Fasting blood fat levels (triglycerides) are often used to assess risk of heart disease but the level of fats in the blood after a meal is actually a stronger risk factor. Most of our day is spent digesting the food we eat (which takes hours). Therefore, "after meal" blood fat levels have more of an impact on formation of blockages in our arteries and our risk of heart disease compared to "fasting" blood fat levels. Exercise performed hours before a meal reduces the level of fats that appear in the blood after a meal and can be used to reduce our risk of heart disease. Exercise has this effect because muscle burns fats for hours after an exercise session is over; this helps to remove fats from the blood. Unfortunately, when high-sugar drinks (such as Gatorade) are consumed after exercise, the possible benefits of exercise for reducing blood fat levels after meals is lessened. This is because high-sugar drinks stimulate the release of insulin into the blood. Insulin is a hormone which inhibits fat burning at the muscle. Previous research we did showed that foods that result in a slower rise in blood sugar and lower release of insulin preserve the beneficial effects of exercise for lowering blood fat levels after the next meal. Milk also results in a slow rise in blood sugar and low release of insulin; therefore, it may also have this beneficial effect if consumed as a recovery beverage after exercise. Our proposed research will test the effects of consuming two popular exercise-recovery drinks (Milk vs. Gatorade) on the rise in blood fat levels after a meal given hours later. A total of 20 obese or overweight participants will take part. We predict that milk consumed after an exercise session in the evening will result in a lower increase in insulin, a greater amount of fat-burning at muscle and a lower blood fat level after a meal given the next morning. Milk and Gatorade are both promoted as good beverages to promote recovery after exercise. This study will provide evidence about milk as a healthier choice compared to Gatorade and will allow dairy producers to promote health benefits of dairy products.
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Change in blood triglycerides
Timeframe: Change from baseline to 6 hours