I'm just going to come out and say it ... chocolate milk is one of the best recovery beverages for after a tough work out or sporting event! It has a great carbohydrate to protein ratio (3:1) for refueling muscles (scientifically proven).  It contains 9 essential nutrients naturally occurring, including key electrolytes for rehydrating such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.  This beverage also contains high-quality protein that will help rebuild our muscles.  The best part is it tastes great and is refreshing.  Chocolate milk contains all of this and can help you get the most out of your recovery from your workouts.

Why does chocolate milk help recovery? 

Diet is very important to everyone’s health and if you include a challenging exercise routine or participate in sports, recovery becomes even more critical. You need to replenish your hard-working muscles with fuel, help them rebuild, and be ready for the next time.  The fact that chocolate milk contains 9 essential nutrients and the ideal carbohydrate to protein ratio gives it a large advantage over other commercially available drinks. 

When you exercise you sweat and not only are you losing fluids when you sweat you’re also losing electrolytes.  Drinking chocolate milk after exercise can help replace those essential electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.  

Athletes need to replenish electrolytes after their tough workouts. Drinking milk after exercise can help replace essential electrolytes that are lost in sweat, including sodium, magnesium and calcium.  Some scientific studies have even shown how chocolate milk could rehydrate you then other commercially available recovery beverages.

Are there other benefits of drinking chocolate milk after exercise?

Another study done at the University of Texas, Austin, found that chocolate milk can do more than just help muscles recover, it can help build lean muscle mass too.  The results of the study showed that drinking chocolate milk after the workout helped build more lean body muscle due to the quality protein while also losing fat (most likely due to additional muscle created).  The average lean muscle built was about an additional 3 lbs per participant.  Chocolate milk has a great carbohydrate to protein ratio that balances out the refueling of muscles.

So, the next time you or someone in your family has a hard workout or sporting event, be sure to remember to have a nice cold glass of chocolate milk and take advantage of its nutritional benefits!

Do you know what the essential nutrients in Chocolate milk are?

• Contains a High-quality dairy protein that is a complete protein that can repair and rebuild muscles.
• A 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio that is scientifically shown to help rebuild your muscles and refuel them.
• Contains essential electrolytes lost in sweat such as calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium.
• Replace fluids lost in sweat
• B Vitamins for metabolism support
• Calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus and protein that are naturally occurring milk have shown to help build and maintain strong bones
• Includes Vitamin A which also supports your immune system and eyesight

Nick Suffredin is a former scientist from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) where his primary responsibility was to support the GSSI physiology research program. His targeted research was testing elite professional athletes to enhance their hydration and nutrition intake to improve their performance.  He is currently working for Post Holdings, Active Nutrition Division, and has made himself available to D3 athletes for personal consulting for race day fueling.