Chocolate Milk: A Good Sports Recovery Drink?

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Built with Chocolate Milk.

If you’re into fitness, you may have heard some chatter about chocolate milk being a good recovery drink. Chocolate milk? Could it be? Is it possible that this yummy childhood favorite is HEALTHY – and not only that, could it be it is actually HELPFUL for athletes and fitness enthusiasts?

So, I began my investigation into this milk chocolatey post-recovery drink option, and here’s what I discovered.

Chocolate Milk – A High Quality Protein?

If you have ever walked into a nutrition store, chances are, you remember seeing whey protein every where you looked. There’s no secret whey protein is the best protein to take when it comes to muscle repair. Whey protein is easily digested and absorbs quickly, which means the essential amino acids get in the blood stream soon after you drink it. Low fat chocolate milk has 8gms of protein, 20% of which is this very valuable whey protein.

Chocolate Milk – The Right Post-Workout Ratio?

Most of us know that milk is a good course of protein, but I’ve always avoided chocolate milk because of the extra calories. Of course if you are dieting, you still want to be careful with how much you consume, but did you know there is a time when sugar can actually HELP you? Yessiree!

The ideal post workout shake actually requires carbohydrates and, in fact, a simple carb (like sugar) is preferred. Why? Because your body needs to restore glycogen stores. When we exercise hard, we deplete glycogen stores in the muscle cell. Glycogen is what our body uses as energy so when we run out of glycogen, we literally run out of energy. The right post-workout drink puts glycogen back in the muscle so it’s ready to go again, and repairs muscle too.

The ideal ratio for a post workout drink is a 3 to 1 ratio (3 carbs to 1 protein), to be consumed right after a workout. Guess what? Yep, you guessed it – chocolate milk has that 3 to 1 ratio! However, this window for maximizing this refueling stage is short – only 20 to 30 minutes following a workout. While I knew the effectiveness of a post workout drink reduces the longer you wait after a workout, I had no idea just how much. One study explained if you wait two hours after your workout to eat, your body’s ability to refuel your muscle reduces by a whopping 50 PERCENT!

So many people are consumed with pre-workout drinks, and what to eat BEFORE a workout, without realizing the importance of their post-workout fuel source. If you want to go the distance and perform well, your next workout really depends on how you refuel after your last workout – and the more I research, the more I realize why more and more athletes drink chocolate milk.

Chocolate Milk – What About Electrolytes? 

Out of all my research, this one shocked me the most. In one comparison study, comparing chocolate milk to a popular sports recovery drink, it showed that chocolate milk had everything you need to help return muscles to peek potential. To my surprise, chocolate milk provides fluids and electrolytes – like calcium, potassium and magnesium and sodium. It has B vitamins that help convert food to energy and five bone-building nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous, protein and potassium.

Mission Apolo:
BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK

World Champion short-track speedskating legend, Apolo Ohno, has excepted the challenge to translate his power and speed to the sport of triathlon in order to conquer the 2014 IRONMAN World Championship Race in Kona-Kailua, Hawaii on Saturday, October 11. Fans will be able to follow along through the eight-episode, behind-the-scenes content and training tips from Ohno and Ator at www.gotchocolatemilk.com.

Chocolate Milk is the Official REFUEL Beverage of Men’s USA Hockey, Women’s USA Swimming, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, IRONMAN U.S. Triathlon Series, Iron Girl, Esprit de She, Life Time Fitness Cycle Club and the Challenged Athletes Foundation®.

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Learn More 

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Chocolate Milk is Backed By Science 
Chocolate Milk Helps to Refuel Your Body
Choclate Milke Helps to Rebuild Your Muscles

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