Chocolate milk may be better than sports drinks for exercise recovery

Yahoooo! ^ | July 12, 2018 | [Reuters] By Lisa Rapaport

[Red Badger]

Athletes who drink chocolate milk during exercise or after a hard workout may recover just as quickly as they would with sports drinks, a research review suggests.

What people eat and drink during intense exercise and afterward can impact how well their muscles recover and how rapidly their body replaces fluids and electrolytes lost during the workout, previous research has found.

Most studies assessing whether drinks with carbohydrates and electrolytes, or with protein, might aid recovery have been too small to draw firm conclusions about which beverages are the best option, the authors of the new review write in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

For their analysis, the researchers examined data from 12 small studies that compared how chocolate milk influenced several markers of exercise recovery, compared to a placebo beverage or a sports drink.

Athletes did exercise tests - mostly running or cycling - and then researchers looked at recovery markers like how long it takes to become exhausted during workouts, athletes' perceived exertion levels, heart rate and levels of lactic acid and an enzyme known as creatine kinase in the blood - which both rise with intense activity.

Overall, the study found that chocolate milk lengthened time to exhaustion, and improved perceived exertion, heart rate or levels of lactic acid in the blood at least as much other beverages.

"Chocolate milk contains carbohydrates, proteins, fats, flavonoids, electrolytes, and some vitamins which make this drink a good choice for recovery in athletes," said senior study author Dr. Amin Salehi-Abargouei of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd, Iran.

In some instances, chocolate milk appeared better than alternative drinks, the researchers report.

Time to exhaustion with chocolate milk drinkers was almost 1 minute longer than with nutrition-free placebo beverages and about 6 minutes longer than with sports drinks.

[EdnaMode]

Mmm chocolate milk. :D

[Mr Rogers]

When I get back from a run in the desert, I first drink 12 oz of water. About a half-hour later, I drink 12 oz of whole milk. White. Not a racist about my milk, just don’t want the extra sugar with chocolate!

I gave up on sports drinks about 30 years ago, based on my own personal study of recovery times. But I’m so hot & dehydrated after a run that I need some plain water or the milk won’t digest well.

I find a glass of whole milk is good for headaches as well. Not sure why.

[editor-surveyor]

.
You could easily transpire a quart of water on a summer run.
.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

It’ll also turn a calf into a 400 pound cow in about a year. So there’s that...

Well... no.

First calves do not drink chocolate milk, second most calves are weaned at eight weeks, third a 400 lb cow is a very very small cow.

[garandgal]

After CrossFit I drink a bottle of chocolate Core Power. It is chocolate milk with a bit of a bump in protein:) Yummy!

[jim35]

I avoid sugar as much as possible.

---

Sugar is life. No sugar, no life. Try not to avoid it too much.

[Svartalfiar]

Time to exhaustion with chocolate milk drinkers was almost 1 minute longer than with nutrition-free placebo beverages and about 6 minutes longer than with sports drinks.

So if I read this right, water (what else would a nutrition-free placebo be?) is better for recovery for you than a sports drink. I don't think water replaces any of the nutrients used up during workouts.

That said, drinking lightly salted water is good for you on long-term hot days when you simply need to stay hydrated. For a workout, I've always heard pickle juice is way better than sports drinks.


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