There is a small study published in the Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise journal where researchers looked at effects of milk on body composition. The study included 20 women performing a resistance workout consisting of basic push/pull exercises. Upon completion of the workout, the women received either half a liter of fat-free milk or a sugar-based energy drink.

After three months of monitoring, the researchers found that women in the milk group lost more body fat and gained more lean muscle then the control group drinking sugar-based energy drinks. So what is about milk that helped with the body composition change? Previous studies have already shown that calcium and whey protein can help with fat loss and both of these are found in milk.

Bottom line: Milk is a great source of calcium and protein and now there is one more reason to drink it. If you can’t drink milk, there are other sources of calcium such as tofu, soybeans, instant oats. Other protein sources include chicken breast, fish fillets, tuna, egg whites, soy milk, tofu, and nuts.

References:

Josse, A. American College of Sports Medicine, pp 1122-1128.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 86, No. 2, 373-381, August 2007