Chocolate. It Does a Body Good.

[Clove]

Chocolate Milk Refuels Muscles After Workout
Study Shows Carbohydrates and Protein in Chocolate Milk Help Muscles Recover From Exercise

By Charlene Laino WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

June 4, 2010 -- Fat-free chocolate milk beat out carbohydrate sports drinks at helping to rebuild and refuel muscles after exercise , researchers report. The combination of carbohydrates and protein in low-fat chocolate milk appears to be "just right" for refueling weary muscles, says William Lunn, PhD, an exercise scientist at the University of Connecticut. "It's not just a dessert item, but it's very healthy, especially for endurance athletes," Lunn tells WebMD.

The research involved eight male runners in good physical shape who ate a balanced diet for two weeks. At the end of each week, they took a fast paced, 45-minute run. Following each run, the men drank either 16 ounces of fat-free chocolate milk or 16 ounces of a carbohydrate-only sports beverage with the same number of calories. Post-exercise muscle biopsies showed increased skeletal muscle protein synthesis -- a sign that muscles were better able to rebuild -- after the milk drink, compared with the carb-only beverage. Additionally, drinking fat-free chocolate milk led to a higher concentration of glycogen, or muscle fuel, in muscles 30 and 60 minutes after exercise, compared with the sports drink. Replenishing glycogen after exercise helps future performance, Lunn says.
The findings were presented at the American College of Sports Medicine conference in Baltimore this week.

While only men were studied, one would expect women to gain the same post-workout benefits from chocolate milk, he says.
While the studies were small, there's no reason not to reach for fat-free chocolate milk after your next workout, says sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, MS, RD, of Healthworks Fitness Center in Chestnut Hill, Mass. "Athletes can consider it an inexpensive nutritional alternative to engineered sports beverages for help with post-workout recovery," she tells WebMD. The studies were supported by a grant from the National Dairy Council and National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board.

This study was presented at a medical conference. The findings should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.
For those of you who need more proof that chocolate is the best thing in the world anyone can ever eat.

[peam]

Charlene Laino has plagiarized the work of Professor Remus Lupin.

[Celephais]

Erm... wouldn't testing athletes who consumed regular milk to those who drank chocolate milk have been a bit more appropriate?

"Scientists find that eating KFC double downs are a perfect way to refuel after a workout, as a group of athletes were found to have more nutrients in their bodies than those who had eaten saw dust after a workout."

[Showal]

Erm... wouldn't testing athletes who consumed regular milk to those who drank chocolate milk have been a bit more appropriate?

"Scientists find that eating KFC double downs are a perfect way to refuel after a workout, as a group of athletes were found to have more nutrients in their bodies than those who had eaten saw dust after a workout."

I think the study was to prove that the combination of what's in chocolate and milk combined is more effective than what most people drink, sports drinks. The point of the study wasn't to prove that chocolate itself provides the benefit, which is what a comparison of chocolate milk over regular milk would have shown.

[Sam]

The studies were supported by a grant from the National Dairy Council and National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board

[Celephais]

I think the study was to prove that the combination of what's in chocolate and milk combined is more effective than what most people drink, sports drinks.
I'm not really sure what most people drink, but I would guess most people who are looking to build muscle mass would drink a protein drink after a workout. Even Gatorade, the poster child for "carbohydrate only sports drink", has changed their tune with the whole prime perform recover series.

The point of the study wasn't to prove that chocolate itself provides the benefit, which is what a comparison of chocolate milk over regular milk would have shown.
The point of the study was to pretend to be an unbiased scientific research, knowing that the only results they were going to publish were ones that could help sell milk.

[Clove]

The point of the study was to pretend to be an unbiased scientific research, knowing that the only results they were going to publish were ones that could help sell milk.Whatever, chocolate milk tastes better than Gatorade. I'm drinking more of it. Chocolate is the perfect food, just accept it you fucking pussy.

[Celephais]

Whatever, chocolate milk taste better than Gatorade. I'm drinking more of it. Chocolate is the perfect food, just accept it you fucking pussy.

I just think you're wasting your workout if you don't follow it up with a chocolate milkSHAKE and a KFC double down.

[Clove]

I just think you're wasting your workout if you don't follow it up with a chocolate milkSHAKE and a KFC double down.Yes! Now you're on the track to becoming dead sexy.

[Showal]

I'm not really sure what most people drink, but I would guess most people who are looking to build muscle mass would drink a protein drink after a workout. Even Gatorade, the poster child for "carbohydrate only sports drink", has changed their tune with the whole prime perform recover series.

This is true. The article doesn't really look at building muscle mass, just refueling and rebuilding damaged tissue from workouts. I would argue that the vast majority of people don't really know what to drink after a workout.


The point of the study was to pretend to be an unbiased scientific research, knowing that the only results they were going to publish were ones that could help sell milk.

This isn't the only study showing the benefits of chocolate milk after exercise. This is also not the only sport related study that has partial (or full) funding from some industrial component. Why? Because federal funding or any funding from someone who does not have a special interest in the results is incredibly difficult to come by for sports research.

All this is really moot for the casual exerciser anyways. Unless you're working out heavily more than once a day, you should be able to rebuild your glycogen stores in time for the next workout.

Several friends of mine have been partially funded by industry, such as Black Diamond, and published results that either go against what the company has been claiming for a while and taking for granted that no one has investigated in depth. The company's usually don't advertise BAD results, they just try to improve their products using them.

I've even known people who have contacted climbing companies to see if they'll give free equipment for their research that have been turned down, only to be called later on, when the companies know they've finished the research, and be asked for the results haha

[Clove]

Whatever... I'm going to get dead sexy chasing ferrets and drinking chocolate milk while you chug your nasty sports drinks. Just sayin'

[AnticorRifling]

Wow amazing a drink containing whey, casein as well as some fat is good for you....this is new news indeed.

[Kuyuk]

I thought Clove was advertising for me.

[Caiylania]

I can honestly say after I compete one of those off the shelf chocolate milks refuels me far more than a sports drink. I did a 30 mile ride in Texas in June in high humidity and while it was not the yummiest thing to drink in heat, when I would drink one my bodies about to faint feeling would completely dissapear. Mind you, still drinking water the whole time. But yah, if you can't eat it really helps keep you going. Lots of distance riders do it.

[Danical]

There's been research into chocolate milk years and years ago.

Also, you'd be best off with a combination of a simple sugar (dextros or maltodextrin) and 100% protein hydrolysate for higher insulin stimulation but that shit tastes awful and is wildly expensive.

[Clove]

I'm putting this up for the lolz. In response to this post:

Whatever, chocolate milk taste better than Gatorade. I'm drinking more of it. Chocolate is the perfect food, just accept it you fucking pussy.
I received this neg rep:

Chocolate. It Does a... 06-21-2010 12:41 PM Once again you take something true and present it in a completely gay argument form.
I'm glad we can at least agree that chocolate milk tastes better than Gatorade. I'd like to improve my argument style, though. Can the repper please provide me with the heterosexual argument?

[Allereli]

the 30% whole hazelnut milk chocolate from Trader Joe's (TJ brand) is the best mid-workout snack

[AnticorRifling]

You are high as a kite. I would phlem up like crack head going down on a hooker if I tried to eat chocolate during a workout.

[Cephalopod]

For P90X, I've seen people suggest chocolate milk as a post-workout recovery drink.

During workout, though? Yikes.

[AnticorRifling]

I'm assuming it's like anything else. You don't just go in the first day chuggin a liter of milk (litre of cola). I know a lot of folks that pound protein intra-workout but not me. Just doesn't seem to sit right, I just drink water.

[Rucca]

You are high as a kite. I would phlem up like crack head going down on a hooker if I tried to eat chocolate during a workout.

I'm with you on that there...(although I would phlem up like a cat hacking up a hairball, more than a crackhead going down on a hooker) but I wouldn't mind AFTER the workout. I'm pretty much addicted to chocolate anyway.

:heart:

[Allereli]

You are high as a kite. I would phlem up like crack head going down on a hooker if I tried to eat chocolate during a workout.

weakling

[AnticorRifling]

Hey I can eat chocolate with the best of them but if you're asking me to do that and then start deads or squats chances are I'm going to be chuck throat oysters left and right, just sayin'.

[Mtenda]

I did a 30 mile ride in Texas in June in high humidity and while it was not the yummiest thing to drink in heat...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0voejU7y9bk/SbB1nK2t-jI/AAAAAAAADNE/WAYbcl0FZYQ/s400/milk+was+a+bad+choice.jpg

[Caiylania]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0voejU7y9bk/SbB1nK2t-jI/AAAAAAAADNE/WAYbcl0FZYQ/s400/milk+was+a+bad+choice.jpg

7 riders pulled. Not one person who used chocolate milk (or mixes thereof) to refuel at the halfway point did. Mind you, it was before we rested, I wouldn't drink it while in the middle of running or anything.

[RichardCranium]

I'm assuming it's like anything else. You don't just go in the first day chuggin a liter of milk (litre of cola). I know a lot of folks that pound protein intra-workout but not me. Just doesn't seem to sit right, I just drink water.

I'm gonna side with him on this one. He has a lot of experience pounding protein.

[Latrinsorm]

Carnation makes instant breakfasts that are essentially chocolate milk TO THE EXTREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEME, I like them very much.