Chocolate Milk for Recovery

A few times a week I start my day bright and early at 4:15 AM. Roughly around 5 AM I have my favorite breakfast- oatmeal with cinnamon and berries, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, and green tea. I head out the door to train my early bird clients from 5:30-6:30 AM before I’m off to perform my own workout for the day.

I usually make sure I always have a recovery drink like whey protein (pair it with a complex carb like a banana) post workout to help my muscles recuperate and tie me over until I can get a balanced healthy meal, but on Tuesday after a track session I didn’t have my trusty blender cup. I was starving; my legs could already feel the effects of 10x300 intervals and short sprints. I knew that if I didn’t get something into my exhausted muscles soon I would be feeling the effects tomorrow and would also be more inclined to overeat when I got home.

I went to the coffee shop across the street and asked for a cup of chocolate milk. I haven’t had this “unconventional sports drink” after a workout since my marathon running days when an exercise physiologist recommended it. For the low price of $2 it was a cheap and convenient option. With an ideal ratio of carbs to protein to aid in recovery and restore glucose levels this sweet drink did the trick. Not only did it help ward off a deviation from my 6 small meals/day plan it ensured the quality of my workout the following day.

Why Chocolate Milk?

In endurance events and lengthy workouts glycogen, which come from carbohydrates, is the primary fuel source. Intense endurance exercise such as a lengthy track workout, distance run, or a long cycling excursion depletes muscle glycogen, thus depleting energy. When a workout is complete it’s important to replenish your glycogen stores in order to aid in recovery. Studies have shown that resynthesis of glycogen between training sessions occurs most rapidly if carbohydrates are consumed within 30-60 minutes post exercise. Recent evidence shows that now only is carbohydrate a star player, but protein along with it hastens the rate of glycogen synthesis and helps repair muscle damage.

Gatorade and similar sports drinks are excellent for supplying carbs and electrolytes, but products that contain protein like endurox have proven to enhance endurance in athletes and boost recovery. A 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein has proven to be effective.

An article in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism conducted a study and concluded that chocolate milk with high carbohydrate and protein content may be an effective alternative for recovery from exhausting glycogen depleting exercise.

Is chocolate milk a sports drink for you?

The average recreational athlete may not need to supplement their diet with recovery drinks or even sports drinks like Gatorade. While these products may deem to be healthy they still have a considerable amount of calories and sugar, therefore if you’re not necessarily depleting glycogen stores from heavy training I would advise you to skip the unwanted calories since the calories burned aren’t in proportion to the calories taken it, which causes an increase on the scale.

For children and teens low-fat chocolate milk may be an excellent beverage after sports practice, because it supplies Vitamin D to help bone development. Swapping a sweet tangy drink like Gatorade for plain old milk may be a downgrade to their taste buds, so chocolate milk could provide the sweetness they’re seeking after sports.

Conclusion:

If you’re wearing your body down in your workouts, don’t forget to be kind and provide it with the nutrition it needs. Carbohydrates aren’t the enemy since they allow us to have energy to do the things we enjoy. Protein won’t turn you into a body builder. Sports nutrition is all about the mix, the timing, and the amount that is specific to you and your goals.

Chocolate milk isn’t just for kids; it’s for athletes too. Who knew sports nutrition could be so convenient, affordable, and taste so good?

Sources:

Karp J, Johnston J, Tecklenburg S, Mickleborough T, Fly A, Stager J. Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid. International Journal Of Sport Nutrition And Exercise Metabolism [serial online]. February 2006;16(1):78-91. Available from: MEDLINE with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 30, 2010.

Rowlands D, Rössler K, Thorp R, et al. Effect of dietary protein content during recovery from high-intensity cycling on subsequent performance and markers of stress, inflammation, and muscle damage in well-trained men. Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism [serial online]. February 2008;33(1):39-51. Available from: SPORTDiscus with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 30, 2010.

Millard-Stafford M, Childers W, Conger S, Kampfer A, Rahnert J. Recovery nutrition: timing and composition after endurance exercise. Current Sports Medicine Reports [serial online]. July 2008;7(4):193-201. Available from: MEDLINE with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 30, 2010.