Milk for training recovery

cyco2

Never thought about it before but on BBC1 tonight it was shown to be better than sports recovery drinks. Google...milk sports recovery. It does advocate chocolate in it for a carbohydrate but it's not essential. I have always drunk a lot of milk and did not realise what good I was doing.

t.m.h.n.e.t

Sports drinks like lucozade lack the protein needed. Recovery drinks do have the important carb/protein mix though. Carbs bring your glycogen levels back up feeding cells/muscle. Proteins build and repair.

But with milk so cheap and easily available. Why not eh? Love the stuff

paggnr

Chocolate Milk - yea yea

nhoj

I nearly always have a banana and a glass of milk straight after a ride.

There's an article here:

http://www.flammerouge.je/content/3_factsheets/constant/milk.htm

simon_e

Just because it's on the BBC does not necessarily mean it's the whole truth, though they may have a point.

Meanwhile you could try http://milkmyths.org.uk/ or the comments in response to this article (the latter reads to me like an advertorial for the dairy industry): http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... ink-25698/

il_principe

I consume lots of milk (it's free at work). So this morning did 2x20 TT session, then rode to work and consumed 500ml of Rego (100 milk/400 water), a hot chocolate and a bowl of porridge. Sometimes wonder if I might get through too much of the stuff.

dboden

I have a pint a day of raw milk from a local farmer, un-processed and un-pasturised.
Take the next step, even more benefits.

http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/raw_milk_ ... efits.html

neilo23

A couple of years ago there was a lot of evidence published in the cycling press about the excellent recovery benefits of chocolate milk and also of cherry juice as tested by (I think) the British track team (?).

So, start off with a bottle of Baileys Mint Chocolate Liqeur washed down with a bottle of Kirsch.

Pseudonym

neilo23 wrote:

So, start off with a bottle of Baileys Mint Chocolate Liqeur washed down with a bottle of Kirsch.

that's more like it....

I just worry that people will read threads like this, then start guzzling the stuff by the gallon - and then wonder why they've put on five stone. Everything in moderation, n' all that...

cyco2

If you google 'nutrients in milk' you will find that the best way to drink it is skimmed or semi-skimmed.

I make my own isotonic energy drink for pennies a litre and it works on me like rocket fuel. At my age and amount of riding I do I have wondered why I have recovered so well. I have always drunk plenty of milk and being able to get 2 litre bottles of it for a pound makes it a very cheap recovery drink. So, at the end of the day though It appears by accident I have found a really good combinations of nutrient ride and recovery replacement. My other passion for times when I am not fuelled up properly is Mars bar which I get for £1 for 5 bars. I stock up on them when they're cheap but as I only have about one a month I have a years supply for a few pounds.
I have never rated sports drinks because I get plenty of nutrients in my diet so only need energy drinks.
Another thing I do is suck a boiled sweet during a ride to keep my blood sugar up. I don't think I need to but I'm on a drug that dries my mouth.
Anyway, if you need to get good value for money and want to get a good ride and recovery then give what I do a go.

jgsi

In the old days it was one of those things you got delivered to your doorstep.
Progress now means you have to hop on bike to get it.
RIP Ernie

simon_e

cyco2 wrote:

If you google 'nutrients in milk' you will find that the best way to drink it is skimmed or semi-skimmed.

If you google those terms the first page of links are nearly all from Dairy Council type organisations. Totally unbiased, of course :roll:

Cow's milk contains calcium but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a good product for human bone development. Some now think that in fact milk consumption can speed up osteoporosis.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=resear ... teoporosis

As for doorstep deliveries, they disappeared or dwindled because people went to the supermarket and bought 4 pints for barely more than the cost of 2 delivered (usually from a local dairy with higher overheads, small turnover etc. By comparison Robert Wiseman has just been sold to Müller for £280 million). The constant downward pressure on prices combined with the ability to screw the producers means the power is held by a small number of massively profitable organisations. Maggie must be sooo proud! Dairy farmers get a pittance, even the organic ones. Most face a struggle to survive, with ever larger herds of Holsteins (robo-cows) the only way to make any money. Many veg growers are given very restrictive contracts, told exactly what varieties to grow, how much and when... or else the contract goes elsewhere. And there's no loyalty, you're paid today but you may not be required tomorrow. It's the same with petrol prices. Soon you'll be able to get absolutely everything from Tesco (if you can't already), and then they will own you.

fastandfurry

I use milk as recovery. It has protein and carbs in, in about the same proportion as commercial recovery drinks but costs about 1/3, and you're not drinking any horrendous artificial sweeteners. Science is easily manipulated by even quite a mild biase, but I'd suggest there was more money in promoting sports recovery drinks than milk! A look through of the available science seemed to show no substantial sporting disadvantage to drinking milk instead of recovery drinks a few years ago, so that's what I drink. Normally 1/2 a pint to a pint straight after training, followed by a meal within an hour.