How Chocolate Milk Became an Athlete Recovery Drink
It went from school-lunch staple to sports-nutrition favorite. The surprising part is that the science mostly holds up.
Athletes World
• Chocolate milk combines carbohydrates, protein and fluid, helping turn a childhood favorite into a popular post-workout recovery drink.
For nearly two decades, researchers have studied a recovery drink that looks more at home in a school cafeteria than an elite training center: chocolate milk.
The idea gained attention after a small 2006 study involving nine trained male cyclists. After a demanding workout and four hours of recovery, the cyclists performed as well or better after drinking chocolate milk than after the sports drinks used for comparison. (International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2006)
Nine cyclists didn't prove chocolate milk was a miracle drink. But they helped start a much bigger conversation.
The idea gained attention after a small 2006 study involving nine trained male cyclists. After a demanding workout and four hours of recovery, the cyclists performed as well or better after drinking chocolate milk than after the sports drinks used for comparison. (International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2006)
Nine cyclists didn't prove chocolate milk was a miracle drink. But they helped start a much bigger conversation.
