The Acute Effects of Milk Consumption on Systemic Inflammation after Combined Resistance and Plyometric Exercise in Young Females

This thesis compared the inflammatory responses following post-exercise milk consumption versus an isoenergetic, isovolumetric carbohydrate beverage in young untrained females. We hypothesized that milk consumption would benefit markers of inflammation. Utilizing a crossover design, participants performed an acute bout of resistance/plyometric exercise followed by consumption of white skim milk (MILK) or a carbohydrate control (CHO). Blood samples were taken at baseline, 15min, 75min, 24h, and 48h post-exercise, and serum IL-1, TNF-, IL-6 and IL-10 were analyzed. There were no main effects or interactions for IL-1 or TNF-. IL-6 increased 15min post-exercise vs. baseline (time effect). Between 24 and 48h, MILK and CHO had opposing effects on IL-10 (interaction), with MILK decreasing (from being higher at 24h) and CHO increasing (from being lower at 24h). Post-exercise milk consumption did not influence the absolute concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines; however, there were divergent responses for the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, which warrants further exploration.