SC - milk for fighters?

[Michael F. Gunter]

> > Um. From talking to fighters, I would suggest thinking very
> > cautiously about serving anything with milk in it on a hot fighting
> field in
> > the middle of the day-- even the fanatical milk-drinkers seem to avoid
> > milk before/during fighting... They say it has adverse gastrointestinal
> > effects...
>
>         You know, I would think the same thing, but I have a fighter in my
> household (Baron William de Montegilt) who swears that a quart of cold
> chocolate milk from the Cooper's Store is what your body *NEEDS* after a
> hot bout of fighting.  I would think it would curdle on the spot in your
> tummy, but he loves it.  (shudder)
>         Christianna

I don't know about afterwards, and if he likes it I have no problems. But milk
before or during fighting is a bad thing. Speaking as someone who has been
fighting in one form of combat or another for over 25 years I can attest that
there are few performance inhibiting substances worse than milk. The main
reason is the build-up of lactic acid that is created when muscles are
stressed.
Milk contains lactose which is easily converted to lactic acid in the system.
The muscles will not perform at peak efficiency and the fighter will tire a lot

faster. There is also a mild soporific in milk which is why a glass of hot milk

before bedtime is often recommended.

Yers,

Gunthar