Athletes can improve their bone health by eating a dairy-based meal before exercising, new research has found.
The study, involving 32 competitive cyclists, has prompted the Australian Institute of Sport to recommend its athletes incorporate dairy foods more strategically into their diets.
The research by the AIS and Monash and Queensland universities was supported by Dairy Australia.
It found that eating a dairy-based meal before cycling reduced bone breakdown during and after exercise, compared with the dairy-free breakfast trial.
"The pre-exercise calcium boost helped to counteract the loss of calcium in sweat and reduce the bone breakdown that would otherwise occur," AIS head of sports nutrition Louise Burke said.
"This may help to preserve bone mineral density (BMD) in cyclists and reduce their risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis later in life."
High impact exercise like running stimulates bone growth, but athletes involved in non-weight bearing exercise, such as cycling, rowing and swimming, are vulnerable to low BMD.
This can be exacerbated by losing calcium through sweat.
The AIS is suggesting that athletes have a 1000 milligram calcium boost, equivalent to three standard dairy serves, before exercising.
"In one case, we have had the team chef create some breakfast recipes including cheese omelettes, bircher muesli and smoothies with milk and yoghurt to help athletes meet this target," Professor Burke said.
The results are also relevant to amateur cyclists.
"All cyclists could think about their choice of pre-ride breakfast or, when they stop at a cafe on a weekend ride, consider ordering a latte or hot chocolate rather than a short black."
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