Chocolate milk
Mo Farah loves it, scientific studies root for it, and athletes around the world swear by it! In this regard, chocolate milk drink is the unspoken drink of choice for runners. Increasing research findings in sports science have drawn the attention of professional athletes to the benefits of chocolate milk on, especially after training and competition. As unlikely as it sounds, there is strong scientific evidence that a bottle of chocolate milk could be the best recovery drink for athletes out there: It has been proven that chocolate milk contains the perfect carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, required by the muscles to replenish glycogen levels.
Chocolate milk consists of a 3 carbiohydrate gram to 1 protein gram ratio, which enhances glycogen replenishment in addition to containing high level potassium, calcium and vitamin D relative to most sports drinks. Furthermore, chocolate milk is also naturally tuned to the human digestive systems, containing exactly the perfect balance of rapid-absorbing proteins e.g. whey protein that pumps essential amino acids to the bloodstream helping muscle growth and repair. Also, chocolate milk contains such slow-absorbing proteins as casein that retains amino acids in the blood stream for long, thus reducing the degree of muscle breakdown.
The sugar in chocolate milk is not only there to make the drink taste nice, but also the extra sugar plays a key role in ensuring that you get the post-exercise carbohydrate recommended – an 8oz shake of chocolate milk has about 30-35g carbohydrate relative to only 12g in the normal milk. Furthermore, Chocolate milk is an ideal drink for runners engaging in high energy multi-day endurance events. For instance, Tom Denniss, a 52-year-old Sydney-based mathematics researcher broke the world record in the round-the-world run, in so doing completing in excess of 600 consecutive marathons covering 26,000km in only 622 days. Furthermore, intense studies on cyclists in the Tour De France demonstrated that they required to consume between 7,000 and 8,000 calories per day in order to maintain high performance levels. Cyclists who took chocolate milk perform just as good or even better than those who consume other beverages. Generally, studies have established that eating such amount of food is close to impossible, making chocolate milk an ideal drink for runners.
LOW-FAT CHOCOLATE MILK:
• is a natural source of high-quality protein to build lean muscle
• contains the right mix of protein and carbs scientifically shown to refuel exhausted muscles and help return to peak potential
• provides fluids and electrolytes – like calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium – to rehydrate and help replenish critical nutrients lost in sweat.
More than 20 studies support the benefits of recovering with the high-quality protein and nutrients in chocolate milk after a tough workout.
