According to the latest research results in this month's "Sports Nutrition" journal, children's favorite chocolate milk is actually a very beneficial drink suitable for drinking after exercise. Compared with water, sports drinks or pure milk, chocolate milk contains double the carbohydrates and protein, making it the perfect choice to replenish nutrients for tired muscles.
Moreover, chocolate milk is rich in calcium and low in sodium and sugar, which can help athletes who are recovering to retain water and restore energy.
Drinking water after exercise can replenish the water lost due to sweating, but it only goes so far. Chocolate milk is different. “Chocolate milk can provide carbohydrates to supplement the nutrients needed by the muscles, and sometimes they can also produce metabolic changes.” Jason Culp, who participated in the research, said, “Water does not have these. "Ingredients that can affect metabolism," Stargel added: "Drinking chocolate milk is just like water plus a lot of other things."
However, before drinking chocolate milk after a workout, you must first consider your exercise level. If you just play tennis on the weekend, it is not suitable to drink chocolate milk that is too high in carbohydrates. Cyclists, swimmers or long-distance runners are suitable candidates for drinking chocolate milk because these sports emphasize high endurance and stable movements and require foods high in calories, carbohydrates and protein to maintain good performance.
Dr. Stargell tested the effect of chocolate milk on 9 cyclists. After reaching fatigue on the bicycle, the athletes also rested for 4 hours. Everyone then drinks chocolate low-fat milk, Gatorade, or another sports drink, and then rides again until fatigue returns. Results showed that athletes who drank chocolate milk performed as well or better than those who drank sports drinks.