Rehydrating: you’re doing it wrong. In fact, we all are. Everyone I’ve ever known works out with either a water bottle or a sports drink, such as Gatorade, nearby. It turns out, we’d be better off near a cow.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK have found that milk is better at rehydrating the body after a workout than either water or sports drinks, the Telegraph reports. A professor recruited several students to exercise and then rehydrate with the three different beverage options.
Milk stayed in the system much longer, in part because it is absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream and therefore your body retains the liquid for much longer (hence why some people feel bloated after drinking milk.) Rehydration after a workout is important because muscle growth and recovery require hydration, Livestrong.org explained.
The Telegraph also noted that milk is filled with electrolytes (the main draw of sports drinks), carbs and proteins — a nutritious trifecta for a post-workout body. (Another good-for-you food after a workout? Cherries!)
READ MORE: 9 Running Essentials We Can’t Live Without
