I Won't Grow Up...

Famous (or maybe not so famous) words of the one and only Peter Pan, "I Won't Grow Up...".   This phrase has come to mind recently as it relates to my choice of recovery drink/food following workouts.

My recovery drink of choice is currently Chocolate Milk.  That's right, a childhood favorite, resurrected as a beneficial adult drink.

There are hundreds of options out there for re-fueling after a tough workout.  Sports drinks have always been a favorite of mine, but I don't always have them around. 

You can walk into GNC and be overwhelmed with the variety of different types of recovery drinks, or performance enhancing supplements.

Not only does chocolate milk taste absolutely delicious, it is relatively inexpensive.  I always have milk on hand, it is a staple of my diet.  So for me, all it takes is a keeping a bottle of Hershey's Chocolate syrup in stock, which is currently selling for just over $3 at Meijer,

AND...there is actually some research to support the use of chocolate milk as an effective recovery drink. The results showed chocolate milk to be just as beneficial as any of the expensive stuff you can buy at GNC, in this study's case,  Endurox R4.

Here's a small snippet from the results of the study...

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.

I should mention, the research was partially funded by the Dairy and Nutrition Council, but interesting findings none the less. 

Please note,  I am not advocating for excessive consumption of chocolate milk for the sedentary individual, or by those who are exercising for weight loss purposes.  It is still full of sugar, but that sugar combined with the protein in milk is optimal for replenishing energy stores after long or tough workouts.

So get up off the couch, go for a run, ride, swim or whatever mode of exercise you desire and then return to your childhood by drinking an ice-cold glass of chocolate milk to recover!