GET THE MOST FROM A GLASS OF MILK

This month, grab a glass of milk after a ride to get you back on the road to recovery

It might surprise you but milk is now considered a ‘superfood’ because it contains all the essential things you need to help recovery; it’s full of protein, carbohydrate and (depending on which one you get) fat. Nutritionist Will Girling gives us the lowdown.

THE BENEFIT

With its combination attack of the major nutrients we need, studies show an amazing array of benefits – increasing muscle growth and recovery, reducing the muscle aches you get the next day after a hard ride, aiding rehydration and helping to restore carbohydrate stores to get you out again sooner and still train hard.

Flavoured milk with its added sugar will further speed up recovery, making it perfect after a beasting on the turbo, a hilly route or if you’re training again within eight hours. Post training, milk has been found to rehydrate you more efficiently than water too.

HOW MUCH/HOW OFTEN?

Try to have between 250500ml post training to get the most out of all the benefits mentioned.

Whole milk contains a lot more calories and although these will be predominantly from fat, which isn’t a bad thing in this context, it could slow down digestion.

TAKE IT ON BOARD

A great way to incorporate milk into your diet is by making this awesome post-workout shake in the blender, full of protein, carbs and micro-nutrients. Ingredients 300ml skimmed milk 25g whey 1 frozen banana Handful frozen berries Fast-digesting carbohydrates will quickly convert to energy in the saddle

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