Are sugar and milk good for sportsmen?

The need of consumption of sugar and milk is a very controversial issue nowadays. There are so many experiments conducted in order to find the right answer to whether people should consume these products or not. Some modern nutritionists are sure these products should not be consumed at all. Yet, even if they are unhealthy for average people, those who exercise regularly might have different needs.

Here you will find some information which will help you to decide whether you should consume sugar and milk or not under the condition of you being a physically active person.

What is wrong with sugar and milk?

Let’s look at the negative sides of sugar and milk consumption right from the start since it might happen that you should not consume them at all because of your personal health condition.

You will hardly meet a person today who is not aware of the problems which can be caused by sugar consumption. Certainly, diabetes is only one of them. Even if we ignore all of the possible long-term effects of sugar consumption, there is still a very simple issue related to eating sugar which is the fact sugar is a resource of so-called empty calories. It is increasing the sugar level in your blood rapidly and makes it drop rapidly as well. Food rich in sugar is usually a way more caloric than the same amount of food without sugars. On top of that, all of these calories will not bring your body anything nutritional except for energy. No matter how your body needs this energy, there are many other ways of to supply your body with calories which will actually be beneficial for your health.

Because of this nature of sugar, the ketogenic diet based on fats and, at the same time including an extremely small amount of carbohydrates have become thus popular among some sportsmen.

When it comes to milk, some sportsmen are concerned about lactose which is also a sugar. Some people have lactose intolerance which means they cannot consume milk at all. Yet, according to some experts, mild lactose intolerance is present in almost everyone even if no visible symptoms are experienced. Unfortunately, for some people the intolerance of milk comes to a different level. Some people actually have reactions to casein which is a milk protein. Although the condition is not thus popular, it is still there. If one has just a lactose intolerance, he or her can substitute milk with any products of milk fermentation such as yogurts or cottage cheese which are regarded to be even healthier. Calcium is absorbed better when there is no presence of sugars whereas fermented dairy products also have healthy bacteria which are responsible for the overall good condition of your body.

Still, the fitness society is against milk because of the sugars it contains in the first place. If you are afraid milk will not let you lose weight or will even increase it, you should be aware of the fact, it is possible to put on weight while eating absolutely any product, no matter how healthy it is.

Should you drink milk if you are leading an active lifestyle?

Even though some of the results of the research on milk is rather controversial, there are no doubts in the fact milk is a good source of proteins. Certainly, there are many products rich in proteins, however, the proteins of milk are particularly well-digested by our bodies which means they will help you to grow muscles particularly efficiently. A crucial thing is that a glass of milk will give you more benefits than a protein cocktail based on soy. Milk is also a better choice than a sweet isotonic beverage. It has lost of micronutrients which are very much needed during intense workouts.

That is why, if you actually do not have any health issues triggered by milk consumption, this product should be in your diet. Those people who are suffering from lactose intolerance can choose fermented dairy products which are a great alternative to milk. Note that fat-free milk is still a better option than plant-based protein cocktails.

Should you eat sugar?

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, eating sugar has to be as small as possible. If you do not exercise regularly, you might even need to resign from it all along.

Providing you do exercise on a regular basis and may be even are doing it professionally, especially one of the sports requiring high endurance, having a drink including sugar (between 30 and 60 grammes) can even save you from dehydration. That is so since sugar increases a need to drink so you will have to drink more to satisfy your thirst. That is opposite to people leading a ketogenic lifestyle who tend to feel thirst less. Even some of them find it a great new ability of their bodies, the effects of dehydration can be rather unpleasant.

Certainly, if you have chosen a ketogenic diet, you will not be able to mix it with a single sweet beverage during your workout. Yet, if for some reason you cannot or do not want to apply the ketogenic diet, you can still enjoy the benefits of consuming a small amount of sugar during a workout. The crucial thing it should be really small and only during your workout.