Not so hungry after a strenuous workout… Got Milk?
By: Yvette Patterson
Remember the quote “Milk, it does a body good!” now there is proof that even Chocolate Milk does a body good after a strenuous workout where your future performance depends on it!
As I put down this months issue of Fitness Magazine I noticed the back cover. On the back of the magazine there is a ad with Mirinda Carfrae Ironman World Champion with the caption:
“My AFTER: My training doesn’t stop when my workout ends. After a run, I refuel with lowfat chocolate milk for high-quality protein and what I need to help me stay toned. Because it’s not over until I say it is” – got chocolate milk?
This is not a new concept to me because my husband, who trains Jiu Jitsu, typically drinks chocolate milk after a workout to replenish and refuel. I did not put any real value on this post workout beverage.
After seeing this ad I decided to Google the validity of chocolate milk for post workout recovery. At Indiana University physiologist, Joel Stager Director of Human Performance laboratory in 2006 published his research in the “International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.” The study was conducted by Stager taking chocolate milk into the controlled setting of his IU laboratory and tested its effect on cyclists. Chocolate Milk performed as well as Gatorade and almost twice as well as another sports recover drink, Endurox. http://www.indiana.edu/~rcapub/v29n1/milk.shtml
I also found more about Chocolate Milk from Fitness Magazines website http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/superfoods/chocolate-milk-after-workout/ this article elaborated on the details. They state that Chocolate Milk has double the carbohydrate and protein content than plain milk or other sports drinks. Milk has high water content so it helps replace fluid loss and helps hydrate the body. Chocolate milk is better than just drinking water because it provides carbohydrate replenishment to your muscles – its something they can metabolize. Other benefits from drinking milk are calcium, a little sodium and sugar that all help athletes retain water and regain energy. This article also encouraged you to assess your workout level first. Chocolate milk is best used after “sports which stress high endurance levels and constant, sustained movement.”
So I guess there is something to chugging a glass of cold chocolate milk after an intense work out. What do you think about this, are your workouts strenuous enough to add a cold glass of chocolate milk to your recovery?