Milk as a Sports Drink
Replacing fluid and nutrients after exercise plays a large role in repairing and replenishing muscle tissues between exercise sessions, maintaining strong bones and optimizing overall health. If nutrients are not replaced during and after endurance exercise, individuals will experience fatigue and decreased performance. One beverage that is often overlooked as a recovery drink is milk.1 Milk’s nutrients—protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water—are rapidly absorbed and metabolized by the body to produce energy during physical activity and replenish nutrient stores after activity.
A key nutrient in milk is protein. The official recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein for healthy adults is 0.4 grams per pound of body weight. More specific recommendations from the International Journal of Sports Nutrition for athletes are listed in the table below:2
| Type of athlete |
Daily protein recommendation |
| Recreational Exerciser, Adult |
0.5-0.75 g/lb |
| Competitive Athlete |
0.6-0.8 g/lb |
| Growing Teenage Athlete |
0.9-1.0 g/lb |
| Adult Building Muscle Mass |
0.7-1.0 g/lb |
| Athlete Restricting Calories |
0.8-1.0 g/lb |
New research shows that milk consumed as a post-exercise recovery beverage is just as effective, if not more so, than commercially-available sports drinks, and increases muscle protein growth.3,4
One cup of low-fat milk produced in California contains 10 grams of protein (milk produced in other states contains 8 grams protein per cup). Significant research has found that whey protein, found in the liquid component of milk, confers additional benefits to physical performance. Whey protein contains amino acids necessary for building and maintaining strong muscles. These amino acids include all of the essential amino acids that cannot be produced by the body, and branched-chain amino acids, which ensure proper muscle tissue growth.4
Most people in the United States consume more protein than the recommended amount. Individuals requiring additional protein can typically reach their recommendation by enjoying one or two more servings of high-protein foods such as milk, cheese, eggs, nuts or lean meat. Protein or amino acid supplements are not necessary to reach most individuals’ recommendations. Protein is best utilized when eaten throughout the day rather than concentrated in one meal.
Milk is also a good source of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates consumed within thirty minutes after exercising will be transported to muscles for immediate use or stored as glycogen for the next activity. Failing to consume adequate carbohydrates after exercising can lead to fatigue and muscle soreness.
The vitamins and minerals in milk are important for maintaining good health and optimizing athletic performance. Most milk products contain vitamins A and D. Vitamin A maintains healthy tissue growth while vitamin D helps the body utilize minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. The minerals found in milk—calcium, potassium and magnesium5—help maintain strong bones, proper muscle functioning and fluid balance.
Flavored milk has become a favorite of athletes as a post-exercise rehydration beverage. While providing all of the nutritional benefits of plain milk, the additional carbohydrates from sugar in chocolate or strawberry milk are easily absorbed and metabolized. Recent research has found that chocolate milk is not only an effective recovery aid after prolonged exercise,6 but that it can actually improve performance in subsequent exercise bouts.7
For more information on the nutrients in milk and the benefits of whey protein, check out these links:
Return to Dairy Facts page.
1 Shirreffs SM et al. Br J Nutr 2007 Jul;98(1):173-80.
2Hinton. Int’l J Sports Nutr Aug. 2004.
3Roy BD. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2008 Oct 2;5:15.
4Whey Protein. Dairy Council of California 2004.
5Shirreffs SM et al. Br J Nutr. 2007 Jul;98(1):173-80. Epub 2007 Apr 26.
6Thomas K et al. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009 Feb;34(1):78-82.
7Karp JR et al. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006 Feb;16(1):78-91.