Can dairy beverages promote post-exercise recovery in young female athletes? A crossover study on milk and kefir.

2026
Food & function 17(6)
- Marco Pernigoni
- Leonardo Cesanelli
- Elena Cesanelli
- Rima Bakienė
- Valeria Polzonetti
- Inga Lukonaitienė

PubMed: 41800708
DOI: 10.1039/d5fo05127d

Study Design

Type: Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Sample size: n = 16
Population: 16 young female athletes (14.2 ± 1.9 years)
Methods: Crossover design, 3 high-intensity cycling sessions, each followed by water, milk or kefir (~250 ml) ingestion

Rigorous Journal

This study assessed the effect of milk and kefir on post-exercise recovery in young female athletes. Using a crossover design, 16 participants (14.2 ± 1.9 years) completed three high-intensity cycling sessions. Each session was followed by ingestion of water, milk or kefir (∼250 ml), with recovery outcomes assessed pre-exercise, post-exercise and post-beverage (∼90 min post-ingestion), including physical (mean power output, MPO) and cognitive performance (Stroop, Go/No-Go), heart rate variability (Ln-rMSSD), acute fluid balance (body mass), muscle soreness and perceived fatigue. Overall, recovery profiles for physical and cognitive performance, Ln-rMSSD and body mass did not differ significantly across beverages (time × beverage interactions: p > 0.05). Conversely, muscle soreness and perceived fatigue improved from post-exercise to post-beverage after water and kefir (p ≤ 0.024, r = 0.47-0.59), but not after milk (p ≥ 0.075, r = 0.40-0.42). Despite the absence of significant differences, effect size (ES) analysis indicated small pre-exercise-to-post-beverage changes in MPO for milk and kefir (ES = 0.48-0.49) compared with moderate decreases following water (ES = 1.07). Similarly, post-exercise-to-post-beverage MPO increased largely after milk and kefir (ES = 1.29-1.30), but only moderately after water (ES = 0.62). Body mass decreased moderately from pre-exercise to post-beverage with water (ES = 0.65), with trivial-to-small differences observed for milk (ES = 0.37) and kefir (ES = 0.18), while perceptual recovery appeared overall more favorable with water than milk and kefir. In conclusion, although milk and kefir showed potential benefits for physical performance and fluid balance, these findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the lack of statistical significance. Conversely, the slightly better perceptual recovery observed with water likely reflects normal variability in subjective ratings rather than true physiological differences.

Research Insights

Kefir→Improved Cognitive Function
Overall, recovery profiles for physical and cognitive performance, Ln-rMSSD and body mass did not differ significantly across beverages (time × beverage interactions: p > 0.05).
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Dose
~250 ml
Kefir→Improved Fluid Balance
Overall, recovery profiles for physical and cognitive performance, Ln-rMSSD and body mass did not differ significantly across beverages (time × beverage interactions: p > 0.05).
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Dose
~250 ml
Kefir→Improved Heart Rate Variability
Overall, recovery profiles for physical and cognitive performance, Ln-rMSSD and body mass did not differ significantly across beverages (time × beverage interactions: p > 0.05).
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Dose
~250 ml
Kefir→Improved Mean Power Output
Overall, recovery profiles for physical and cognitive performance, Ln-rMSSD and body mass did not differ significantly across beverages (time × beverage interactions: p > 0.05).
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Dose
~250 ml
Kefir→Reduced Body Mass Index
recovery profiles for physical and cognitive performance, Ln-rMSSD and body mass did not differ significantly across beverages (time × beverage interactions: p > 0.05).
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Dose
~250 ml
Kefir→Reduced Fatigue
muscle soreness and perceived fatigue improved from post-exercise to post-beverage after water and kefir (p ≤ 0.024, r = 0.47-0.59)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Dose
~250 ml
Kefir→Reduced Muscle Soreness
muscle soreness and perceived fatigue improved from post-exercise to post-beverage after water and kefir (p ≤ 0.024, r = 0.47-0.59)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Dose
~250 ml
Milk→Improved Cognitive Function
Overall, recovery profiles for physical and cognitive performance, Ln-rMSSD and body mass did not differ significantly across beverages (time × beverage interactions: p > 0.05).
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Dose
~250 ml
Milk→Improved Fluid Balance
Overall, recovery profiles for physical and cognitive performance, Ln-rMSSD and body mass did not differ significantly across beverages (time × beverage interactions: p > 0.05).
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Dose
~250 ml
Milk→Improved Heart Rate Variability
Overall, recovery profiles for physical and cognitive performance, Ln-rMSSD and body mass did not differ significantly across beverages (time × beverage interactions: p > 0.05).
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Dose
~250 ml
Milk→Improved Mean Power Output
Overall, recovery profiles for physical and cognitive performance, Ln-rMSSD and body mass did not differ significantly across beverages (time × beverage interactions: p > 0.05).
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Dose
~250 ml
Milk→Reduced Body Mass Index
recovery profiles for physical and cognitive performance, Ln-rMSSD and body mass did not differ significantly across beverages (time × beverage interactions: p > 0.05).
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Dose
~250 ml
Milk→Reduced Fatigue
muscle soreness and perceived fatigue improved from post-exercise to post-beverage after water and kefir (p ≤ 0.024, r = 0.47-0.59)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Dose
~250 ml
Milk→Reduced Muscle Soreness
muscle soreness and perceived fatigue improved from post-exercise to post-beverage after water and kefir (p ≤ 0.024, r = 0.47-0.59)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Dose
~250 ml