CHOCOLATE

Chocolate Milk Helps Athletes When They Cross the Finish Line
Research Suggests Chocolate Milk is an Effective Post-Exercise Recovery Aid
(03/2006)

Some athletes turn to water or sports drinks as post-exercise recovery beverages, but as participants cross the finish line they may want to consider a surprising new option to help refuel tired muscles: chocolate milk.

A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism reported that chocolate milk is an effective recovery aid after exercise. When athletes drank chocolate milk after an intense period of exercise, they were able to workout longer and with more power during a second workout compared to when they drank a carbohydrate replacement beverage.

According to co-author Joel M. Stager, PhD, professor of kinesiology at Indiana University, "chocolate milk contains an optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio, which is critical for helping refuel tired muscles after strenuous exercise and can enable athletes to exercise at a high intensity during subsequent workouts."

About the Study
Stager and other researchers had nine endurance trained cyclists bike until their muscles were depleted of energy, rest four hours, then bike again until exhaustion, three separate times. After each initial workout, the cyclists drank about 2 cups of one of three beverages: lowfat chocolate milk, a traditional fluid-replacement drink or a carbohydrate-replacement drink. During the second round of exercise, the researchers found that cyclists who drank chocolate milk during the rest period were able to bike nearly twice as long as those who consumed the carbohydrate-replacement drink, and just as long as those who consumed the fluid replacement drink.

The researchers conclude that chocolate milk, with its high protein and carbohydrate content, may be an effective and cost efficient alternative to commercial sports drinks for recovery from intense workouts.

"Chocolate milk makes perfect sense for athletes," said Stager. "I'm happy to see athletes choosing real foods, like chocolate milk, to refuel after a race. Plus, no other sports drink contains the nutrient package found in chocolate milk."

Flavored milk provides fluids to help with hydration, carbohydrates for energy, and a nutrient package that includes key minerals such as potassium, which all help to replenish exhausted muscles after exercise. Flavored milk also is a good source of protein for building and maintaining muscle mass and calcium for strong bones.

According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid recommendations, Americans of all fitness levels should include 3 servings of lowfat or fat free milk or milk products in their diet every day.

Karp JR, Johnston JD, Tecklenburg S, Mickleborough TD, Fly AD, Stager JM. Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2006; 16:78-91.