Chocolate Milk After a Workout Does a Body Good… Real Good!

I’m serious.

Just last week, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the mecca of all things fitness, reported that in the two hour window after working out, chocolate milk “offered a recovery advantage to help repair and rebuild muscles, compared to specially designed carbohydrate sports drinks.”

As a chocolatier (that’s a nice way of saying I’m totally addicted to the stuff), this is fantastic news. Now, after a strenuous workout I don’t have to feel guilty when reaching for the cocoa! Although the research does mention the chocolate milk to be either fat-free or low-fat (I guess an iced mocha latte is out of the questing then), but whatever, it’s chocolate, I’m ecstatic and I’m willing to take this info on pure face value. However I’m sure there are some out there who would like to know the reasons why this is so, so here you go… a few reasons why:

• Chocolate milk combines carbohydrates and high-quality protein in an extremely beneficial ratio excellent for recovery. It’s just the right mix to help refuel exhausted muscles.
• The protein in milk helps to build lean muscle mass.
• Milk provides potassium, calcium and magnesium, all of which are lost when you sweat, so in effect, milk helps to rehydrate and provides electrolytes lost during exercise.
• Chocolate milk provides a full range of vitamins and minerals not found in other exercise drinks.

And there you have it. Chocolate milk helps to build, replenish, refuel and maintain so much so that the next time you workout your performance will be that much better.

Hooray for chocolate (low-fat milk)!

(Now if only double fudge brownies offered the same benefit, I’d be the next Ms. Fitness 2010.)