Workout of the Day:
3-3-3-3-3
Shoulder Press, followed immediately by
Weighted Pull-Ups
(Rest as needed between sets.)
Sarah (aka, Dingo) - CrossFit Invictus Mascot and Director of Canine Training
Why I Shaved My Milk Moustache
Written by Calvin Sun
If you haven’t already, I would recommend reading Mark’s post, “Why I Like Milk” (posted yesterday), prior to reading this one. I don’t entirely agree with Mark but he does make some valid points. A lot of research has shown saturated fat is not quite the nutritional evil it’s been thought to be and milk is certainly a cheap and easy way to get your calories. In fact, many strength and mass gain programs call for a gallon of milk a day to supplement an athlete’s diet. Milk is the choice food of infant mammals, so there certainly is some data that supports the notion that milk will contribute to weight gain.
Mark suggests drinking milk as an ideal post-workout food to replenish glycogen, the stored carbohydrate in your muscle tissue and liver. Post-workout there is a window of approximately 30 minutes where the body is primed for nutrient absorption and glycogen replenishment. Milk has a low glycemic index which is typically considered to be a positive attribute, it means that milk will slowly elevate blood sugar as opposed to high glycemic index foods which cause a rapid increase in blood sugar. Given such a narrow window of time, it is more effective to use a carbohydrate source that would quickly enter the bloodstream.
Despite it’s low glycemic index, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that milk has an exceptionally high insulin index that rivals white bread. That means even though the carbohydrates in milk enter the bloodstream slowly, the insulin response triggered is disproportionately high. Dr. Loren Cordain, states that milk, along with refined sugars and grains, can result in insulin levels that are elevated for upwards of several hours. As many of you already know, high insulin levels can lead to a myriad of health issues including diabetes, obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and glucose intolerance. Dr. Barry Sears, creator of the Zone Diet, contends that high insulin can lead to a state of chronic inflammation making us predisposed to disease. Dr. Cordain adds that excessive calcium consumption can impair zinc absorption which in turn can further promote inflammation.
So should you drink milk? If you feel lethargic, bloated, or have any type of gastrointenstinal distress after consuming dairy, you should certainly consider making some adjustment to your diet. Also, if you have trouble losing a few of those holiday pounds, you might want to rethink your dairy intake. On the other hand, if you wish to pack on a few pounds of muscle (and invariably fat), try supplementing your diet with lots of milk.
What is the glycemic load (not index) for milk? If the load is high, that may explain the insulin spiking. If it doesn’t, well then *shrug*.
Thanks Calvin. So what are some post workout nutrition recovery suggestions?
Mike,
The glycemic load is about 2-3 depending on the fat content, so the load is pretty low. Neither the GI nor GL are to blame for the disproportionate response. A recent study also published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the whey in dairy is the cause of the mismatched response. Read it here: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/80/5/1246. It will make you think twice about your precious protein powder.
POS,
Robb Wolf suggests yams or sweet potatoes as a great post-workout carb source. Those sources will replenish muscle glycogen first whereas fruit, specifically fructose, will refill the liver first and only the remainder going to the muscles.
That actually makes a lot of sense. Whey has been known to cause an insulin spike, which in the bodybuilding world, is what they want as it contributes to the anabolic effect, if I’m not mistaken.
The yam/sweet potato suggestion is one of the greatest statements to come out of Robb’s mouth. I _love_ both. So. Good.
Mike,
Even bodybuilders try to limit insulin spikes to the post-workout window. Consuming dairy or drinking shakes throughout the day can lead to diminished insulin sensitivity. Definitely not a good idea for the athlete that is trying to stay lean.
I spent some time looking at the whey-insulin response and happened on two studies of note. One published in the Nov. 2008 issue of Nutrition Research showed that insulin sensitivity, shown by the number of insulin receptors on cells, increased along with insulin itself during ingestion of whey, seeming to suggest that a spike in the hormone wouldn’t then lead to intolerance. The other I found interesting was published last year in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that glucagon levels increased along with insulin as whey was ingested, and the ratio of glucagon to insulin went up as protein intake increased. Glucagon is the other side of the hormonal ‘teeter-totter’ referred to in the Zone. Could this temper the insulin spike? Maybe. Just some food for thought.
The beauty of the fact that Calvin and I disagree is that it hopefully will get a few of you to critically think about this topic and others by looking at both sides. No matter what anyone says, there is no one right way to eat, and no food is entirely good or entirely bad. I recommend taking in all the info you can, consider experimenting a little, and most importantly, finding what works the best for you.
Also, well done to the 6AMers, we had a lot of strong effort this morning. Jessica and Misty, we’ll have you doing dead hang pull-ups in no time!
I can see how too much of anything can reduce the level of reaction sensitivity, generally speaking. The analogy is drug addicts that need more to get the same high.
Anyway, I just know that since I’ve started more milk (in coffee), my lactose intolerance has gone down so I will keep drinking it (in moderation, of course!) as it makes me feel good and gets me going for my training. As Mark says, it really comes down to the individual person.
While it is positive to discuss the ups and downs of various foods, the health problem overall is not solved by leaving it up to the individual person… let me explain…
While the CrossFit subculture and various others may want to spend time hacking their diets and bodies for optimal fitness and health the average person does not. It’s probably a combination of a lack of desire, time, knowledge, and awareness. So what I suspect happens is that diet is often ignored as a health factor when people develop ailments such as IBS (irritable bowel).
So if giving people a warning about milk and artificial sweeteners (similar to what has been done with cigarettes) will improve the health of our society I say go for it, and at the same time let folks who want to enjoy their milk mustache and cafe lattes.
Fellow Invicti,
I wanted to give a hearty “thank you” to both Calvin and Mark who have recently been helping me to tweak/fix my Bee Charming squat form. I still have major issues to address, but it’s getting better each week.
I suggest anyone who is having trouble with their squat technique to get some input from Mark, Calvin or any of our fine trainers. I have benefited from some very effective stretching and flexibility drills (that can be done in the office) taught by our trainers.
We are very fortunate at CFI to have some well rounded coaches who are not only studly CrossFitters, but who are also well educated and have experience in physical therapy and nutrition fundamentals.
Mark is especially gifted with a combo personality of “cage fighter/mad scientist”.
Actually, maybe that’s more like Mmmmm Good!!
~BC
My post workout meal consists of Whey Protein mixed in chocolate milk and a banana. I want an insulin spike, as this leads to the sugar being immediately deposited into the muscles. Since the muscles have used most of the sugar / energy in them from the workout, I consider this a good thing. I got the idea from bodybuilding years ago and it makes sense to me. I could be wrong but I like it.