Chocolate Milk post workout?

stephmo422

The real trick is finding chocolate mix that doesn't have all of those crummy additives or artificial colors/flavors/sweeteners. The best one I've found is the Nesquick dry mix. But get the regular - the low sugar version has artificial sweeteners. Better to have a little real sugar than to have artificial sugar that is hard for your body to process!

On a mission to find a healthy organic chocolate mix. Dark chocolate would be even better! Might be able to find at Whole Foods!

neanderthin

For most people a pwo "recovery" type shake or drink is unnecessary

Here's Alan Aragon's take on it

The postexercise "anabolic window" is a highly misused & abused concept. Preworkout nutrition all but cancels the urgency, unless you're an endurance athlete with multiple glycogen-depleting events in a single day. Getting down to brass tacks, a relatively recent study (Power et al. 2009) showed that a 45g dose of whey protein isolate takes appx 50 minutes to cause blood AA levels to peak. Resulting insulin levels, which peaked at 40 minutes after ingestion, remained at elevations known to max out the inhibition of muscle protein breakdown (15-30 mU/L) for 120 minutes after ingestion. This dose takes 3 hours for insulin & AA levels to return to baseline from the point of ingestion. The inclusion of carbs to this dose would cause AA & insulin levels to peak higher & stay elevated above baseline even longer.

So much for the anabolic peephole & the urgency to down AAs during your weight training workout; they are already seeping into circulation (& will continue to do so after your training bout is done). Even in the event that a preworkout meal is skipped, the anabolic effect of the postworkout meal is increased as a supercompensatory response (Deldicque et al, 2010). Moving on, another recent study (Staples et al, 2010) found that a substantial dose of carbohydrate (50g maltodextrin) added to 25g whey protein was unable to further increase postexercise net muscle protein balance compared to the protein dose without carbs. Again, this is not to say that adding carbs at this point is counterproductive, but it certainly doesn't support the idea that you must get your lightning-fast postexercise carb orgy for optimal results.

To add to this... Why has the majority of longer-term research failed to show any meaningful differences in nutrient timing relative to the resistance training bout? It's likely because the body is smarter than we give it credit for. Most people don't know that as a result of a single training bout, the receptivity of muscle to protein dosing can persist for at least 24 hours: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21289204

Here's what you're not seeming to grasp: the "windows" for taking advantage of nutrient timing are not little peepholes. They're more like bay windows of a mansion. You're ignoring just how long the anabolic effects are of a typical mixed meal. Depending on the size of a meal, it takes a good 1-2 hours for circulating substrate levels to peak, and it takes a good 3-6 hours (or more) for everythng to drop back down to baseline.

You're also ignoring the fact that the anabolic effects of a meal are maxed out at much lower levels than typical meals drive insulin & amino acids up to. Furthermore, you're also ignoring the body's ability of anabolic (& fat-oxidative) supercompensation when forced to work in the absence of fuels. So, metaphorically speaking, our physiology basically has the universe mapped out and you're thinking it needs to be taught addition & subtraction.

Times do change. I remember Alan frequently debating the importance of pre and post workout nutrition and the ideal carb/protein ratios on BB.com a decade ago.

rduhlir

I drink chocolate milk after any of my runs. I usually just get the pre-boxed Horizon Organic 1% chocolate milk...150 calories per milk box. I drink one especially after a long run, when my belly isn't up for solid food right away.

KarenJanine

I have read from several sources that low fat chocolate milk is just as effective in recovering from a workout as a protein shake, smoothie, etc. Does any of you guys drink chocolate milk after workouts? If so what brand? I am trying to find a good one low in sugar. Or is it better to mix chocolate with regular milk? Any suggestions help

Any other religious post workout beverages?

The theory is that chocolate milk has a good ratio of fats:proteins:carbs for muscle recovery. Finding a low sugar version would defeat the object as it would change the macro ratios.

That being said, you'd be fine eating anything that includes fats, protein and carbs - nothing particularly special about chocolate milk.

snazzyjazzy21

I have read from several sources that low fat chocolate milk is just as effective in recovering from a workout as a protein shake, smoothie, etc. Does any of you guys drink chocolate milk after workouts? If so what brand? I am trying to find a good one low in sugar. Or is it better to mix chocolate with regular milk? Any suggestions help

Any other religious post workout beverages?

The theory is that chocolate milk has a good ratio of fats:proteins:carbs for muscle recovery. Finding a low sugar version would defeat the object as it would change the macro ratios.

That being said, you'd be fine eating anything that includes fats, protein and carbs - nothing particularly special about chocolate milk.

Except that its delicious!!!! :drinker:

TiberiusClaudis

When I bulk...CM is my favorite and pretty much my only other drink than water.

When I cut like now, it's the first thing off the list.:sad:

boltnut55

I totally get that chocolate milk is a great after-workout drink; however, you may want to test it on yourself. I drank it after a half marathon and felt queasy afterwards. When I'm at home (not exercising) drinking it, I'm fine though. I just replenish with ice cold water.

Snow3y

What's wrong with sugar? Have your standard everyday chocolate milk

MelanieMamaof5

Chocolate Milk, because of it's ratio's, is a great source to replenish the body after a VIGOROUS workout (as in 90 minutes + of intense exercise). Take it in it's most "natural" form. Weed out as many additive, and preservatives as possible. Definitely make sure it's has REAL sugar and not the artificial stuff.