Chocolate Milk – The Old School Sports Drink

Make sure to choose fat-free or low-fat chocolate milk

Few people know that one of the best post-workout drinks is fat-free chocolate milk. The two hour window for post-workout or post-exercise nutrition is neglected, yet extremely important. This window is what begins to fuel your muscle building and fat loss. If you skip it, you are missing out on the huge amount of the benefits that come with exercising and working out. 

Fat-free chocolate milk helps your muscles recover at a faster rate, builds muscles faster, and maintain lean muscle mass. According to a 2010 study by the American College of Sports Medicine, chocolate milk offered a recovery advantage to help repair and rebuild muscles, compared to specially designed carbohydrate sports drinks. Even elite athletes drink forms of chocolate milk. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps was seen drinking Carnation Instant Breakfast (a chocolate milk with more vitamins and minerals) during his break between swims.

Chocolate milk is also a less expensive option to other recovery drinks. It is packed with high quality protein and carbohydrates that refuel tired muscles. It also contains calcium, potassium, and magnesium. So the next time you wander pass the milk section, grab some low-fat or fat-free chocolate milk and don’t feel guilty!