Why chocolate milk deserves the title of best post-workout drink.”

Why chocolate milk deserves the title of best post-workout drink.”

When it's time to choose a drink to refuel after a long, hard workout, there are plenty of sports drinks out there. Maybe you opt for packaged protein water or head to the kitchen to whip up a protein shake. But research shows there's another post-workout recovery drink to add to the list: chocolate milk.

According to a study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, chocolate milk is an optimal recovery aid after exercise. And a review of 12 studies confirms that chocolate milk appears to provide similar or better results compared to a placebo or other recovery drinks, although further studies with larger samples are needed.

Before your stomach clenches at the thought of drinking plain milk after a workout, take a look at the ingredients list for chocolate milk. Compared to regular milk, water or most sports drinks, it has twice the carbohydrate and protein content - perfect for replenishing tired muscles. Its high water content replaces fluids lost through sweat and prevents dehydration. It also contains a nutritional bonus of calcium and contains only a small amount of sodium and added sugars that help recovering athletes retain water and recover energy.

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To sum it up: Post-workout chocolate milk is an all-around workout drink for a high-performance athlete, according to Joel Stager, Ph.D., physiologist, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Indiana University and author of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism study. The high carbohydrate and protein content in milk makes it an incredibly effective recovery drink, says Stager — although it was never marketed as such. “It’s water and so much more,” he says of the drink.

Drinking plain water after exercise replaces sweat loss - and that's it. "Chocolate milk provides your muscles with carbohydrates - something they can metabolize," adds Jason Karp, Ph.D., another researcher on the study. “There is nothing to metabolize in water,” he notes.

So, is it a good idea to drink chocolate milk after a workout? All the questions you need to answer are below.

The case for post-workout carbohydrates

Ready to replace your post-workout bottled water with chocolate milk? First, assess your training intensity. Drinking a post-workout drink full of carbohydrates probably isn't ideal for the weekend recreational golfer, says Stager. This is the key: a drink like chocolate milk is most useful for a cyclist, swimmer, or long-distance runner. These sports emphasize high endurance and constant, sustained movement. Competitive athletes require high amounts of calories, carbohydrates and protein to maintain this level of performance.

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That's why Stager tested the performance of chocolate milk as a post-workout recovery drink on nine cyclists. In his lab, each athlete cycled to exhaustion and then rested for four hours. During this break, everyone consumed low-fat chocolate milk, Gatorade, or the high-carb sports drink Endurox R4. Then they cycled again until they were exhausted. His research team concluded that the athletes who consumed chocolate milk after training performed as well or better during the second ride than those who drank the other drinks.

When and how to refuel with chocolate milk after a workout

Choosing the right post-workout drink is just the first step in the recovery process, says Karp. In addition to what you use to refuel, when you do it is equally important.

Research points to the importance of a post-workout “meal” within 30 to 60 minutes of exercise, when muscle glycogen (energy) stores are at their lowest. “I generally recommend eating or drinking something in the first 20 minutes after exercise,” said Mike Huff, former coordinator of the Duke University Sports Performance Program. “At this point, your muscle fibers are exhausted and ready to absorb something,” he explains.

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And if you don't take steps to replenish your muscles right away, it can hurt your next performance — big time, says Karp. "Top athletes may only have six to seven hours between training sessions. It's much more important for them to fully recover, and strategies like these can maximize that," he explains.

Flavored drinks stimulate your appetite and allow you to drink more by replacing water lost through sweat from exercise. And you consume more when you actually like what you drink, Stager found. His athletes clamored for chocolate milk – and avoided other high-carb options like Endurox R4, energy bars or energy gels.

Post-workout food options don't have to end up on the supermarket shelf either. As a coach, basketball player and avid weightlifter, Huff loves creating his own mix. His homemade high-carb, high-protein drink is a mix of bananas, peanut butter, Carnation Instant Breakfast (a powder rich in calcium, protein, and carbohydrates), and — you guessed it — milk.

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Liquid and solid carbohydrates are equally good. Your body doesn't care as long as it gets what it needs, says sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, RD, author of The Cyclist's Food Guide. "You just have to learn what sports snacks work best for your body — gels, gummies, dried figs, animal crackers, soda, whatever," she said.

Stager continues to recommend milk to his athletes, and Karp, a runner and coach, has permanently switched from Gatorade to chocolate milk to recover from his daily runs. “It's simple, it's cheap and it has everything I need after my workout,” he notes.

If your body can't tolerate the lactose in chocolate milk, any combination of simple sugar (like a traditional sports drink) and protein (think: whey, egg white, or soy protein powder) will most likely give you the same benefits as drinking chocolate milk post-workout.