Thursday, June 3, 2010

Women Must Drink Milk to be Leaner after exercise

A novel research has hailed benefits of drinking milk for women saying that it helps them make stronger if taken after strength-training.

Research conducted by experts at Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University (Mac), Canada and partially funded by Dairy Farmers of Canada found that drinking milk instead of energy drinks after strength-training can work wonders in improving body composition and overall fitness in women.

The Times of India quoted lead researcher Stu Phillips, professor at Department of Kinesiology, Mac as saying, “Resistance training is not a typical choice of exercise for women. But the health benefits of resistance training are enormous.”

“It boosts strength, bone, muscular and metabolic health in a way that other types of exercise cannot,” added Phillips.

Research details
Researchers conducted a 12-week trial on two groups of women who drank either milk or energy drinks post exercise.

Subjects were asked to do exercises like pushing which included bench press and chest fly. Pulling exercises consisted of seated lateral pull down and abdominal exercises without weights, and leg exercises included leg press and seated two-leg hamstring curl.

Training was conducted every day under personal trainers to ensure proper use of technique.

The subjects were asked not to drink or eat anything except water two hours prior to the training.

As soon as the exercises ended, one group consumed half litre fat-free white milk while the other consumed sugary energy drink.

Both groups consumed the same drinks one hour post-exercise also.

Researchers aimed at studying the effects of taking energy drink and milk on weight loss and muscle-building.

Study findings
Study results revealed that women who drank milk post-exercise lost a great amount of fat compared to the other group.

Expressing surprise at the results, Phillips was quoted in Emax Health as saying, “The women who drank milk gained barely any weight because what they gained in lean muscle they balanced out with a loss in fat.”

Researchers stated that regular weightlifting exercises combined with fat-free milk could help women’s physical wellbeing.

The team was uncertain of the causative factors; however, it might be due to vitamin D, calcium and high-quality protein found in milk, stated Phillips.

To verify the study results, researchers are planning a large-scale clinical weight loss trial in women.

The study appears in Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise.

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