Milk - Loose Fat & Gain Muscle... Good Read

[Bertuzzi]

I just came across this article and thought I would share it, as I have seen the milk subject discussed here quite often.

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Part of an ongoing study into the impact of drinking milk after heavy weightlifting has found that milk helps exercisers burn more fat.

The study by researchers at McMaster University and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was conducted by the Department of Kinesiology's Exercise Metabolism Research Group, lead by Stuart Phillips.

The researchers took three groups of young men 18 to 30 years of age -- 56 in total -- and put them through a rigorous, five-day-per-week weightlifting program over a 12-week period. Following their workouts, study participants drank either two cups of skim milk, a soy beverage with equivalent amounts of protein and energy, or a carbohydrate beverage with an equivalent amount of energy, which was roughly the same as drinking 600 to 700 milliliters of a typical sports drink.

Upon the study's conclusion, researchers found that the milk drinking group had lost nearly twice as much fat - two pounds - while the carbohydrate beverage group lost one pound of fat. Those drinking soy lost no fat. At the same time, the gain in muscle was much greater among the milk drinkers than either the soy or carbohydrate beverage study participants.

"The loss of fat mass, while expected, was much larger than we thought it would be," says Phillips, associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster. "I think the practical implications of these results are obvious: if you want to gain muscle and lose fat as a result of working out, drink milk."

As reported in the first phase of the study, the milk drinking group came out on top in terms of muscle gain with an estimated 40 per cent or 2.5 pounds more muscle mass than the soy beverage drinkers. In addition, this group gained 63 per cent or 3.3 pounds, more muscle mass than the carbohydrate beverage drinkers.

"I think the evidence is beginning to mount," says Phillips. "Milk may be best known for its calcium content in supporting bone health, but our research, and that of others, continually supports milk's ability to aid in muscle growth and also promote body fat loss. To my mind -- with milk being a source of nine essential nutrients -- it's a no brainer: milk is the ideal post-workout drink for recreational exercisers and athletes alike."

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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[Bertuzzi]

I found the same article with more detail... here is some follow-up to the article.

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"The practical results are obvious: If you want to gain muscle and lose weight as a result of working out, drink milk," Dr. Phillips said.

While the study did not involve aerobic exercise, he noted that other research has also pointed to the benefits of milk - and chocolate milk in particular - for rehydration and recovery.

At marathons, for example, chocolate milk - which is packed with more carbs than regular milk - has become the recovery drink of choice for many finishers.

"A glass of cold milk is refreshing, it rehydrates you and it helps restore muscle. It's also the source of nine essential nutrients so you get everything in one convenient package," Dr. Phillips said.

The research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the U.S. National Dairy Council.

Dr. Phillips stressed that the dairy council grant came with no strings attached and the lobby group had no input on the study design or outcome.

"I don't have any agenda here, and I think the science stands on its own merits," he said.

[gbrice75]

Great post Bert! Personally, I would LOVE this to be true, because I love milk and can drink a ton of it every day if I allowed myself. I'm just so programmed to think about the sugar in it, it's hard to imagine it having a place in a cutting diet.

[meat&2veg]

What kind of milk? Full fat, semi-skimmed or skimmed? Cows milk right???
Interesting cos I have been just allowing myself unsweetened soy milk and it tasts pretty dull to say the least!

[cherrydrpepper]

I used to drink a gallon a day of skim but now that im leaned out im paranoid it will bloat me. I've been trying to stick to the steriotypical lean foods (chicken yams tuna brown rice etc)

[tembe]

ive decided to mix a tiny bit of splashes of lite soy milk just for the milkier flavour..

im talkn 20-30ml...pretty small amounts of calories in that

[G.P.]

I love milk & drink way too much of it. I can get raw whole milk pretty easily near me though which is much better than processed. If I have to drink processed milk I only drink skim.
Here's a good link to raw milk sources in the US as well as other countries.
http://www.realmilk.com/where.html

[terraj]

I love milk & drink way too much of it. I can get raw whole milk pretty easily near me though which is much better than processed. If I have to drink processed milk I only drink skim.
Here's a good link to raw milk sources in the US as well as other countries.
http://www.realmilk.com/where.html

Good link, cheers.