Milk as recovery drink after exercise: a case study

Fluid intake and adequate hydration during exercise are essential and critical during and after training sessions and competition events [1,2]. Low-fat milk has a number of characteristics that theoretically make it a potentially good recovery beverage. Firstly, it contains carbohydrates (lactose) in amounts similar to many commercially available sports drinks (glucose, maltodextrin). Milk contains casein and whey proteins in a ratio of 3:1 which provides for slower digestion and absorption of these proteins resulting in sustained elevations of blood amino acid concentrations. Another advantage is that whey protein also contains a large proportion of branched chain amino acids which have an integral role in muscle metabolism and protein synthesis. Finally, milk also has naturally high concentrations of electrolytes, which are naturally lost through sweating during exercise. The high concentrations of these electrolytes should aid in fluid recovery following exercise [3]. Aim of the study The aim of the study was the evaluation of four different rehydration protocols on a dehydrated elite runner.