Derval O`Rourke: From Athletic Championships to the Ploughing

SN
FORUM
Issue 4, December 2011
www.milkitforallitsworth.ie
Sports
Nutrition
Forum
A Newsletter for Sports and Fitness Professionals
Derval O’Rourke:
From Athletic
Championships
to the Ploughing
Championships!
The 80th anniversary of the National
Ploughing Championships took place in Athy,
Co. Kildare this year from September 20th 22nd. According to the National Ploughing
Association, the competition originated
in 1931 when Kildare man J.J. Bergin was
challenged by his Wexford friend, Denis
Allen, to see which county had the finest
ploughmen. From this, the first ploughing
match was organised, and the Ploughing
Championships were born. Today, over
300 competitors from 32 counties, as well
as international visitors, take part in the
Championships each year.
The National Dairy Council (NDC) was
present for the three days of the event, ready
to meet the public and answer any dairyrelated questions. At the NDC Dome this
year, the focus was on the role of nutrition in
sports performance and recovery. Over the
three days, visitors to the dome were treated
to appearances by a number of sporting
heroes, who were delighted to meet and
greet their fans. They also shared their top
tips for training and talked about the role
diet can play to help people of all ages, and
all levels, interested in sport or keeping fit.
As highlighted in previous issues of SN
Forum, there is a growing body of scientific
research showing that milk can play a very
positive role in sports nutrition, with the
scientific literature indicating that the
components and nutrients naturally present
in milk support a potential role for milk and
dairy in areas like hydration and muscle
recovery. Not only does a typical portion
(1/3 pint) of milk provide a source of protein,
calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iodine and
vitamins B2 and B12, but milk is convenient
and readily available with the potential of
being a very cost effective and important
contributor to the diet of athletes.
On Tuesday we welcomed Derval O’ Rourke
- our Milk It For All It’s Worth campaign
ambassador - who participated in two live
discussions with Dr Catherine Logan, NDC
Nutrition Manager, and RTÉ’s Damien O’Reilly,
which focused on Derval’s preparations for
the 2012 Olympic Games, along with her top
training tips.
Derval also took some time to engage
with the media present at the event. In an
interview with TV3’s Martin King for The
Morning Show, Derval explained: “It is my
first time (to the Ploughing Championships).
Thankfully, the (National) Dairy Council gave
me a really good excuse to come down…it’s
great craic…it’s a great atmosphere.”
On her preparations for the Olympics,
Derval said: “They’re going well…I qualified
this summer. It’s great to get it done
the year before so it means in terms of
qualification there are no worries. I was a
little bit disappointed recently at the World
Championships: I got a bit injured but I
couldn’t take that bigger risk 10 months out
CAMPAIGN FINANCED WITH AID FROM
THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE NATIONAL
DAIRY COUNCIL AND THE DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD and the marine
In this issue
1
Issue 1 March 2011
CAMPAIGN AMBASSADOR AT THE
PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Derval O’Rourke visits the NDC Dome
at the 2011 National Ploughing
Championships.
3
SPORT AND NUTRITION
Ruth Wood-Martin, IRFU Performance
Nutritionist, discusses the four Rs’ for
successful nutrition recovery.
4
SPORTS STAR SPOTLIGHT: MICHAEL
FENNELLY
Hurler of the Year reveals his training
schedule and dietary habits.
5 SPORTS NUTRITION CASE STUDY
Dr Tom Hill provides dietary advice for a
young half-marathon hopeful.
6
Sport and Dairy
Milk and milk-based products in sports
nutrition: what the science says.
Editorial
In this issue of SN Forum we report on
the National Dairy Council’s stand at the
2011 National Ploughing Championships.
We also welcome back our regular
contributors: Ruth Wood-Martin focuses
on nutrition recovery, and Dr Tom Hill
devises a diet plan for a young runner in
training for a half-marathon. Meanwhile,
Michael Fennelly, Kilkenny hurling hero, is
the focus of our ‘Sports Star Spotlight’ .
Be sure to log on to the campaign’s
website www.milkitforallitsworth.ie for
expert nutritional advice and insights
into the importance of sports nutrition to
Irish sports stars. You could also be in with
a chance of winning great prizes each
month by entering the website’s online
competitions.
If you have any comments, we would be
delighted to hear from you: [email protected]
You can also follow NDC updates on
Twitter @NDC_ie
Dr Catherine Logan
Nutrition Manager, National Dairy Council
2
from the Olympics trying to run on an injury
so I didn’t, which is sensible for London - but
at the time it was a pretty hard decision.”
Derval explained why she was invited
to the NDC Dome at the Ploughing
Championships: I’ve been working with
the (National) Dairy Council and it has been
great to do that, it’s been different and it’s
been good fun and I think their message
is quite positive. They want a lot of young
people to be drinking more milk and eating
more dairy as part of a balanced diet.”
Training for the Olympics began the week
after the Ploughing Championships which,
for Derval, will involve “weights on a Monday,
Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday” and
running on a “Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
and Sunday - so generally I train between
10am and 1pm, I get up about 8am, do my
session, go home, cook some food, have a
bit of a nap, get up and I might do a stretch
in the evening and cook some dinner… It’s
not like a job where you can sit at a desk
for a certain number of hours: there are
different elements of it.”
At the Ploughing on Wednesday (September
21st), members of the public met hurling
greats Michael Fennelly (Kilkenny’s AllIreland winning team) and Pádraic Maher
(Tipperary’s All-Ireland finalist team), who
discussed their diet and training habits
with Dr Catherine Logan and RTÉ’s Damien
O’Reilly. Michael Fennelly is featured in the
‘Sports Star Spotlight’ for this issue - turn to
page 4 to find out more about this hurling
hero.
Gaelic Football was the focus on Thursday
(September 22nd ) where Killian Young and
Declan O’Sullivan of the Kerry All-Ireland
finalist team discussed their diet and
training regimes.
Throughout the Ploughing Championships,
basketball experts Matthew Hall and Aiden
Holden were also in the NDC Dome each
day to help visitors shoot some hoops in our
‘Dairy Dunk’ competition, with daily spot
prizes up for grabs. As part of a successful
basketball team (the UL Eagles) Matthew
and Aiden wowed the crowd with their
basketball skills. The live discussions with
our sports heroes finished with a few fun
basketball hoops in aid of Focus Ireland,
with €2,100 raised at this event.
Other fun features at the NDC Dome
included eye-catching, educational visual
displays and an interactive ‘Photo Booth’
where visitors entered a free competition
for the best ‘Cheesy Smile’. The NDC Butter
Queen offered a taste of the delicious flavour
of cooking with Irish butter, providing
shortbread biscuits to the hungry public.
Pictured in the National Dairy Council Dome at the National Ploughing Championships in Athy was champion athlete Derval O’Rourke
shooting some hoops with Zoë Kavanagh, Chief Executive, The National Dairy Council.
For more information on the NDC at the
Ploughing Championships, visit
www.ndc.ie/news/
Hurling greats Michael Fennelly (Kilkenny’s 2011 All-Ireland winning team) and Pádraic Maher (Tipperary 2011 All-Ireland Finalist) were
with The National Dairy Council at the Ploughing Championships in Athy on Wednesday, 21st September, 2011, to meet members of the
public. Pictured at The National Dairy Council Dome were (L-R): Aidan Holden, UL Eagles; Matthew Hall, UL Eagles and Basketball Ireland;
Pádraic Maher; and Michael Fennelly.
Issue 4 , December 2011
Performance
and Nutrition:
Ruth Wood-Martin MSc RD SEN is a Registered Dietitian and Sport and Exercise Nutritionist
and currently works as the Performance Nutritionist with the Irish Rugby Football Union.
Ramp up your recovery
Exercise - whether of prolonged, moderate
intensity or high intensity intermittent
work - will cause significant reduction in fuel
stores (muscle glycogen). Nutrition support
during immediate post-exercise recovery is
especially important for athletes who need
to perform multiple training or competition
sessions on the same or successive days, and
who need to maintain performance during
the subsequent sessions. It has long been
accepted that post-exercise carbohydrate
ingestion is the most important determinant
of re-synthesising muscle glycogen: more
recent studies have found that adding
protein to carbohydrate may also be of
benefit during the recovery phase. The
type of carbohydrate and protein, as well
as the timing and frequency of intake, are
important factors to consider. Restoring
fluid balance also needs attention if
performance impairment is to be avoided.
So how do you get the nutrient mix right to
maximise recovery? Read on.
Nutrition recovery is often summarised in
the four Rs:
• Refuel•Regenerate •Repair•Rehydrate
Refuel
Because muscle glycogen is the most
important fuel source during prolonged
moderate to high intensity exercise, postexercise replenishment is one of the most
important factors determining the time
needed to recover. Post-exercise muscle
glycogen synthesis occurs in two phases:
during the first 30-60 minutes after
stopping fuel-depleting exercise, the rate of
re-synthesis is high, and this rate decreases
by 10-30% after this time. Several studies
have examined the impact of consuming
different amounts of carbohydrate on
muscle glycogen repletion. A reasonable
conclusion from these studies is that the
maximum glycogen re-synthesis occurs
at a carbohydrate intake of 1.2g per kilo
body weight per hour provided frequently
(e.g. every 15 - 30 minutes) in the initial
5-hour recovery period and is the optimal
amount of carbohydrate to maximise postexercise muscle glycogen–storage rates.
However, from a practical point of view, it
may be difficult for athletes to consume
such large amounts of carbohydrate during
this time. Recent work has shown that the
co-ingestion of protein (at about 0.2-0.4g
per kilo body weight per hour) with less
carbohydrate (0.8g per kilo body weight per
hour), results in similar glycogen-repletion
rates as the ingestion of carbohydrate alone
at 1.2g per kilo body weight per hour.
The form of carbohydrate (that is, solid vs
liquid) does not seem to make a difference,
but the glycaemic index (defined as the
rate of rise of blood sugar levels after
carbohydrate consumption) may be of
some importance. High glycaemic foods
(that result in a rapid blood sugar rise)
in the early recovery period have shown
greater muscle glycogen levels than if
lower glycaemic foods were consumed
during this time.
Regenerate and Repair
Besides re-stocking the muscle glycogen
stores after exercise, skeletal-muscle
conditioning
and
muscle-damage
repair are two important post-exercise
strategies. Exercise stimulates muscle
protein breakdown as well as protein
synthesis, so there must be a positive
protein balance (that is, more going into
the body than being lost) to support
the muscle’s physiological adaptation to
exercise training and to allow the repair of
damaged muscle tissue if necessary. Postexercise nutrition is needed to achieve a
positive muscle protein balance and, as
with carbohydrate, the type and timing
of protein is important. Carbohydrate
alone after exercise does help to reduce
the muscle protein breakdown that results
from training, but it does not affect muscle
protein synthesis. It is the intake of protein
that stimulates muscle protein synthesis
after both resistance and endurance-type
exercise. It is still a debate on how much
protein is needed – recent evidence has
shown that 20g of whole protein (equal
to about 9g of essential amino acids) is
sufficient to maximise muscle protein
synthesis in early recovery.
The best type of protein is also a continuing
topic of research. Whey and casein proteins
(both found in milk) provide a high quality
amino acid source that has been shown
to support muscle protein synthesis after
exercise. Whey protein is quickly absorbed,
whereas casein protein results in slower
release and absorption of amino acids.
Because of this mechanism, whey protein
is often promoted for recovery nutrition:
however, net protein synthesis during
recovery is similar after either whey or
casein consumption.
Rehydrate
Another challenge in recovery is to restore
fluid and electrolyte balance before the
Issue 4 , December 2011
next bout of exercise. Evidence suggests
that a volume equal to 1.5 times of body
mass lost (in kilos) during exercise should be
consumed to ensure adequate restoration of
fluid losses. Drinks containing electrolytes
(particularly sodium) stimulate the desire to
drink and are more efficiently absorbed than
plain water. The main factors that influence
the process of post-exercise rehydration are
the volume and composition of the fluid
consumed. Recent work suggests that lowfat milk (3g fat per litre) is an effective postexercise rehydration drink when compared
with water and commercially available
sports drinks.
So what are the practical guidelines to
optimal nutrition recovery? The plan may
differ between endurance resistance
type exercise, but these are some general
guidelines:
Effective re-fuelling only begins after a
substantial amount of carbohydrate has
been consumed. Aim to include a minimum
of 0.8g carbohydrate per kilo body weight
within an hour of stopping exercise to start
the recovery process. See suggestions in
the table below.
Including protein during early recovery
supports the synthesis of new proteins
required to condition or increase the size of
skeletal muscle, as well as supporting any
muscle repair that might be necessary. Aim
for 0.2-0.4g protein per kilo body weight
(about 10-20g whole protein or 6-12g of
amino acids).
The combination of carbohydrate and
protein maximises the protein response
and promotes rapid recovery of muscle
glycogen stores. Drinks should be consumed
to restore fluid balance. One kilo of weight
lost is equivalent to approximately one litre
of fluid lost as sweat, so weighing before and
after exercise will give an indication of how
much is needed to start to rehydrate during
recovery.
Snacks containing 50g carbohydrate and
at least 10g protein
250-350mls of milkshake or fruit smoothie
500mls of flavoured milk
Sports bars (check the label)
2 slices of bread with meat/chicken/egg filling
2 tubs of low-fat fruit yogurt
Average bowl of breakfast cereal with low-fat milk
Cereal bar and 1 tub of yogurt
Small tin (200g) of baked beans and 2 slices of toast
2 slices of toast with thick spread of peanut butter
3
Michael Fennelly
Sports Star Spotlight
Profile
Full Name: Michael Fennelly
Date of Birth: 28/02/1985
Birth Place: Waterford
Sport: Hurling
Influences:
My parents and management team.
How did you become involved in hurling?
I became involved in hurling through my family and my
club - Ballyhale Shamrocks. Our club is the centre of the
community and hurling is the primary sport. My father’s
family would have been heavily involved in hurling in our
parish and now that has been passed on to my generation.
Best thing about playing hurling:
It’s a very skilful game, probably the most skilful game in
the world. It’s exciting, intense, fast moving, physical and
a game I feel very passionate about. It’s not an individual
sport, but a team sport where you can share the highs and
lows of the hurling game.
Pictured in the National Dairy Council
Dome at the National Ploughing
Championships were Michael Fennelly
(Kilkenny’s 2011 All-Ireland winning team)
and Zoë Kavanagh, Chief Executive, The
National Dairy Council.
4
Typical diet:
My diet would be different to most
players, as in I must keep my carbohydrates
up the whole time because I’m burning
them off just as fast. On a normal day, I
have a bowl of cornflakes, orange juice
and a yogurt/yogurt drink. I bring a
banana to work with me and have it
around 9.30am. I would have a tuna
sandwich or two scones with jam and
butter around 10.30am. Come lunchtime
at 1pm, I would have a big dinner (meat
e.g. pork/steak/lamb, plenty of potatoes
and plenty of vegetables) and a pint
of milk. At around 3pm, I would have
a protein bar and on a training night
I would have a sandwich e.g chicken
sandwich at about 5pm/5.30pm with a
sports drink. We would train about 7pm
and then I’d have big dinner after that,
similar to lunchtime - meat, vegetables,
potatoes with a pint of milk. I go home
then and have a cup of tea with a bar of
chocolate.
Do you drink milk?
I surely do! As I said, I have milk with
my breakfast, a pint of milk at 1pm with
my lunch, and later with my dinner I’d have
another pint of milk.
The importance of nutritional science:
It’s huge today. When I first joined the Kilkenny
panel in 2006, there wasn’t a lot about dietary/
nutritional requirements. In the last few years,
it is taken a lot more seriously. If your body
is not right and if you haven’t the right fuel
or energy, you are not going to perform at
your best. After training sessions we try to
recuperate our energy straight away - when
you come off that field you’re drinking milk,
recovery drinks; you’re eating snacks and
re-fuelling. Every player will tell you how
important nutritional science is. Some players
may have dietary requirements to lose weight,
but for me, I need to load up on carbohydrates
and protein. As I said, you need the right fuel
in your body to perform at your best.
“
“
Hurler of the Year, Michael Fennelly, discusses his diet and
love of hurling.
Issue 4 , December 2011
Greatest sporting achievement:
Winning the club All-Ireland with Ballyhale
Shamrocks against Portumna on St. Patrick’s Day in 2010.
Croke Park reminds me of the Roman Colosseum, and to
represent your home club in this stadium on the biggest
club day ever is very rewarding. With a full house of
82,000, whether if you’re a hurler or a footballer, Croke
Park is the place to be.
Thoughts before a game:
I would be thinking about how the game is going to pan
out and thinking about what I have to do to perform
well… I try to keep it as simple as possible and not worry
about anything else - I’m just so eager to get out there and
get the game started. Obviously, there are nerves before
any big game and it’s very important to control these
nerves.
Advice for aspiring athletes:
Whatever sport you play, do it to the best of your ability. If
you’re playing at inter-county level there can be quite a lot
of personal sacrifices involved: but it’s what I
love doing, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Train hard,
train extra and you will have that slight edge over your
competitor.
Sports Nutrition Case Study:
Half-marathon Runner Typical daily meal plan
Dr Tom Hill, originally from Cork, is a
registered nutritionist and Senior Lecturer
in Food and Human Nutrition at University of
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK. He has worked
on diet and nutrition issues with players,
athletes and teams both professional
and amateur across a range of sports
including rugby, soccer, GAA, rowing and
athletics. He has also published numerous
research articles and book chapters in
human nutrition and one of his main
research interests is the role of nutrition in
musculoskeletal health. He has also played
rugby for University College Cork and
is currently involved in coaching youth
rugby. (Email: [email protected])
Case study: Half marathon on the horizon for 2012.
Sean, aged 17, is planning to take part in a half marathon in 2012. He has
never taken on a challenge like this before and his aim is to complete the
13-mile course without being overly concerned about how long it takes.
He recognises that if he loses a little weight in the meantime it will help
his training and preparations but will also help his general health. With the
Christmas period looming, he knows that his diet will be vitally important
to keep him on track and he has asked for some dietary advice to see him
through the festive period. He likes most foods but is not particularly fond
of most fruit. He is willing to try new creative ways of increasing his intake of
fruit. His initial weekly training schedule consists of three light-to-moderate
intensity jog/treadmill runs for 45 minutes. He also walks to school daily,
which takes 20 minutes each way. He weighs 82kg and is 5 foot, 6 inches
tall.
Nutritionist recommendations
Estimated daily energy requirements based on weight, activity level and to
allow for slow weight loss:
2,300 kcals/day (50% carbohydrate; 20% protein; and 30% fat)
8am: Breakfast
•
Medium bowl of golden syrup-flavoured porridge made with lowfat milk
•
Large 400ml glass of homemade fruit smoothie
10.30 am: School snack
•
Cereal bar
•
Pint of low-fat milk
12.30pm: Lunch (at school)
•
Ham and cheese sandwich (2 slices ham, 2oz reduced-fat cheddar,
low-fat mayo and grated carrot)
•
Bowl or cup of thick vegetable soup
•
Apple
4.00-4.30pm: After school
•
Jog/Treadmill run
6.00pm: Dinner
•
Chicken curry and basmati rice with mushrooms and carrot
•
Diluted cordial
•
2 biscuits/tea
8.30 pm: Evening snack
•
Small pot of natural yogurt with mixed seeds
General guidelines
Sean is advised of the following during the nutrition meeting:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Follow five meals a day to avoid going hungry and never skip meals.
Drink plenty of water daily (3-4 pints recommended).
Healthier snacks/nibbles include a handful of unsalted nuts, reduced
fat crisps, popcorn or pretzels, dried fruit such as dates, figs or
apricots, bread sticks with tomato salsa or low-fat yogurt dips.
Try your best to follow these guidelines over the Christmas period but
do make allowance for Christmas day by enjoying dinner and a couple
of treats!
5.
6.
It is very important to consume fruit smoothies regularly to boost
fruit intake. Sample smoothie: 300ml natural, unsweetened
drinking yogurt; handful of mixed fresh or frozen berries (100g) or
other seasonal fruit (satsuma/mango); and 150ml pressed fruit juice.
Finally, get out and about as much as possible over the Christmas
period. Go for walks, get a few friends together for a game of
football, go to town for the day but make sure you make provision for
your diet!
Issue 4 , December 2011
5
Sport&Dairy
What
the
science
says
As part of the Milk It For All It’s Worth
campaign, Dr Emma Cockburn (Department
of Sport Development, Management and
Coaching, Northumbria University, UK) was
a key speaker at the free seminar for health
and fitness professionals, which took place
in October 2010 in Dublin where sports
coaches, sports nutritionists, dietitians
and sport science students attended. Dr
Cockburn discussed research on the role
that milk can play in muscle recovery and
the role of sports nutrition in exercise,
fitness training and competitive sport.
Here, we provide an overview of two studies
headed by Dr Emma Cockburn in relation
to milk-based supplementation and its
positive effect on muscle recovery.
Milk-based supplementation
attenuates exercise-induced
muscle damage
Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) can
lead to the breakdown of protein structures
in the muscle, resulting in a deterioration
of muscle performance and delayed-onset
muscle soreness (DOMS) – a condition that
all athletes strive to avoid.
Cockburn et al (2008) examined the effects
of a commercially available, milk-based
carbohydrate-protein (CHO-P) beverage
and milk (M) on EIMD, relative to water and a
commercially available carbohydrate-based
sports drink (CHO).
This study included 24 healthy male
participants who regularly compete in
team sports such as football, rugby, hockey
and cricket. Participants were instructed to
maintain their usual diet throughout the
6
Issue 4 , December 2011
study duration and be in a rested state,
having avoided any strenuous physical
activity for at least 48 hours and not taken
any nutritional supplements, caffeine,
alcohol or anti-inflammatory drugs in that
time. The subjects were assigned to one of
four groups: CHO-P; M; CHO; or water, which
was the control beverage (CON).
Participants completed a bout of exercise
designed to induce acute muscle damage
in their hamstrings. Immediately after, and
again within two hours after the exercise,
participants consumed 500ml of the drink
allocated to their group. Measurements such
as delayed-onset muscle soreness, and blood
measurements of certain intramuscular
enzyme levels were performed before, 24
and 48 hours after the exercise.
Although there was no difference in muscle
soreness between the groups, there were
many benefits reported in the milk groups.
For example, peak torque for the dominant
leg was higher 48 hours after the exercise in
the milk-based carbohydrate-protein group
relative to the water and sports drink groups,
and in the milk group relative to the sports
drink group. Total work of the exercise set
for the dominant leg was also higher after
48 hours in the milk-based carbohydrateprotein and the milk groups compared to
the other groups. The milk groups were also
associated with more desirable effects on
intramuscular enzyme levels.
It is proposed that the combination of protein
and carbohydrate may have resulted in the
attenuation of EIMD by altering protein
metabolism and providing an environment
to increase protein synthesis.
The results from this study suggest that an
athlete may benefit from consuming milk or
a milk-based carbohydrate-protein drink
after exercise. Although further research
may be required to confirm these effects
and mechanisms, this study supports
the potential role of milk and milk-based
products in sports nutrition.
Cockburn E et al (2008). Acute milk-based protein-CHO
supplementation attenuates exercise-induced muscle damage.
Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism 33: 775-783.
Timing of milk-based
supplementation for
attenuation of exercise-induced
muscle damage
Following on from the previous study
discussed, Cockburn et al. (2010)
investigated the effects of the timing of
milk-based carbohydrate-protein (CHO-P)
supplementation on the attenuation of
exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD).
In this study, 32 male participants who
regularly participate in team and individual
sports were included. Participants were
given instructions similar to those in the
previous study, namely to maintain their
habitual diet and arrive for the study in
a rested state. Subjects were randomly
assigned to one of four groups based on the
time of consuming 100ml of a milk-based
CHO-P supplement: before, immediately
after, or 24 hours after muscle damaging
exercise. Water was consumed at all other time
points within each of these three groups,
with the fourth group (control) consuming
water at all time points. Markers of exerciseinduced muscle damage and delayed
onset of muscle soreness were measured
and compared between groups.
In summary, results indicated that
consumption of the milk-based beverage
_ either immediately or 24 hours after the
muscle-damaging exercise _ was beneficial
by hastening recovery at 72 hours. The
group consuming the carbohydrateprotein supplementation before exercise
also demonstrated possible benefits when
compared with the control, such as limited
changes in active delayed onset muscle
soreness and peak torque, over 72 hours.
Furthermore, the milk-based supplement
at any time point was beneficial at
lowering the increases in creatine kinase
(an enzyme related to exercise-induced
muscle damage) activity compared to the
control.
It was concluded that the consumption
of milk-based carbohydrate-protein
following muscle-damaging exercise is
more beneficial for muscle performance
than consumption prior to exercise. From
this, the researchers suggest that athletes
consume milk-based CHO-P immediately
following training or competition in
order to reduce the impact of EIMD on
performance, thus enabling athletes to
train closer to optimal levels 48 hours after
muscle-damaging exercise.
Indeed, scientific research is revealing
significant findings regarding the potential
uses of milk and dairy in sport. Further
studies are required to realise the most
effective application to the athlete’s diet.
Cockburn E et al (2010). Effect of milk-based carbohydrateprotein supplement timing on the attenuation of exerciseinduced muscle damage. Applied Physiology Nutrition and
Metabolism 35: 270-277.
Issue 4 , December 2011
Resources and events
For updates on the NDC, follow us on
Twitter @NDC_ie
Log onto www.milkitforallitsworth.ie to find
out more about nutrition for sports and avail of this
interactive resource.
The National Dairy Council has a collection of
booklets available to download from our website
www.ndc.ie/publications
For more information about upcoming Milk It For All
It’s Worth seminars and events, visit the NDC website,
www.ndc.ie or contact us on (01) 290 2451.
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