Drink it because it’s good for you!

The American College of Sports Medicine says that in a series of four studies chocolate milk was found to be better at helping people recover after exercise. It was even better than  specially designed carbohydrate sports drinks.

After strenuous exercise it’s important to help the body recover lost nutrients and rebuild muscles.  Fat free chocolate milk helps the body retain, replenish and rebuild muscle and may prep muscles to perform better later.

Specifically, researchers found a chocolate milk advantage for:

• Building Muscle — Muscle biopsies were taken from 8 runners after exercising. In one session they followed the exercise with 16 ounces of fat free chocolate milk. In another session they drank a carbohydrate only sports beverage. The post milk biopsy showed the runners had enhanced skeletal muscle protein synthesis — indicating the muscles were repairing themselves more efficiently.
• Replenishing Glycogen — Glycogen is muscle fuel. The proteins in milk made it more effective that carbs-only sports drinks in helping to replenish the concentrations of glycogen in the muscles, after exercise.
• Maintaining Lean Muscle — Fat free chocolate milk  helped decrease markers of muscle breakdown.
• Subsequent Exercise Performance — A subsequent study that compared the performance of 10 cyclists showed that those who drank milk were able to perform the second leg of the trial, a 40km ride, in less time than those who drank the control drink or sports drink.

Why Chocolate Milk?

What makes chocolate milk so effective is its combination of carbohydrates (sugar), proteins, fluids and electrolytes.  They build muscle, rehydrate the body and provide essential minerals that we sweat out during exercise.