Milk and Carb-Protein Supplements Reduce Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage
Past studies have shown that consuming carbohydrate-protein supplements such as Accelerade during or after exercise reduces exercise-induced muscle damage and accelerates the recovery of muscle function. Researchers from England's Northumbria University recently sought to determine whether milk, which contains carbohydrate and protein, or a supplement containing milk protein plus carbohydrate, would have similar effects.
Four groups of six men consumed either water, a carbohydrate sports drink, a milk-protein-carbohydrate supplement or milk after exercise. At 24 and 48 hours post-exercise, ratings of soreness, isokinetic muscle performance and blood markers of muscle damage were assessed. Ratings of muscle soreness were the same for all four groups. Those in the carbohydrate-protein and milk groups exhibited higher levels of muscle performance than those in the other groups, with those in the carbohydrate-protein group performing best of all. Blood levels of creatine kinase and myoglobin--two biomarkers of muscle dmage--were also lower in the carbohydrate-protein and milk groups.
The authors of the study, which was published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, concluded, "At 48 hours post-exercise-induced muscle damage, milk and milk-based protein-carbohydrate supplementation resulted in attenuation of decreases in isokinetic muscle performance and increases in creatine kinase and myoglobin." |
