I am a Chocolate Milk fiend. So when I heard that Chocolate Milk is as good as a recovery drink as Gatorade, et al. if not better, it was music to my ears.

Gatorade and Chocolate Milk both offer carbohydrates to help replace lost electrolytes, but the advantage of Chocolate Milk is the added benefit of protein. Protein has been found to boost muscle recovery after a hard workout.

Here is an except from a study done by the American College of Sports Medicine.

In the study, nine male cyclists rode until their muscles were depleted of energy, then rested four hours and biked again until exhaustion. During the rest period, the cyclists drank low-fat chocolate milk, Gatorade, or Endurox R4. During a second round of exercise, the cyclists who drank the chocolate milk were able to bike about 50% longer than those who drank Endurox and about as long as those who drank the Gatorade.

The findings suggest that chocolate milk has an optimal ratio of carbohydrates to protein to help refuel tired muscles, researcher Joel M. Stager, PhD, Indiana University kinesiology professor, tells WebMD.

But the most puzzling result of the study, experts say, was why Endurox — which has the same carb-to-protein ratio as the chocolate milk — fared so poorly. Researcher Jeanne D. Johnston, MA, tells WebMD it may have to do with the different composition of the sugars in the milk. Another theory is that the sugars in the milk may be better absorbed in the gut than those in the Endurox.

I’m not surprised that Chocolate Milk beat out Endurox. I think the simpler you keep things, especially with food, the better they are for you.

At home I prefer Nesquik Mix, as it’s made with real sugar and the sugar content is lower. However, when I go for a long run I generally take a 32oz of store bought Nesquik (plastic bottle) for convenience reasons. The only downfall with the store bought Chocolate Milk is that it’s hard to find any that is not made with High Fructose Corn Syrup.

As a recovery drink, I only consume Chocolate Milk (post run) after a long run, 15+ miles, sort of a treat to myself. On a normal training run, say 7-8 miles, I may have Gatorade or I will keep it simple with water if it was an easy day and not hot out. I’ve read a previous study to stay away from recovery drinks if your not working out for more then an hour, as you don’t need to replace the lost electrolytes and the added calories do more harm than good.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that a natural food (milk) with some added sugar (chocolate) performs just as well, if not better, than the heavily marketed sports drinks for athletes.