Beyond making bones healthy, milk is becoming a healthful food for athletes and those concerned about bodyweight.
Dietary supplementation with milk proteins has been found in clinical studies to increase performance of athletes. In one study, conducted in the Sports Medicine Centre (Bucharest, Romania), 16 top swimmers were given 50g of milk protein daily for 60 days before competition. The protein, REFIT[r] from DMV International (Frazer, N.Y.), was served in the forms of chocolate milk and yogurt. Ten swimmers of equal caliber were given a placebo for comparison. The REFIT group showed significant improvements in muscle strength, increase in maximum oxygen intake, increase in red blood corpuscles content, as well as a reduction in body fat. The researchers concluded REFIT is an important supplement for the diet for athletes preparing for competition.1