Proper recovery from exercise is just as important as your workout. Depending on your workout, your body needs to replenish its muscle glycogen stores, repair the muscles after all the wear and tear, re-hydrate after the water loss from sweat, and begin the process of muscle growth. What you put in your body after your workout essentially determines how your body recovers. There are several sports drinks that are geared toward recovery providing the carbohydrates, protein, and electrolytes needed to recover. These drinks can be expensive over time but a cheaper alternative is chocolate milk! Chocolate milk may become a popular alternative to traditional sports drinks because of it’s “good taste, wide availability, low cost, and convenience” (Gibson).
Chocolate milk, in particular that of the low-fat variety, has been shown to contain as much carbohydrate and protein as commercial sports drinks geared toward post-exercise recovery (Gibson). In addition to the carbohydrate and protein, chocolate milk also contains calcium which is a major component of muscle contraction and the building and maintenance of strong bones which can help in the prevention of bone fractures. Research suggests that the time frame for optimal recovery using chocolate milk should follow the same guidelines for any recovery drink which is within 2 hours of a workout. In order to meet the current recommendations for post-workout carbohydrate intake a 70-kg male would need to intake 17 to 27 fluid ounces of low-fat chocolate milk while a 60-kg female would need 14.5 to 23 fluid ounces (Karp). As far as protein is concerned, low-fat chocolate milk is known to be a high quality protein and contains all nine essential amino acids (Pritchett).
Some minor negatives of chocolate milk as a recovery drink are that chocolate milk doesn’t last as long as other recovery drinks and needs to always be stored in a cool environment, milk is not as easy to carry with you to the gym for immediate post-exercise intake, and chocolate milk won’t be an option for those who do not tolerate milk very well. Other than these drawbacks, chocolate milk has been shown to be an effective alternative recovery drink.
- Karp, Jason R., et al. “Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid.”International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism 16.1 (2006): 78.
- Gilson, Stephanie F., et al. “Research article Effects of chocolate milk consumption on markers of muscle recovery following soccer training: a randomized cross-over study.” (2010).
- Pritchett, K., and R. Pritchett. “Chocolate milk: a post-exercise recovery beverage for endurance sports.” Med Sport Sci 59 (2012): 127-34.
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