The You Docs - Column by - ArcaMax Publishing

ArcaMax Publishing > Lifestyles > The You Docs

Your email address is safe with us. View our Privacy policy.

Wedding Guide:

Get advice on planning your big day with our wedding guide

Car Names Hangman:

Try our FREE ArcaMax Car Name Hangman Game

The Funnies:

Get free jokes, comics, and more! See them all on
our funnies page

Author Bio:

Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, considered by many to be "America's favorite physicians," work together to bring their tips for a healthy ...

Read more about By Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D..

Books:

Read the classics online or by email. More details on the books page

Games:

Fun online games, quizzes, hangman and more on the games page

To Make Your Next Workout Easier, Drink This

By Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

You don't need a fancy sports drink to recover from a short workout quickly and be ready for your next session. Instead, consider the potent recovery drink that's probably already in your fridge: skim milk. It rehydrates exercisers as well as water does and more effectively than sports drinks. Try it for a workout that lasts less than two hours (if it goes longer than that, we prefer that you use sports drinks).

When you exercise, you deplete water and glycogen, the fuel that allows your muscle cells to come together or, as we say, shorten and contract. Being depleted of these things is like being starved of sleep; your body just won't perform as well. Being just 2 percent dehydrated reduces exercise performance and makes your workout feel harder. That's why rehydrating is so important.

Milk may do more than that: There's evidence that weightlifters who drank a 16-ounce glass of milk right after a workout and another an hour later gained more lean body mass and lost more fat than the lifters who drank a soy or carbohydrate sports drink instead. But we agree -- that's a lot of milk (and its calories may be more than you burned off during exercise). So, next time you work out, try a single glass afterward and see if it makes your next workout feel even better.

========

The YOU Docs, Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen, are authors of "YOU: The Owner's Manual." Want more? See "The Dr. Oz Show" on TV (check local listings). To submit questions, go to www.RealAge.com. (c) 2009 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

This news arrived on: 10/26/2009

Share this Story