Got Milk?

With the off season upon us, many bodybuilders are going through a process called bulking. This is basically when you eat as much as you can (healthy foods of course) and work out as hard as you can so you can convert that food into mass. When in season you chisel away at that mass to turn yourself from a mere mortal into an aesthetic God. To get all those calories in you isn’t as easy as it sounds and many builders turn to milk as a staple in their diets to get  a lot of calories in a short amount of time. Why not? It’s fairly cheap, readily available, and it does a body good…right?  Well maybe not.

The question of whether or not milk should be part of a balanced diet is nothing new. Besides recent claims linking milk to cancer, the main reason dairy is so controversial is because of a naturally occurring sugar called lactose. When someone is lactose intolerant it means they can’t easily break down this natural sugar which can lead to some major consequences.

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When lactose moves through the large intestines and colon without being properly digested, it can cause uncomfortable symptoms such as gas, belly pain, and bloating. Lactose intolerance isn’t something new. Many of you probably know of some people who cannot digest any milk products. But the truth of the matter is – it’s possible to be lactose intolerant on a smaller level. Maybe to the point of not readily noticing it. For example, some people can eat or drink small amounts of milk products or certain types of milk products without problems.

So could diary be ruing your gains secretly without you knowing? Check out these facts of what lactose intolerance look like – maybe you have it and it’s getting in the way of your bulk.

Bloating

Probably the most common symptom of lactose intolerance is the gassy feeling of being bloated. Despite being uncomfortable, it can give you the appearance of a distended gut and in some advanced cases diarrhea.

Acne

Many builders and workout enthusiast report than when they consume moderate to large amount of milk and dairy products they experience acne breakouts. These breakouts usually occur on the face and the back and usually stop once the person stops drinking milk. If you’re experiencing this during your own bulking program you might be lactose intolerant and want to cut dairy (mainly milk) out of your diet.

Vomiting

While it may seem like common sense to stop ingesting something if it makes you throw up, we would like to ask who of you stopped drinking after his first hangover…even his 10th? We didn’t think so. The truth is unless you’ve had a wild kegger the night before, sometimes it’s hard to pin-point what exactly has made you sick. If you’ve found that you’ve been throwing up lately and aren’t sure what’s causing it, try scaling back on your dairy intake and see if anything changes.

So what’s the solution?

Now that we’ve zone in on the problem what’s the solution? As mentioned before this problem of lactose intolerance is nothing new. Fortunately for us, because of this we have many dairy alternatives available at most local supermarkets. Things like Almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk…it seems like pretty much anything you can think of can be milked. If these alternatives simply don’t work for you and you just can’t live without that creamy goodness, you can also try lactase supplements. Lactase are enzymes that aid in the breakdown of lactose, by adding these supplements into your diet they give you the extra enzymes needed digest lactose effectively.

If you don’t experience any of these symptoms and have never had a problem with dairy, carry on. Milk probably won’t mess up your gains. If however you are experiencing this and your bulk is turning into a hazy nightmare then take heed. “No pain no gain” applies to the weight room, not your intestines. Have fun and dare I say enjoy your bulking process.
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Are you experiencing bulking woes? Has cutting dairy worked for you? Are we completely off with your experience bulking? Hit us up with your opinions below!