Got Milk?

Cycling champion Kristin Armstrong was recently asked the secret to
her success (she won a gold medal in the recent Olympics in China.
Her answer? She told Idaho Health that it was "chocolate milk."
Why? She revealed "I use chocolate milk as my recovery drink after
races and workouts. The carbohydrates fuel my muscles after
exercise. The protein reduces muscle breakdown and stimulates
growth. And milk’s natural electrolytes help restore fluid balance."
Is Kristin correct? And how does it pertain to hard gainers? Kristin
is right on target. The latest research indicates that milk is the
best post workout recovery choice. In spite of what Gatorade says,
milk is a far better post workout drink. Unfortunately Gatorade
lacks protein. Studies have shown that the availability of free
amino acids immediately after exercise increased muscle anabolism by
increasing protein synthesis and decreasing protein breakdown. It
turns out that protein is a vital recovery factor, and if you neglect
this factor you miss out on the full prospect that your exercise
session can provide.

Protein intake appears to be particularly important in exercises
which result in muscle damage, such as repetitive power workouts
to exhaustion and eccentric exercise (producing force during muscle
lengthening - as noted in the Training & Conditioning Journal).

In addition to getting protein, getting the right type of protein
is also enhances the recovery effort further. The right type of
amino acid intake for recovery includes a lot of leucine. Donald
Layman, University of Illinois nutrition professor, points out that
taking the amino acid leucine right after a workout can shorten the
downtime your body needs between workouts. Layman’s studies
demonstrated that when leucine was ingested within 15 minutes of
the completion of a workout, the leucine appeared to quick-start
the protein rebuilding process - exhibiting that muscles can
recover more quickly, and that the body can be better prepared for
the next round of hard core training. Guess what contains a lot
of leucine? Milk.

A study at Virginia Tech University found that circulating amino
acids rose for those who took milk after exercise (specifically
resistance training-weight lifting exercise) and decreased for
those in the carbo only and placebo groups. Sorry again, Gatorade!

The final factor in favor of milk as the perfect post workout
choice is the fact that it is liquid. Liquid gets put to work
quicker than solid food, and this gives it the edge on other
forms of protein such as steak, eggs, etc, for the quickest
action to start muscle recovery.

Milk is a simple but super effective post workout recovery aid.
Try some the next time you workout – within 15 minutes of the
completion of the routine.

Author bio

Dwayne Hines II is the Editor-at-Large for OnFitness magazine and
has written for a variety of national magazines, including Ironman,
MuscleMag, BlackBelt and Men’s Workout. He has acted as a
bodybuilding contest judge, is a certified personal trainer with
the National Strength and Conditioning Association and has
several bodybuilding and fitness books selling in major
bookstores such as Barnes and Noble.

Dwayne Hines II has just released "The Growth Zone"

Most People Fail To Work 50% of Their Muscle Tissue!

Did you know that even bodybuilders neglect half the
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It doesn’t take rocket science to build bigger muscles.
However, it does take a certain knowledge and application
of that knowledge in the gym and in your diet.

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