After Your Workout, Drink Milk Instead Of Sports Drinks, Study Says

Your mom always told you that milk is great for growing bones, but it's also an important way to help your body stay hydrated. The Daily Meal has already told you that chocolate milk is great for replenishing tired muscles, but now it's official: scientists have found that drinking milk is better for your body post-workout than drinking sports drinks.

In a study published in the Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism journal, researchers at Griffith University in Australia tested 15 male participants (average age of 25), by having them work out on stationary bikes. The men worked out four separate times, and each time the men hydrated with a different liquid: cow's milk, soy milk, milk-based meal supplement, and Powerade. The participants' weight, blood, and urine were tested before and after each workout. The milk-based meal supplement actually came out as the healthiest post-workout drink, while the Powerade came in dead-last. It's important to keep in mind that this was a small study, but it certainly seems like milk is the better option.

"Milk-based drinks are more effective rehydration options compared with traditional sports drinks," the study's authors wrote. "The additional energy, protein, and sodium in a milk-based liquid meal supplement facilitate superior fluid recovery following exercise."

Even if it does make you feel kind of gross to be chugging milk after sweating it out at the CrossFit gym, if your goal is hydration, milk is your drink.