Drinking cow’s milk could cause a ‘vicious cycle of inflammation’ which may ‘interfere with athletic performance’, according to a new report.

Dairy Does A Body Bad is a compilation of research from leading clinicians and nutritionists outlining the negative effects of dairy – published by plant-based charity Switch4Good.

The report also states athletes who use cow’s milk as a sports nutrition beverage ‘risk abdominal discomfort, bloating/distension, gas, diarrhea, and/or constipation’ and cites two studies showing how athletes commonly report symptoms consistent with IBS and that ‘dairy consumption can worsen such symptoms’.

‘Chronic diseases’

“Cow’s milk consumption has been linked to a number of chronic diseases such as hormone-dependent cancers, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and infertility, among others,” the report concludes.

“For athletes, there is little in the way of evidence to support the notion that cow’s milk is a performance food.

“Mechanistically, the constituents of cow’s milk may impair athletic performance and recovery by reducing blood flow and tissue oxygenation, exacerbating respiratory symptoms, causing gastrointestinal distress, and degrading bone integrity.”

You can read the full report – or register for the free Dairy Does a Body Bad Zoom call – which features an expert panel discussion and Audience Q&A here