Saw this fly across Twitter the other day and it caught my eye.
Chocolate milk is being positioned by some as the perfect ‘exercise recovery drink’ after exercise:
Did you know that chocolate milk has:
- Four times the natural electrolytes of sports drinks
- High in Protein and Carbohydrates
- Helps you build stronger bones
- Nine essential nutrients
Coaches and sports teams all over are using chocolate milk as a recovery aid after a long workout or game and are finding huge success. It is best to drink 16 oz of chocolate milk in the 30 minute window following exercise.
Now, I’m all for drinking lots of milk – I drink plenty myself. But the thought of drinking 16 oz of chocolate milk after an intense practice makes me want to hurl, especially because many brands are so thick. Sure, if your kids want to drink some milk after practice, awesome. But I’m not sure I’d suggest it to older kids right after practice. Thoughts?
H/T @SoccerSkills
March 13th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Not right after practice – that’s a definite invitation to Pukie. My kids love it, but I make them cut it with white milk before they drink it.
March 13th, 2009 at 10:42 am
No doubt. I love chocolate milk, but I have to cut it to drink it or it makes me gag.
March 13th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Plus, it doesn’t taste very good warm!
March 31st, 2009 at 4:27 pm
If I was dehydrated from hot weather or an intense workout, I would probably lean toward water rather than chocolate milk.
On another note, the initially study reported a specific ratio of carbohydrates to protein. When I initially went to the store, most chocolate milk had too much sugar/carbohydrates. I just did some more searching but cutting with white milk is a good idea.
September 19th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
Have you considered using skim milk and mixing with chocolate syrup or a powder such as Nesquick rather than purchasing premade chocolate milk. My daughter brings hers to practice in the water bottle she has that has the frozen core in the middle. Or she drinks a glass when she gets home. No “pukies.”
Choc milk has the ideal 3 to 1 ratio of carbohydrate grams to protein grams, which enhances glycogen replenishment.
It also contains whey protein, which is digested and absorbed quickly, getting essential amino acids into the blood streammore quickly than other recovery beverages. (Whey protein is often used in recvery drinks as it assists in building and repairing muscle. Chocolate milk also contains casein, a protein which is digested and absorbed more slowly than whey and which sustains amino acids in the circulation many hours post- consumption. Choc milk also has way more potassium, less sodium, calcium and vitamin D than most recovery drinks. My daughter’s cramping issues abated once she started her post-practice chocolate milk habit.