Post-workout sports drink? Try cereal and milk instead

Athletes may get the same post-workout boost from a bowl of cereal as they might expect from a sports drink, researchers found.

A bowl of cereal with nonfat milk after exercise produced statistically similar results as a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink for nearly all measures of muscle glycogen and protein synthesis, Lynne Kammer, M.S.E., M.A., of the University of Texas at Austin, and colleagues reported.

The findings, in trained cyclists and triathletes, were reported in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Note that the sports drink contained only carbohydrates (78.5 g) and electrolytes whereas the cereal plus milk contained carbohydrates (77 g), protein (19.5 g), and fat (2.7 g).