Get Milk to Get Lean

Posted by reddysm on Jan 6th, 2011 in News, Uncategorized | 1 comment

Weight-training is a great way to improve your physical appearance given its positive effects on lean body mass and muscle size. In order to maximize the improvement in your lean body mass, you must provide the appropriate stimulus during your strength-training sessions (i.e., intensity, volume etc.) while also providing your body with the necessary proteins for protein synthesis. Among the various protein options, milk is a great choice to maximize increases in muscle size, lean-body mass, and performance gains regardless of gender.

Previous studies have proven milk proteins to be superior to both soy proteins and carbohydrates on promoting lean body mass^{1, 2, 3}. In one such study among male weightlifters, those that consumed fat-free milk after their weight-training sessions realized greater improvements in muscle size and lean-body mass than those that consumed calorie-equivalent soy or carbohydrate-based drinks. The weight-lifters consumed approximately 17 oz. of fat-free milk at two time points after their training sessions – the first immediately after and the second one-hour later. They completed five strength-training sessions per week (i.e., split-routine) over the course of 12 weeks¹. The same results have been found among women³. The women involved in this study followed the same study protocol described above with respect to both the strength-training program and protein intake. Similarly, the women that consumed fat-free milk post training improved lean-body mass and strength levels to a greater degree than those consuming a carbohydrate-based alternative.

Milk is a great choice to consider for meeting your body’s protein needs after your strength-training sessions. It may require additional planning before your workouts, but will pay off as the inevitable bathing suit season approaches. But before running out to stock up on fat-free milk, remember that the quality of your training cannot be understated. If you neglect to apply the appropriate intensity during your sessions, no amount of fat-free milk or alternative protein source will make any significant difference in your lean-body mass. Apply the appropriate training stimulus and follow it up with the necessary protein intake to build muscle and become lean. Milk is a great source for that much needed protein…it’s a great way to do your body some good after your workout.

Note –

For the lactose-intolerant individuals: Although the studies mentioned above involved unaltered fat-free dairy sources, I imagine the same results would be found for lactose-free dairy products. Lactose is a carbohydrate and its removal from the related dairy product does not compromise protein content or quality.

Hartman, J. W., Tang, J. E., Wilkinson, S. B., Tarnopolsky, M. A.., Lawrence, R. L., Fullerton, A. V., & Phillips, S. M. (2007). Consumption of fat-free fluid milk after resistance exercise promotes greater lean mass accretion than does consumption of soy or carbohydrate in young, novice, male weightlifters. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 86, 373-81.
Wilkinson, S. B., Tarnopolsky, M. A., MacDonald, M. J., MacDonald, J. R., Armstrong, D., & Phillips, S. M. (2007). Consumption of fluid skim milk promotes greater muscle protein accretion after resistance exercise than does consumption of an isonitrogenous and isoenergetic soy-protein beverage. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85, 1031-40.
Josse, A. R., Tang, J. E., Tarnopolsky, M. A., & Phillips, S. M. (2010). Body composition and strength changes in women with milk and resistance exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 42(6), 1122-1129. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181c854f6