Super foods 8 - Milk

Renee McGregor (Dietitian, Author of ‘Training Food’) - Vibe Fitness nutrition expert

No matter who I am working with, elite, recreational or non-athletes, the key is to help them to tailor their nutritional intake to their training, lifestyle, family commitments and budget. Many of these so-called super foods on the market are costly; you need to eat an awful lot of kale to get the rich nutritional value that is quoted for health benefits. 

In my new book, Training Food” and in my daily practice I have introduced my list of “hero foods” for athletes. The list is by no means exhaustive but in my opinion these particular budget friendly hero foods are my top 10 and are a must on all athletes shopping lists.

Hero Food 8 - MILK

It has been well documented that milk is the ideal choice for recovery from high intensity exercise. When you look at the recommendations for recovery in terms of carbohydrate and protein, the suggested amounts is equal to a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein. This ratio ensures that particularly after high intensity exercise, training or competition when glycogen stores will be completely or close to completely depleted.  To aid replenishing these stores, this ratio of 3:1 has proven to be the most effective. This is further enhanced if carbohydrate is in a fast release form and protein is easily digestible. The milk sugar, lactose and whey protein in milk provides this balance, thus making it a perfect recovery choice. Milk is also a good source of minerals and electrolytes, making it an ideal choice for rehydrating.