Cereal and milk as good as any sports drink says study

Details of the study
Exercise physiologist Lynne Kammer, from The University of Texas at Austin with her team investigated the physiological effects of food post-exercise. As part of the research, the team made 12 cyclists, eight men and four women, fast for 12 hours before undergoing two hours of cycling exercise at a comfortable pace.

After the ride, the athletes consumed a sports drink. Five days later they repeated the fasting and exercise but instead of the energy drink, ate a whole-wheat flake cereal with skimmed milk.

Kammer stated "Our goal was to compare whole grain cereal plus milk—which are ordinary foods—and sports drinks, after moderate exercise. We wanted to understand their relative effects on glycogen repletion and muscle protein synthesis for the average individual. We found that glycogen repletion, or the replenishment of immediate muscle fuel, was just as good after whole grain cereal consumption and that some aspects of protein synthesis were actually better."

Observations made in the study
The researchers observed that both the cereal and drink treatments raised the body's blood glucose and insulin levels. But during the recovery after exercise, the researchers were surprised that the lactate in the blood, which causes muscles to stiffen, was greatly reduced after consuming the cereal and milk as compared to the sports drink. Also the cereal was also more effective at inducing the body to synthesize protein and increasing its ability to store glycogen.

The researchers felt that "Sports drinks may have an advantage in convenience" but eating a bowl of whole-grain cereal with nonfat milk gave the body a post-workout boost similar to a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink.

Kammer declared that "Cereal and non-fat milk are a less expensive option than sports drinks. The milk provides a source of easily digestible and high quality protein, which can promote protein synthesis and training adaptations, making this an attractive recovery option for those who refuel at home.”

Kammer's study was supported by General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition. It was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.