Skim milk as a recovery beverage after exercise is superior to a sports drink for reducing next-day postprandial blood glucose and increasing postprandial fat oxidation

Ruirui Gao; Nicole Rapin; Abdulrahman M Elnajmi; Julianne Gordon; Gordon A Zello; Philip D Chilibeck

doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2020.08.007

Skim milk as a recovery beverage after exercise is superior to a sports drink for reducing next-day postprandial blood glucose and increasing postprandial fat oxidation

Nutr Res. 2020 Oct:82:58-66. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2020.08.007. Epub 2020 Aug 19.

Authors

Ruirui Gao¹, Nicole Rapin², Abdulrahman M Elnajmi³, Julianne Gordon⁴, Gordon A Zello⁵, Philip D Chilibeck⁶

Affiliations

¹ College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B2; Sport Science College, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China. Electronic address: ruirui.gao@usask.ca.
² College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B2. Electronic address: nicole.rapin@usask.ca.
³ College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B2. Electronic address: abe823@mail.usask.ca.
⁴ College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B2. Electronic address: julianne.rooke@usask.ca.
⁵ College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5E5. Electronic address: gaz511@campus.usask.ca.
⁶ College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B2. Electronic address: phil.chilibeck@usask.ca.

PMID: 32977252
DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2020.08.007

Abstract

We determined the effect of consuming low-glycemic index (LGI) skim milk compared to a high-glycemic index (HGI) sports drink following evening exercise on fat oxidation and blood lipids after a subsequent high-energy breakfast. We hypothesized that postexercise skim milk consumption, compared to sports drink, would increase fat oxidation and lower harmful blood lipid and glucose concentrations after a next-day high-energy breakfast. In this randomized counterbalanced crossover trial, 20 overweight-obese participants (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m²) underwent 4 conditions: 90-minute exercise (50% Vo_2peak) followed by sports drink (EX-HGI), exercise followed by isoenergetic skim milk (EX-LGI), exercise followed by water (Exercise), and a control condition (Control). The amount of the sports drink or milk consumed postexercise was based on the energy used during exercise plus 10%. Blood lipids, glucose, and fat oxidation were assessed before and for 6 hours after a high-energy breakfast the next morning. Fat oxidation was highest for EX-LGI (6.7 ± 2.7 g/h) and lowest for EX-HGI (6.0 ± 1.8 g/h) (condition main effect; P = .042). Triglyceride concentration and total area under the curve were higher with EX-HGI than Exercise (1.7 ± 1.6 vs 1.3 ± 1.0 mmol/L, P = .037, and 11.7 ± 9.4 vs 8.6 ± 6.0 mmol L^-1 h, P = .005, respectively). Glucose concentration was lower with EX-LGI than EX-HGI (4.1 ± 1.1 vs 4.4 ± 1.1 mmol/L, P = .027). Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance was higher with EX-HGI than Control (2.32 ± 1.15 vs 1.86 ± 0.97, P = .005). In conclusion, evening postexercise skim milk consumption, compared with a high-GI sports drink, significantly reduced blood glucose and possibly increased fat oxidation after a high-energy breakfast the next morning.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03154216.

Keywords: Blood glucose; Blood lipids; Exercise; Fat oxidation; Glycemic index; Skim milk.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Animals
Beverages*
Blood Glucose / analysis*
Cross-Over Studies
Dietary Fats / metabolism
Energy Metabolism
Exercise*
Female
Glycemic Index
Humans
Insulin / blood
Lipid Metabolism*
Male
Milk*
Obesity
Overweight
Oxidation-Reduction
Postprandial Period
Single-Blind Method
Sports

Substances

Blood Glucose
Dietary Fats
Insulin

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03154216