Wahoo Public Schools Receives Grant to Refuel Student Athletes with Milk
District to Use Funds To Expand Its Emphasis on Using Milk for Post-Exercise Nutrition
Launch the media gallery 1 player[Omaha, September, 21, 2009] – The American Dairy Association/Dairy Council of Nebraska has awarded Wahoo Public School with a Refuel With Milk Grant. Wahoo Public School is one of only five school districts in the state of Nebraska receiving this grant for the purpose of promoting milk consumption and providing or improving access to milk for student athletes. Wahoo Public School will use these grant funds to continue providing milk to their high school athletes after every practice and game. The school began providing milk to their athletes as a pilot program during the 2008-2009 school year. Due to the success of this program and the feedback from their student athletes, the school is eager to continue the program for the 2009-2010 school year. In addition, to further expand the reach of this program, Wahoo plans to utilize grant funds to provide milk for athletes on opposing teams.
Emerging research indicates that drinking milk can be an effective way to help the body refuel and recover after exercise. Although milk is well known for its important role in bone health, milk continues to gain popularity among athletes because it contains important nutrients that promote effective exercise recovery. These nutrients include carbohydrates to refuel muscles; protein to reduce muscle breakdown and stimulate growth; and fluid and electrolytes to replenish what is lost in sweat and to rehydrate the body. Milk also contains calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus to help promote bone health, B vitamins to aid the body in converting food into energy to fuel working muscles and other important nutrients that promote a healthy body.