Volac study sheds light on lactose oxidation for endurance performance

17 Jun 2020 --- Consuming lactose during physical activity exerts favorable metabolic effects, such as higher fat oxidation and less glycogen use, according to a Volac-supported study. It found that endogenous readily oxidized carbohydrates (CHO) oxidation contributed less to energy expenditure in lactose compared to water. This research adds to the accumulating science affirming the benefits of dairy ingredients for endurance performance in the sports nutrition sector.

“Although many sugars, such as sucrose, have been investigated in sports nutrition, lactose has not previously been researched. As lactose is present in the diets of many athletes and active individuals, such as in milk and yogurt, the researchers thought it important to understand more about the metabolism of this sugar,” Dr. Elisa Glover, Nutritionist at Volac, tells NutritionInsight.

Lactose currently does not explicitly feature in any guidelines for carbohydrate intake and sports nutrition, she continues. “Although there are some suggestions that lactose-containing foods, milk for example, may be positive for recovery, the extent to which lactose contributes to the carbohydrate intake in athletes and active individuals is not known.”

The authors hypothesized that lactose would be oxidized comparably to sucrose, so this finding was “not a surprise,” Dr. Glover underscores. The study contributes to the scientific understanding of lactose consumption during physical exercise, highlighting that mean exogenous CHO oxidation rates were comparable with lactose and sucrose ingestion.

Moreover, fat oxidation was higher in lactose (8 percent) than sucrose (6 percent). The study had 11 participants aged 18 to 26 cycle for 150 minutes on five occasions. Participants ingested CHO beverages with 48 g of lactose or sucrose or water throughout exercise.

The study was conducted at the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK. Volac is the industrial partner in a collaborative PhD studentship with the University of Birmingham.

Dairy for sports nutrition
Volac has witnessed a rise in dairy ingredients for the sports nutrition sector. Previously speaking with NutritionInsight, the UK manufacturer of whey proteins and lactose products predicts high-protein waters will continue to see a surge in popularity, while the COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on how key nutrients and essential amino acids provided in dairy proteins can optimize overall health.

“For now, research will continue to focus on the metabolic impacts of lactose during and in recovery from exercise in order to fully explore its potential within the sports nutrition context,” Dr. Glover concludes.

By Anni Schleicher