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Two
glasses of milk tones muscles
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Two glasses of milk a day after weight-lifting
routine helps tone muscles and keep the fat off in women, claims a new study.
"Resistance training is not a typical choice of exercise for women," says Stu
Phillips, professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University.
"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."
A previous study conducted by Phillips' lab showed that milk increased muscle
mass and fat loss in men. This new study, says Phillips was more challenging
because women not only steer clear of resistance training they also tend to
steer away from dairy products based on the incorrect belief that dairy foods
are fattening.
"We expected the gains in muscle mass to be greater, but the size of the fat
loss surprised us," says Phillips. "We're still not sure what causes this but
we're investigating that now. It could be the combination of calcium,
high-quality protein, and vitamin D may be the key, and. conveniently, all of
these nutrients are in milk.
Over a 12-week period, the study monitored young women who did not use
resistance-training exercise.
Every day, two hours before exercising, the women were required not to eat or
drink anything except water. Immediately after their exercise routine, one group
consumed 500ml of fat free white milk; the other group consumed a
similar-looking but sugar-based energy drink. The same drinks were consumed by
each group one hour after exercising.
The training consisted of three types of exercise: pushing (e.g. bench press,
chest fly), pulling (e.g. seated lateral pull down, abdominal exercises without
weights), and leg exercises (e.g. leg press, seated two-leg hamstring curl).
Training was monitored daily one on one by personal trainers to ensure proper
technique.
"The women who drank milk gained barely any weight because what they gained in
lean muscle they balanced out with a loss in fat" said Phillips. "Our data show
that simple things like regular weightlifting exercise and milk consumption work
to substantially improve women's body composition and health." Phillips'' lab is
now following this study up with a large clinical weight loss trial in women.
The McMaster study appears in the June issue of Medicine and Science in Sport
and Exercise.
- ANI / Times of Oman
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