By Drew Mulvey MS, CDN, CNS, CLT, PNL1, CPT
Summertime is now in full swing! What do you think of during this time? Campfires, trips to the beach, and ice cream! Let’s focus on the latter. Did you know whole fat dairy, such as in the form of ice cream, can be more beneficial for you than lower fat dairy, particularly for blood sugar, and cholesterol levels? In fact, recent studies and research done by the Cleveland Clinic found that whole fat dairy raised levels of HDL or good cholesterol. There was also less occurrence of diabetes.1 That does make sense as fat helps to slow down the release of sugar in the bloodstream. This is important as a straight shot of sugar to the bloodstream can wear out the adrenals. Can this also have an impact on athletic performance? Yes, it can! Check out the rest of the blog post for ways that one of my favorite whole-fat dairy products, ice cream, can be beneficial for training.
Emotional Satisfaction
There is an emotional component to this. Maybe ice cream reminds you of something special, like that special treat after a beach day or a family trip to the ice cream shop with the family or friends. It is a “feel good” food! Incorporating some of these can be incredibly beneficial not only for your psyche and finding a healthy balance with food but may even help to put your body in a state of rest and digest when you are sitting and enjoying all the flavors. This balance is crucial for maintaining a sustainable relationship with food which in turn will greatly impact your athletic performance in a positive way!
Blood Sugar
The amount of sugar in one’s diet and how can upset the body system has been a hot topic of discussion recently. When your body is exposed several times to it then inflammation can occur, but what about the timing of your sugars? Endurance athletes as well as bodybuilders and Cross Fitters can greatly benefit from simple sugars. Why is that? After 60 minutes of intense exercise or 90 minutes of steady state exercise, the body depletes itself of glycogen stores, of direct fuel for your muscles. When you run out of these you can tell as this is where you “hit a wall.” I am not saying to have ice cream during your runs but after a workout would be the best time to replenish these. On a biological level, your body is much more insulin sensitive after exercise. What exactly does that entail? Let’s talk biology for a little bit. After exercise, proteins start to creep up to the surface of cells, particularly in the intestines. These proteins are known as GLUT-4 receptors. These take up sugar from the blood immediately to replenish any carbohydrate that has been lost. Fueling after with some carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates is not only going to be metabolized by the body much better than if just at rest but will be utilized immediately to repair and replenish muscles. I also must mention that carbohydrates help to spare proteins and insulin can help with muscle growth. Therefore, after a long and strenuous strength session, such as a CrossFit Open, you can allow yourself a little treat and have it work to your advantage!
Proteins
Milk and dairy products contain two vital proteins that many in the fitness world know very well, whey and casein. Casein is commonly taken by bodybuilders at night to help increase muscle mass and several studies have shown that whey has muscle-building and repairing properties (like a whey shake), preventing muscle breakdown. In ice cream, these two proteins are present which may further help with the healing process.
Hormones and Fertility
This is a huge topic of discussion around female athletes as factors such as disordered eating, extreme psychological and physical stress from the demands of life and sport, and what an athlete’s diet consists of can significantly impact hormonal balance and overall athletic performance. This was very relevant to me a couple of years back when I had lost my period and my hormones were not balanced. Interestingly enough I was looking deeper into the fertility diet and whole fat dairy was recommended as opposed to skim and low-fat dairy products. Why is this? Whole fat dairy has not been processed or had fat extract out of it which can have a beneficial impact on ovulation and adds protection against infertility. Low fat and skim milk products did the opposite.2 Yes, whole fat dairy products contain more saturated fats and cholesterol, but these were not linked to ovulatory issues. It is more trans fats. These come in the form of hydrogenated fats. If you see those on the label, it would be best to bypass them.
When fertility is a factor it is also linked to hormones, which if imbalanced can not only affect reproduction but can affect your mood, bone density, heart rate, cholesterol levels, and your energy and stamina. If you are looking for optimizing your athletic performance, fertility and balancing hormones will go hand in hand with your athletic goals.
Conclusion
What other convincing do you need? If you do have an allergy to milk, there are plenty of delicious alternatives that can help with muscle repair. My personal favorite is Nada Moo, but I also started to enjoy a brand called Cosmic Bliss. Oatly is also another delicious one. Just be careful if you are gluten-free with the Qatly! Make sure it is marked that way.
References:
1) Engel S, Elhauge M, Tholstrup T. Effect of whole milk compared with skimmed milk on fasting blood lipids in healthy adults: a 3-week randomized crossover study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018 Feb;72(2):249-254. doi: 10.1038/s41430-017-0042-5. Epub 2017 Dec 11. PMID: 29229955.
2) Cherry, T. Fertile Food: Can You Eat Your Way To Pregnancy? University of Rochester Website. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/medialibraries/urmcmedia/fertility-center/education/documents/fertility-diet.pdf. Accessed July 14, 2022.
