Chocolate Milk After a Workout

According to two recent studies out of the University of Texas at Austin show that chocolate milk is the ideal post recovery drink after a workout.  Here you thought it was only for kids!  Though you can always claim it's for your kids when you buy it at the store.

"Serious and amateur athletes alike enjoyed physical recovery benefits when they drank low-fat chocolate milk after a vigorous workout," said Dr. John Ivy, lead researcher on the studies and chair of The University of Texas at Austin College of Education’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. "The advantages for the study participants were better body composition in the form of more muscle and less fat, improved times while working out and overall better physical shape than peers who consumed sports beverages that just contained carbohydrates."

It appears that the great tasting low fat chocolate milk has the right ingredients to help build muscle and burn fat.    Compared to three other leading sports drinks, chocolate milk improved maximal oxygen intake by double what other drinks provided tested athletes.  Athletes who drank the chocolate milk compared to athletes who used other sports drinks had a 3lb lean muscle advantage at the end of the study.

To maximize the potential you can mix in half a scoop of chocolate whey protein to double the effectiveness of the drink by maximizing your protein absorption, how much your body can absorb in an hour.

If you would like to read more on the study here is the University of Texas article link, http://www.utexas.edu/news/2011/06/22/milk_studies/