soya juice instead of milk? "

    Despite all the benefits that soy in reasonable quantities has, there could be some issues with it if consumed too much. Mainly due to the plant hormones in soy known as phytoestrogens. I recently came across an interesting article about soy, not sure whether everything in it true, but it gave enough information at least to start thinking: http://www.mothering.com/articles/growingchild/food/soystory.html

    Also I think it would be more beneficial if a person after each workout consumed different type of drinks, e.g. one day milk, next day soy, then carrot juice etc.
  18. MJ Patchouli from Canada writes: I've read several articles reporting problems with lots of soy products in the diet, including hypothyroid and hormonal problems; linked to breast cancer. My nephew is unfortunately the prince of lethal food allergies and my sister has removed quite a lot of soy from his diet because of the more recent research results. Of course, there are probably an equal number of studies negating milk's qualities...and he can't have that either. He does drink a soy beverage; she's removed other sources.
  19. Globular Cluster from Canada writes: Milk (cow) is for calves, not humans. Soya ia not the solution though.
    How about eating some nuts for protein?
  20. Kevin Dooley from Canada writes: Nothing new here. For a decade or more, several top US coaches have advocated consuming a lot of carbs and a little protein right after a workout. And I remember some 30 years ago being told to drink chocolate milk after a hard race. Several studies have already shown that it works. In fact, while Gatorade is still making the same salty sugar water they invented back in the 60's, several of the more modern sports drinks do include protein (the hip ratio is 1 part protein to 4 parts carbohydrate, but who knows whether there is any science in those numbers). So it looks like these researchers just took a little cash from the dairy board to verify that, yes, milk has some protein, some water and some carbohydrate in it... with their sample size I'm not sure if you could draw any more detailed statistical conclusions: 3 groups from an original sample of 56 means the standard deviation per group is about 25%. So if all groups showed some improvement, there's almost no statistical room left to actually distinguish between the groups. Now somebody needs to do a little more research and figure out specifically which proteins work best for which types of workouts. And hopefully whoever does that piece of research will use enough participants to draw meaningful statistical conclusions.
  21. gord winters from Canada writes: Philippe Davidson from Canada writes: How about trying a glass of soya juice instead of milk? It's rich in protein as well, and it doesn't contain the fat... make that unsweetened preferably.

    woo hoo! par tay! phil, here, is a f***ing wildman.

    i want to party with you my friend. you are ROLLING!

    after the soya we could lick some dirt. organic dirt.

    sorry to tease. some of us have taste buds and are unable to follow your fine example.
  22. Sol Veritas from Calgary, Canada writes: What a stupid study. How about some numbers? How about also having just plain water as an option? So what if the milk is filled with nutrients - most people probably get enough from other sources anyway. And how do more nutrients lead to more muscle and less weight?

    And how can you not consider aerobic exercise for trying to lose weight?

    Again, a horrible study. You could probably get better weight loss results by doing the same exercise, then having 3 or 4 cigarettes. These so-called "researchers" need to seriously consider wtf they are doing - whoever paid for this deserves a refund.
  23. Akbar M from Regina, Canada writes: On the contrary cow milk is for humans. In fact that's the only reason for their existence. Do you think holstein's exist somewhere in the wild? They exist because people want their milk to drink. Using your logic we wouldn't eat honey, root vegetables, soy etc. None of these are created for the benefit of people from the perspective of the bee, carrot or soy plant etc.
  24. Philippe Davidson from Canada writes: Contrary to what some of you have suggested, soy juice tastes almost the same as milk. There are several very good brands, such as Natura, SoNice and Silk. And if you want to taste something really different how about a glass of RiceDream (no protein though)... give it a try and you might be pleasantly surprised... and you may live longer without ingesting all that fat... apologies to all those hard working cows out there.
  25. Bib moyer from Toronto, Canada writes: I dunno, false claims or not, but I workout 2 hours a day 5x week.

    After adding milk to my diet, I did notice considerable fat loss. Many have said to stay away from dairy and maybe in my last phase of fat loss I might have to. But in the meantime its doing me good. Also in addition to the milk after some time I added raw egg whites instead of your regular whey protein for my post workout shake. Milk with Egg whites seem to be doing me a lot of good. But everyones different.

    Funny thing is my calorie intake is approx... 3000 and I still lose weight :). I don't believe for second its simply calories in, calories out. I think eating right foods at the right time is critical.

    later.
  26. Clive Gingell from Ottawa, Canada writes: Bib moyer: Back when I did marathon training I'd eat anything & everything....and still lose weight.

    Who knows?
  27. 14th CTR from Canada writes: We are the only spices that drinks another's milk...milk has all sorts of bad side effects....increases the risk of getting allergies and asthma
  28. J P from Canada writes: Sol veritas: before you say it's a "stupid study" maybe you should do some research first. I've been an endurance athlete for many years and since the beginning coaches have recommended chocolate milk for recovery after long workouts. After 1.5hrs (approx.) of cardio exercise, you deplete your carbohydrate stores that you need to replenish after you are done your workout. During workouts, you also break down muscle, which needs protein to rebuild. Chocolate milk has a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein and that's why it is the ideal recovery drink. It is also fairly low in fat and fairly natural. Water is important but does not confer the same benefits (obviously, as it has no carbs or protein!). Gatorade plays a role during exercise (replenish carbs and also electrolytes you lose when you sweat, such as sodium and potassium, very important to keep this in mind otherwise you can end up with hyponatremia, which can be fatal). Some engineered nutrition products (such as power bar) now produce their own bars and shakes with the 4:1 ratio but of course milk is much less engineered. I'm not sure if soy milk also has the same effect (I'm not sufficiently familiar with its nutritional info) but that would be an interesting study.
  29. J P from Canada writes: To add to my earlier post: while many athletes (and now scientists) agree that chocolate milk is the perfect recovery drink, what the study doesn't mention is that there are other ways of getting that same ratio of carbs to protein as chocolate milk, for example, tuna sandwich, cottage cheese with some bread etc...
  30. Christine Brown from Canada writes: Studies are published everyday (or so it seems), especially when it comes to losing weight. In reality, we have to learn to read what our OWN bodies say, and not what an article or study (particularly one funded by the dairy industry...) says. I cut (most) dairy out of my diet a year and a half ago and the benefits have been numerous and wonderful (loss of body fat, clearer complexion, less bloating!). So, drink your milk (or soy) if that's what you prefer, but don't do it simply because a study (of which we are given limited information) provides favourable results in milk's favour. It's your body and you train the way you like, so it makes sense that you only put into it what works for you :)
  31. Jorly fuster from Canada writes: Great idea. this way you can get Cancer and a workout. Hmmmm, didnt the Canadian Dairy Association fund that study.

    Only an idiot would drink a glass of milk after a workout.

    "wow I just finished my 5 mile run, boy it's hot out, think I'll go gulp down a jug of milk"
  32. Charlie R from Richmond Hill, Canada writes: have any of you read the ingredients in sports drinks??? yikes... although it's not that surprising that something more natural like milk is better.
  33. john earl from Charlottetown, Canada writes: I think the guys I play pickup hockey with are going to stick to the beer.
  34. david blaine from Canada writes: A factor milk brings that other protien sources do not is IGF-I - i.e. growth hormones.

    I, for one, would not risk my long term health for any potential short term gain.
  35. Murray Braithwaite from Canada writes: It makes sense that skim milk would significantly outperform soy-based drinks. Soy protein, for example, contains no Cystine, an essential amino acid, whereas milk does. The protein mix in mammal milk has been evolution-engineered to promote muscle and bone growth (using fats and sugars in the milk) and to be easily digestible in pre-adult mammals. Many human groups have evolved to continue to be able to digest milk as adults (Europeans, South Asians, some African groups, perhaps others).

    Soy protein has been evolution-engineered to promote stem and leaf growth--not quite the same as bones and muscles. Little surprise milk is more effective than soy for fat-burning and muscle growth in a controlled study.
  36. Knowledge is True Opinion from Canada writes: I don't think I could drink milk after working out. It's way to thick. Yuck.

    Sportsmik can't be far away though.
  37. Vickky Angstrom from Calgary, Canada writes: David Blaine - You are brilliant! I had not even remembered that American milk contains Bovine Growth Hormone (fed to cows to increase their production). The Council of Canadians successfully stopped BGH from being allowed in Canada, thank heavens.

    Bovine Growth Hormone, steroids and anti-biotics are all present in milk and the first two would certainly explain these results - although we all agree that this is a ridiculously small sample number and that there was no control group (plain water).
  38. B to the A to the R to the T from the left coast., Canada writes: Isn't this great news? More people drinking a substance that was never designed for humans, a substance that most of humanity has issues digesting. What this article failed to mention is that in heavy milk production cow utters often become infected requiring antibiotics and other treatments as to keep the puss in your favorite bevvy to a minimum. In order to produce enough milk to we keep or milk factories (read: cows) in very poor conditions. I'll take Soy or Nut drinks any day; for both body and conscience. Billions of asians depend on soy beverages instead of milk and have proven that these beverages are safe and do not cause obesity.
  39. B to the A to the R to the T from the left coast., Canada writes: Could this study simple prove that the man-made products used to increase milk production in cows get trickled down to humans to increase muscle growth and fat loss? From my knowledge most Soy beverages on the Canadian market are from organic beans, including my favorite brand 'Silk' which is also the brand used by Starbucks. Was Organic milk used in this study funded by the Dairy Council to generate free press advertising?
  40. George Polak from Kingston, Canada writes: J P from Canada writes: "...what the study doesn't mention is that there are other ways of getting that same ratio of carbs to protein as chocolate milk, for example, tuna sandwich, cottage cheese with some bread etc..."

    Not true. While the nutrient content might be the same, these are solid foods while milk is liquid. After a workout your body has a small window of time in which you have to give it these nutrients. Solid food takes too long to digest for it to be effective immediately after a workout. (During the rest of the day though solid food is best as it slowly and steadily releases nutrients and energy)
  41. J M from Canada writes: I've heard the "drink chocolate milk" thing for a while, and when I've tried it after running, it's been at the least a very pleasant recovery drink. I have friends who are more serious athletes than me (ie. triathlon and marathoners rather than 10k runners) and they like it too. I've no idea about weight loss/gain because I have a fast metabolism and don't weigh myself anyways.
  42. C M from Toronto, Canada writes: david blaine from Canada - bovine growth hormone is not contained in Canadian dairy products - it's outlawed by Health Canada. The only country that I know of that allows bovine growth hormone in dairy cows is the United States. Although there have been many studies to prove that the hormone is passed to humans through milk, Monsanto, the company that produces bgh, has too strong a lobby in Washington to have it banned - so, the US just ignores the health problems. As for the fat content of milk - drink skimmed milk or 1%. Our bodies need fat in our diet.
  43. On Edge from Ottawa, Canada writes: Contrary to what is being suggested here, Asian people do not drink large qualtities of soy beverages. The soy milk products you see here in Canada are a western/North American creation, for the most part. Recent research seems to be indicating that people who are able to digest cow's milk get real benefits from it, the protein, the calcium etc. Going skim negates some of the benefits because the milk fat enhances the absorption of calcium, to name but one nutrient in milk. Go soy if you want to, but don't expct it to be a real substitute for milk, and expect to see some health negatives, as there are lots of people sensitive to soy. Caucasians in particular can experience negative effects from it.
  44. Emperor Joshua Norton from Toronto, Canada writes: Sol Veritas says "You could probably get better weight loss results by doing the same exercise, then having 3 or 4 cigarettes."

    No, actually, you are likely to see less weight loss. The majority of weight loss from a resistance workout comes from energy used to build muscles hours after the workout is done. Smoking right after a workout will block muscle growth so your muscles will not burn any more calories post-workout than if you didn't exercise at all. Similar with endurance cardio (ie marathon training), your muscles are going to need as much nutrients as they can get. Poisoning them will impair recovery and decrease performance over time - so less weight loss.
  45. Emperor Joshua Norton from Toronto, Canada writes: Bib moyer - something I've found that works well for simulataneous fat loss/muscle gain is to limit fruits and milk to an hour before to an hour after a resistance workout. It's during the workout and immediately after that you need the sugar to fuel the work and recover. Throw in some high fibre carbs too and you are set.
  46. Emperor Joshua Norton from Toronto, Canada writes: Oh and sports drinks for weight loss is nonsense. If you perform at a level that requires a sports drink - as opposed to water - fat loss is not an issue.
  47. Ian McDonald from Toronto, Canada writes: On Edge from Ottawa - I'm with you although I must admit I would definitly lose a lot more weight drinking soy instead of milk.

    I am one of those sensitive to soy and if I eat any including just a little ToFu and it runs right through me cleaning everything out.
  48. Akbar M from Regina, Canada writes: There's still some confusion about what things have been "designed" or are "for" human consumption. Humans are animals and therefore need to "scavenge" almost all of our nutrition from other organisms. The other organisms (with the exception of fruit) do not want to be eaten but that is how the natural world works. Red in tooth and claw. Humans have engineered various organisms to produce for us the things we want and need. The bovine precursor to our domesticated cattle no longer exists. Their purpose is to feed us. The purpose of all domesticated animals and plants is to serve us (in whatever capacity) and without us they have no function in nature. There is a very good case to be made for treating our domesticated species with respect and honour but it doesn't negate the reality that they have no natural function.
  49. OK from Ontario from Toronto, Canada writes: In your face vegans. I still can't believe that some people here spout the line - cow milk is for calves, no other animal drinks milk from other species or past weaning. Duh! No other species of animal has advanced enough to domesticate other animals. And this has been going on since we domesticated animals that ruminate - the ancient Arabs used camel milk, the mongols horse milk, Africans and Europeans cows. If the North American natives had been left alone after finding horses they probably would have domesticated bisons, and used their milk. As for other species, my dog is 5 years old, but sure loves a bowl of milk. Ask any cat owner. Pigs like it too. Cheese anyone? Get a life anti-milk establishment.
  50. B to the A to the R to the T from the left coast., Canada writes: Ok from Ontario...what a leap..domesticated bisons.

    Seriously, Large studies that look at tens of thousands of people by Harvard School of Public Health have found that milk increases weight gain, rate of certain cancers, and does not protect women from osteoporosis.

    The environmental cost of Milk production is also high. Considering Eighty percent of all agricultural land in the US is used to raise animals for food or to grow feed; as per the USDA.

    I'll stick with the alternative sources of calcium.
  51. david blaine from Canada writes: To those responding to my previous comment on growth hormones:

    All milk contains growth hormones, they are naturally present in milk. Do not confuse this with the effects of synthetic growth hormones allowed in US dairy herds.
  52. Maria Gatti from Montreal, Canada writes: Like the majority of the world's humans, I have difficulty digesting cow's milk, and certainly wouldn't touch it in liquid, unfermented form. Nothing to do with an "anti-milk establishment"...
  53. Ian St. John from Toronto, Canada writes: "OK from Ontario from Toronto, Canada writes: no other animal drinks milk from other species or past weaning."

    So cats are not animals? Or do you say they won't drink cows milk? The image of them licking the milk spilled is a lie? How about the occasional orphanned animal adopted by a nursing animal of another species. Is that all myth and legend?

    Your ideology is showing a few weak points if you are trying to prop it up with faulty claims.
  54. Ian St. John from Toronto, Canada writes: OK. Sorry. My first reading of your post seems to have missed a 'not' or something.
  55. Globular Cluster from Canada writes: Akbar M, you make some very good points. I think that humans have upset the balance by domesticating other species, and in the case of sentient beings, that is other animals, we should leave them alone to eventually revert to their wild state. We have progressed enough technologically to no longer need their "services". Just something we should be thinking about.
  56. Bib moyer from Toronto, Canada writes: Its funny to hear so many people complain that milk is bad. But I bet most of these people complaining drink alcohol, probably smoke and many of the complainers are fat. Then I bet some morons will post their weight trying to show me up, thinking they are fooling someone.

    The bullshit stops when the shirt comes off!!
  57. Jorly fuster from Canada writes: I don't mind if the idiots drink milk, when they contract degenerative diseases later in life from it's consumption I'll get the last laugh.

    the dairy eaters credo: I'd rather be right, than be healthy.
  58. carol c from Tronna, ON, Canada writes: "The other organisms (with the exception of fruit) do not want to be eaten"

    This gave me a mental picture of a peach saying, "eat me, EAT ME," in a high pitched voice. Heeee.

    Dairy products mess up my digestion something fierce. I do enjoy soy milk, rice milk and nut milks (I wonder how they would be after a workout?), but I miss my cheese. I also find I produce a lot less mucus without dairy in my diet, but that may be because I don't tolerate it well.

    I agree with the poster above who said you have to eat right for yourself rather than follow the latest studies. Nutrition as a science is in it's infancy and your body is the best judge of what is good for you.

    As for the opinions that non milk drinkers are fat, alcoholic smokers who look bad without a shirt and laughing when milk drinkers are dying from a degenerative disease due to dairy consumption - get a freaking grip. When you post ridiculous things simply because other people have a different opinion it speaks volumes about yourself and very very little about the people you are trying to put down.
  59. Kevin H from Calgary, Canada writes: Hey, anti-milk advocates, were you breast fed or given GASP cow's milk during your first few years on Earth??
  60. James Pilieci from Canada writes: Milk doesn't cause mucus, that's a very common misconception. Also if you read any protein shake powder, on the reverse where it tells you about how to prepare the drink, many say that you'll receive a higher amount of protein if you mix the powder with milk (mostly skim milk; bodybuilders usually try to limit their fat intake). This study is nothing new. It's just confirming what most serious fitness advocates should already know.
  61. John Van Dyk from Tavistock, Canada writes: The British Journal of Nutrition has done similar research. the document " Milk as an effective post-exercise rehydration drink" documents the positive benefits of milk after a workout.
    If you want to avoid rBGH check website www.dairygoodness.info

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