Chocolate milk is a low-cost and easily available drink. Chocolate milk's balance of carbohydrate and protein fits into exercise programs for strength and endurance training. Many people like the taste of chocolate milk, so it's a plus that recent studies have deemed chocolate milk equal or superior to specialty drinks marketed specifically for sports recovery and nutrition.
Chocolate Milk Supports Athlete's Nutrition
Milk has protein, vitamin D, and calcium. Chocolate milk adds sugar and cocoa to the mix, but many athletes like the taste better than plain milk and consider the added carbohydrates necessary for optimum recovery. Chocolate milk can be bought as is, or chocolate syrup or powder can be stirred into plain lowfat milk. A study at Indiana University examined the efficacy of chocolate milk as a performance drink and found it to be just as good as synthetic carbohydrate and protein sports performance drinks.
Strength Training
Whey protein from milk is a proven muscle builder. Rather than purchasing expensive, synthetic protein drinks, many weight lifters drink chocolate milk one hour before the workout, and within one hour of finishing the workout. Eight ounces of low-fat chocolate milk has 8 grams of protein, and the mix of fat, carbohydrate and water along with the protein makes it easy to digest and fully use the protein for muscle tissue recovery.
Endurance Training
The American College of Sports Medicine examined muscle tissue taken from trained endurance athletes. It found that chocolate milk increased glycogen levels in muscle cells at 30 and 60 minutes after exercise, while a carbohydrate-only sports drink did not. In addition, endurance athletes consuming chocolate milk increased their production of proteins used in muscle tissue repair compared to a control group drinking a carbohydrate-only drink with the same amount of calories.
Electrolytes and Hot Weather
Chocolate milk contains a good amount of sodium, potassium, and B-vitamins, all important components to replace electrolytes lost during perspiration. Chocolate milk will spoil in the heat, so it's best to drink it after the workout for recovery, and not during the workout. During the workout, use sports drinks diluted with one-half volume water as they won't go bad.
Lactose Intolerance
Athletes who discover that milk causes bloating, cramps, or gas may have lactose intolerance, an inability to digest milk sugar. This is common in adults and certain ethnic groups. Lactose-free milk is widely available and can be flavored with chocolate syrup or powder mix. Goat milk has not been studied for sports performance, but is usually digestible to those with lactose intolerance, has similar protein content to cow's milk, and is available in health food stores.
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