Word. If you ignore the hromone and antibiotic content (ie. if you buy organic milk), is low fat (skim or 1% fat) milk a good source of nutrition? Cassein and whey are obviously both excellent forms of protein and if you don’t have a lactose intolerance I’m assuming that lactose is a decent carbohydrate…as well the ratio of protein to carbs seems pretty good at 12g/8.5g respectively per serving. So what do you guys think, any oppinions?
Skim milk is a great food for bulking, but many need to cut it out while cutting. Also, it is a very individual thing. Many people need to experiment with and without milk in their diet to see if it makes any significant effects.
BTW, you listed the protein:carb ratio backwards in your orginal post. Milk is usually 8-10g protein and 12-15g carb per cup.
Jason brings up an observation I’ve had…people most DEFINITELY respond to milk in many different ways…from completely intolerant to it being an important and integral part of their bodybuilding efforts.
You really have to “self-experiment”…
Milk is a good source of protein and vitamins. As I understand it, if you’re liable to gain fat easily, you should take semi skimmed or skimmed, if you’re on the naturally thin side, then take full cream.
Never use UHT, as most of the goodness is lost by the heat treatment.
One word of warning, if you’re lactose intollerant, (and most “older” people are), then excessive milk intake can cause extreme flattulence and worse. This is because us “older” guys lose the enzyme thats needed to process the latose sugar that found in milk.
Lactose is 1/2 galactose, which restores liver glycogen…not muscle glycogen. If liver glycogen is topped of (which is almost definatly will be if you are eating properly on a bulking cycle) then galactose will likely be stored as fat. As with just about anything, moderation is key.
See the “Food that make you look good naked” article. TC and Shugart put it in the “okay for some” category as I recall. I think Berardi and Shugart have both bashed it to an extent. Too many sugary carbs for many people, but good for skinny broke teens.
Milk comes from cows. The fact is calves are supposed to drink milk not people. Having said that it sure does taste good doesn’t it? 
Sorry but Milk rules! Without it we would not have Whey or Casien!
To those who say “Humans aren’t supposed to drink milk”-well we aren’t supposed to use Testosterone, Drink beer, use drugs, Pro-Steroids, Fly in Planes, go to space ete. etc. Get a life.
I once read an article where newborn calves were fed the pasturized milk we drink, and they all died within two weeks. If you’re going to drink milk, its said, you should drink natural goat’s milk (I forgot why).
I should have qualified my statement by saying “Cows” milk is for calves. Whey and Casein are found in human milk as well as cows milk. The whey and casein from human milk is in differing proportions to cows milk. In addition to this how many other commonly consumed foods/beverages can you think of that probably billions of the worlds population are not even capable of digesting? (lactose intolerance)
Milk is fine regardless of whether you’re dieting or bulking. The only time you’d need to cut it out would be prior to a contest or a time when you can’t have much water retention.
As for the lactose, well, do what I do and take some lactase (lactaid). As for lactose, it’s comprised of both galactose and glucose but then again, if you’re incapable of digesting much lactose then you don’t need to worry so much about its effect on insulin since not much of the glucose is released.
Lastly, calcium derived from dietary sources has been shown to increase lipolysis and decrease lipogenesis.
Thanks realist, can you explain for me what lipolysis and lipogenesis are…I’m not familiar with these terms. Also am I correct in understanding that lactose is not a single carbohydrate but rather 2: 50% galactose which preferentially restored liver glycogen and 50% glucose (which I know restores mucle glycogen)? Are there other carbs in milk besides these…and one more question if you guys don’t mind: I know the GI of glucose is very high (about as high as it gets) but whats the GI of galactose? Overall would you say milk causes a huge insulin spike or is it relatively modest insulin-wise. Much appreciate…
Okay I see your point. But If one is not Lactose intolerant (I am not.) I think it is fine. Do you get your Whey and Casien from a special supplement company using human milk?
Whey and Casein can rather easily be isolated from milk so is there no need for that. As for lactose intolerance I feel there is not really an either/or here but only to what extent is one lactose intolerant. Many people who aren’t so called lactose intolerant as youngsters grow lactose intolerant as they age. If I’m correct an individual could be say 40% lactose intolerant and maybe never notice anything. Even among those who consume dairy with zero perceived problems they will still retain water on it and it is known for making one look smooth. This is the sign of a minor reaction somewhere in the body probably to peptides or other proteins. How many times have you seen large amounts of dairy in the week before a contest for a bodybuilder?
I guess haven’t. Personally I will throw down 8 oz or so a day. (I do avoid the carbs-as I am usually on a lower carb diet.) I do know I can stay at 8%BF at 220lbs with 48 plus ounces of skim milk per day though. When I was younger (in shcool) I had to resort to MRPS’s mixed in Skim Milk(No Funds.)
I know the proteins can be isiolated I am just making my point to those who think dairy products are “evil.”
My experience: I grew up on a small farm, and drank either goat or unpasturized milk right out of the bulk tank until I was 12 or so. Since then we’ve bought all our milk from Wal-mart. In the last 2-3 yrs I’ve made milk a staple of my diet (32 oz. or more p/day on a bulk) but I would always get deadly gas an hr. or so after drinking a qt. or more.
Recently my wife and I started getting our milk from a local farmer and on my most recent bulking cycle I was able to drink 32 oz. a.m. and 32 oz. again p.m. with little or no side effects.
I don’t know why exactly, but have read that the pasteurizing and/or homogenizing change some of the characteristics of the milk. Also third world countries drink straight from the cow and have almost no lactose intolerance.
Isn’t milk full of those nasty estrogens that you’re all so concerned about? They give it to cows so they lactate continuously.
I agree with Kelly. Besides milking cows are freaks, in nature there wouldn’t be such thing as a cow that constantly gives you milk. I never drink milk and my health did improve after quiting it. Particularly my skin health.
It’s interesting you mention skin health. The whole reason I started this thread was because I went on a vacation to a remote beach where I couldn’t get MRP’s or protein bars or anythings else (and I didn’t bring any nutrition with me), so I resorted to drinking large amounts of skim milk to get my protein. I was probably drinking about 2 liters (1/2 gal) per day, normally I hardly drink any. Anyway at the end of three days of this I had a noticeable acne breakout on my chest, shoulders and upper arms. This is not a normal thing for me, but I never connected it to the milk untill I just read you’re post. I can’t say for sure if it was the milk…it may have been increased use of sunscreen or lots of other factors, but it does get me thinking…
That is exactly what happens to me. A extremely nasty case of acne all over my back shoulders and upper arms. I tried eliminating all the other possible culrpits, like soaps, etc untill i got to diet and cut milk. It desapeared in a couple of weeks. I haven’t drunk any milk since. Butter and some cheese is ok to me though.