Is chocolate milk really any good as a post workout recovery supplement? Certainly seems like we are getting bombarded with the marketing telling us how great the stuff is. I have always used high quality protein like Muscle Milk or Gold Standard Whey as my go to after workout drink and I have a hard time believing that chocolate milk is better. What is it about chocolate milk that would make it such a powerful elixir for an athlete?
Milk is a great post-workout recovery supplement. Chocolate milk is just a more marketable version of milk with slightly more sugar.
Is chocolate milk really any good as a post workout recovery supplement? Certainly seems like we are getting bombarded with the marketing telling us how great the stuff is. I have always used high quality protein like Muscle Milk or Gold Standard Whey as my go to after workout drink and I have a hard time believing that chocolate milk is better. What is it about chocolate milk that would make it such a powerful elixir for an athlete?
Allegedly (as I take no position one way or the other) it’s the mixture and proportions of proteins, calories, vitamins, and minute amounts of caffeine. I also think there is a bit of it’s better to get your protein/nutrients from nature than from a pill/powder (the whole multivitamin debate).
Is chocolate milk really any good as a post workout recovery supplement? Certainly seems like we are getting bombarded with the marketing telling us how great the stuff is. I have always used high quality protein like Muscle Milk or Gold Standard Whey as my go to after workout drink and I have a hard time believing that chocolate milk is better. What is it about chocolate milk that would make it such a powerful elixir for an athlete?
Allegedly (as I take no position one way or the other) it’s the mixture and proportions of proteins, calories, vitamins, and minute amounts of caffeine. I also think** there is a bit of it’s better to get your protein/nutrients from nature than from a pill/powder** (the whole multivitamin debate).
Gotta love those brown cows.
Protein supplements similar to Muscle milk probably have way more protein than you’d need after an endurance workout.
I don’t really claim to know but I have been using it for recovery for 6 years and love it. Sure, I still add quality whey protein to the diet too but I just really like chocolate milk. I don’t have any evidence either way and some people will say “yes” and some people will say “no” so you’ll probably have to end up just trying it for yourself and seeing if it works for you. I do wish it had a little less sugar though.
It is pretty good. But it’s funny to see all the marketing behind it when it’s already kind of obvious. Like a doctor recommending air.
What is it about chocolate milk that would make it such a powerful elixir for an athlete?
It tastes good and doesn’t cost a lot of money. It has calories and protein and not that much fat.
All that other stuff is way more expensive, generally has lots of crap in in that you don’t need (including, in almost every case, fake sugar, which I HATE!), and often tastes like shit. It’s not that milk+sugar is magically better, it’s just that it’s pretty good, and has those other features going for it (price, lack of kitchen-sink ingredient list). But they’re not going to market it as “probably as good but cheaper and more delicious”, they’re just going to say “it’s great”. Simpler message, and depending on all your criteria (budget, taste buds, the fact that your body pretty much handles getting what it needs from whatever you put into it, as long as whatever that is includes the basics), pretty much true.
I buy protein powder from time to time, because I get it in my head that I can only handle so much milk, lactose intolerance wise, but I’d actually rather just drink milk. Or chocolate soy milk. Actually I’d rather just eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s or so per 100 slowman aerobic points. Which would probably be just fine.
Is chocolate milk really any good as a post workout recovery supplement? Certainly seems like we are getting bombarded with the marketing telling us how great the stuff is. I have always used high quality protein like Muscle Milk or Gold Standard Whey as my go to after workout drink and I have a hard time believing that chocolate milk is better. What is it about chocolate milk that would make it such a powerful elixir for an athlete?It has a carb to protein ratio of approx 4:1 which has been shown to optimize glycogen replenishment. In testing against other popular recovery drinks there was not significant difference found. It’s inexpensive, tastes great and performs well. What else do you want?
I decided last week, after a hard TT effort, that Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey is the superior recovery food.
Protein supplements similar to Muscle milk probably have way more protein than you’d need after an endurance workout.
Muscle Milk has come under scrutiny for potential heavy metals. Below is the article and the rebuttal. I do not know enough on the subject to know whether there are any true issues with Muscle Milk, but, I would rather have something more natural like organic chocolate milk. Sits in my stomach better as well.
Good for a calorie replacement.
There are better sources of protein than what milk has.
What is it about chocolate milk that would make it such a powerful elixir for an athlete?
It tastes good and doesn’t cost a lot of money. It has calories and protein and not that much fat.
All that other stuff is way more expensive, generally has lots of crap in in that you don’t need (including, in almost every case, fake sugar, which I HATE!), and often tastes like shit. It’s not that milk+sugar is magically better, it’s just that it’s pretty good, and has those other features going for it (price, lack of kitchen-sink ingredient list). But they’re not going to market it as “probably as good but cheaper and more delicious”, they’re just going to say “it’s great”. Simpler message, and depending on all your criteria (budget, taste buds, the fact that your body pretty much handles getting what it needs from whatever you put into it, as long as whatever that is includes the basics), pretty much true.
I buy protein powder from time to time, because I get it in my head that I can only handle so much milk, lactose intolerance wise, but I’d actually rather just drink milk. Or chocolate soy milk. Actually I’d rather just eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s or so per 100 slowman aerobic points. Which would probably be just fine.
DCR had a comparison pitting Chocolate milk vs. Endurox: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2009/03/chocolate-milk-vs-endurox-r4-recovery.html
(spoiler: one is cheap and tasted good while the other is expensive and tastes like “camel piss”)
It’s too funny this is a post…after finishing Lake Placid IM, I had chocolate milk…Got home ok, had more chocolate milk for dinner and shortly after I fell ill, vomitted x2 and passed out x2 and ended up in the emergency in the middle of the night…The lesson here, if you’re going to drink chocolate milk, make sure it is not sour…I’m still recovering and hope to get better soon…IMMT in 2 weeks…
I recover with chocolate milk because my 2.5-yr old likes it and it gives us a reason to sit down and share something at the end of a workout. He knows every workout from home ends with time with dad. It’s a good way to say good morning to him sometimes.
And I like that it’s cheap.
I recover with chocolate milk because my 2.5-yr old likes it and it gives us a reason to sit down and share something at the end of a workout. He knows every workout from home ends with time with dad. It’s a good way to say good morning to him sometimes.
And I like that it’s cheap.
Best post of the day right here! My 9 year old won’t go near me after a workout because I stink, but the 5 year old is still excited to see me. He told me my armpits smelled like beans today…
I recover with chocolate milk because my 2.5-yr old likes it and it gives us a reason to sit down and share something at the end of a workout. He knows every workout from home ends with time with dad. It’s a good way to say good morning to him sometimes.
And I like that it’s cheap.
Best post of the day right here! My 9 year old won’t go near me after a workout because I stink, but the 5 year old is still excited to see me. He told me my armpits smelled like beans today…
These two posts just made me smile, gotta love the love and innocence of children!! I usually use a scoop of protein in my milk and squirt some chocolate syrup in there, it’s a win-win!!
Another vote for choc. milk post-workout. Been doing it for years! Cheap and good.
What bugs me about this product is it seems that people have lots the ability to but milk and add chocolate by themselves.
Supposedly there was a study that suggested that Ovaltine is a little bit better than regular chocolate milk. It is a cheap alternative