BALTIMORE (June 2, 2010) — One of the best post-exercise recovery drinks could already be in your refrigerator, according to new research presented at the American College of Sports Medicine conference this week. In a series of four studies, researchers found that chocolate milk offered a recovery advantage to help repair and rebuild muscles, compared to specially designed carbohydrate sports drinks.
Experts agree that the two-hour window after exercise is an important, yet often neglected, part of a fitness routine. After strenuous exercise, this post-workout recovery period is critical for active people at all fitness levels — to help make the most of a workout and stay in top shape for the next workout.
The new research suggests that drinking fat free chocolate milk after exercise can help the body retain, replenish and rebuild muscle to help your body recover. Drinking lowfat chocolate milk after a strenuous workout could even help prep muscles to perform better in a subsequent bout of exercise. Specifically, the researchers found a chocolate milk advantage for:
- Building Muscle — Post-exercise muscle biopsies in eight moderately trained male runners showed that after drinking 16 ounces of fat free chocolate milk, the runners had enhanced skeletal muscle protein synthesis — a sign that muscles were better able to repair and rebuild — compared to when they drank a carbohydrate only sports beverage with the same amount of calories. The researchers suggest that “athletes can consider fat-free chocolate milk as an economic nutritional alternative to other sports nutrition beverages to support post-endurance exercise skeletal muscle repair.”1
- Replenishing Muscle “Fuel” — Replacing muscle fuel (glycogen) after exercise is essential to an athlete’s future performance and muscle recovery. Researchers found that drinking 16 ounces of fat free chocolate milk with its mix of carbohydrates and protein (compared to a carbohydrate-only sports drink with the same amount of calories) led to greater concentration of glycogen in muscles at 30 and 60 minutes post exercise.2
- Maintaining Lean Muscle — Athletes risk muscle breakdown following exercise when the body’s demands are at their peak. Researchers found that drinking fat free chocolate milk after exercise helped decrease markers of muscle breakdown compared to drinking a carbohydrate sports drink.3
- Subsequent Exercise Performance — Ten trained men and women cyclists rode for an hour and a half, followed by 10 minutes of intervals. They rested for four hours and were provided with one of three drinks immediately and two hours into recovery: lowfat chocolate milk, a carbohydrate drink with the same amount of calories or a control drink. When the cyclists then performed a subsequent 40 kilometer ride, their trial time was significantly shorter after drinking the chocolate milk compared to the carbohydrate drink and the control drink.4
Why Chocolate Milk?
Chocolate milk’s combination of carbohydrates and high-quality protein first made researchers take notice of a potential exercise benefit. The combination of carbs and protein already in chocolate milk matched the ratio found to be most beneficial for recovery. In fact, studies suggest that chocolate milk has the right mix of carbs and protein to help refuel exhausted muscles, and the protein in milk helps build lean muscle. This new research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting milk can be just as effective as some commercial sports drinks in helping athletes refuel and recover.
Milk also provides fluids for rehydration and electrolytes, including potassium, calcium and magnesium lost in sweat, that both recreational exercisers and elite athletes need to replace after strenuous activity. Plus, chocolate milk is naturally nutrient-rich with the advantage of additional nutrients not found in most traditional sports drinks. Penny-for-penny, no other post-exercise drink contains the full range of vitamins and minerals found in chocolate milk.
Sources:
1. Lunn WR, Colletto MR, Karfonta KE, Anderson JM, Pasiakos SM, Ferrando AA, Wolfe RR, Rodriguez NR. Chocolate milk consumption following endurance exercise affects skeletal muscle protein fractional synthetic rate and intracellular signaling. Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise. 2010;42:S48.
2. Karfonta KE, Lunn WR, Colletto MR, Anderson JM, Rodriguez NR. Chocolate milk enhances glycogen replenishment after endurance exercise in moderately trained males. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2010;42:S64.
3. Colletto MR, Lunn W, Karfonta K, Anderson J, Rogriguez N. Effects of chocolate milk consumption on leucine kinetics during recovery from endurance exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2010;42:S126.
4. Ferguson-Stegall L, McCleave E, Doerner PG, Ding Z, Dessard B, Kammer L, Wang B, Liu Y, Ivy J. Effects of chocolate milk supplementation on recovery from cycling exercise and subsequent time trial performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2010;42:S536.
About the National Milk Mustache “got milk?”® Campaign
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation’s milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, through MilkPEP, runs the National Milk Mustache “got milk?”® Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk. For more information, go to www.whymilk.com. Deutsch, A Lowe and Partners Company, is the creative agency for the National Milk Mustache “got milk?”® Campaign.
Milk has protein. You are better off drinking a protein shake because milk protein is low quality. To replenish your carbs you could top off with something sugary like chocolate milk or whatever you want. I often will eat candy after my protein shake…well just because I love candy. Milk would be better than candy tho haha but the point is that you just need to use the post workout window to drink some form of protein and carb. If you eat a chicken breast it will digest to slowly and you will miss the window.
Wonder how many of these studies are funded by the milk industry. I find better gains with soy/almond milk.
I noticed that this article touts the benefits of chocolate milk but totally doesn’t mention that you can get the same benefits from plain white milk without the added sugar in the chocolate milk. The studies were done in comparison to sports drinks, NOT in comparison to white milk. Why ingest extra empty calories by having chocolate flavoring added? I feel like this article gives a false impression by making it seem like the milk MUST have added sugar to be beneficial and somehow regular milk will not be as good. Skip the sugar! Drink plain milk!
The calories from sugar in a post-exercise recovery drink aren’t “empty” calories. Carbohydrates are important post exercise to stimulate a release of insulin which helps begin the repair process by moving nutrients and energy back into the muscles. If there is ever a time when you should eat high glycemic index foods, it is post exercise.
Great article on the benefits of chocolate milk. Chocolate milk has been really demonized lately but all things considered it is a much better choice than a sugary soda that has no nutrition at all. Many juices are likewise just sugar water. Chocolate milk has protein and many amino acids and vitamins that help the body rebuild. We offer an all natural chocolate milk mix that is sweetened with Stevia and only adds 9 calories to the milk.
Thanks for the spam, Jhon.
This is very nice article really it has lots of good & useful points about health.