Chocolate milk that is.
My most favorite fitness trainer ever, Julie Richardson, says that downing chocolate milk after a tough workout can help replenish exhausted muscles and significantly aid exercise recovery.
Apparently, the high carb and protein content in chocolate milk is the perfect combination to make it an incredibly effective recovery drink, even though it’s never been marketed as one.
This morning, I put it to the test. After an intense weight class (thank-you Julie) and a jog, I was pretty tired coming in the door. I downed two 8 oz cartons of Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk (which I buy by the caseload for the kids on the go) and immediately had more energy.
In a post online by Melanie Pinola, she states:
“In the cited University of Texas at Austin study, athletes who drank low-fat chocolate milk after a hard workout (as opposed to those who drank sports beverages with just carbohydrates) developed more muscle and less fat, as well as improved workout times.”
Did she say more muscle and less fat? Simply by drinking chocolate milk after exercise?
I’m in.
This is something my son Carter has been doing naturally after a round of golf or a long day at the skate park. We just didn’t know what good it was doing him!
You can buy these easy to go containers of Horizon milk at Costco or Safeway, making the cost much more reasonable. Adding chocolate syrup to fat free milk is another option. Either way, it is an inexpensive nutritional alternative to sport beverages for post-workout recovery.
So, to get the best results from your training or exercise session, make sure your post-workout drink is up to par! In the 30 minute recovery window, have a nice cold drink of chocolate milk. Your body will be receptive to the amino acids to repair tissue while using carbohydrates to restore muscle glycogen.
In short, you will regain blood sugar levels while boosting your performance and overall physical shape. Not bad.
Bon Apetite and Namaste!