Chocolate Milk or alternative meal post-run?

roxinronni

Do you guys recommed having chocolate milk after a 40 minute run?? I just feel like it has alllllooootttt of sugar in it but maybe that's what my body needs? Should I be having it only every so often after or everytime? Any suggestions for a good alternative or post run meal? I was just looking for something that has less sugar and additives dumped into it. Obviously it wouldn't be too hard to twist my rubber arm for any excuse to drink Chocolate Milk (one of my fave drinks), but I can live with only having it as a special treat.

My Boyfriend just mentioned last night the whole Chocolate Milk thing and I've heard about this before, just sparked my curiousity as I've been running lots lately.

bluechip777

chocolate milk after exercising is really only beneficial for those athletes who must consume a high amount of calories, carbs & protein to sustain their energy. unless you are in the olympic trials or something, i would stay away.

3laine75

if its something you enjoy and you keep in your calories and macros then its a good time to have it.

apocalypsepwnie

In the 45 minutes post workout your body is in it's most absorbent state.
You do not want to put anything that is going to massively spike your insulin again, such as high GI foods, unless you are as stated above.
You also don't want anything really fatty as the body will store it straight away, as with the sugar created from high GI will turn to fat pretty quick.
Try low GI carbs like vegetables and beans and a small bit of protein. The carbs encourage the recovery of muscles and the protein will support it.
I go for things like tuna on dark rye bread or kidney beans.

BeantownSooner

Generically what you are after is a quick calorie burst that contains a marco ratio or 4 to 1 (Protein to Carbs). Low-fat chocolate milk just happens to have that. The science behind it is to replenish lost nutrients immediately after working out and the carbs provide a fast transport mechanism for your muscles to absorb protein quickly. They say most, if not all, of what you consume (assuming the ratios are about 4-to-1) is immediately absorbed and used so much so that it's almost a freebie. The reasons why you should have this type of recovery drink is that you're body is in need of the nutrients and the fast absorption helps refuel your muscles for the next workout and can greatly reduce muscle fatigue and soreness.

I use low-fat chocolate milk in a pinch but primarily use a product from GNC called Accelerade. Very tasty and come in a few different flavors.

bkesecker

I drink 8 ounces of 1% milk and 2 graham crackers. I have had no slow down in my weight loss doing this.

cmriverside

Chocolate milk is an excellent recovery drink. Even plain milk is excellent, and will have a little less sugar. Go for it!! Potassium, protein, calcium, Vitamin D, what's not to like?

runrockclimb

Runner's World, one of my favorite resources, has covered this topic a bunch, here is a sample
"Chocolate Milk
When: Postrun
Why: The drink you loved as a kid has the ideal amount of carbohydrates and protein that tired muscles need for recovery, says Joel Stager, Ph.D., director of the department of kinesiology at Indiana University. According to a study Stager led, drinking chocolate milk postexercise speeds up recovery and increases the time it takes to reach exhaustion during a subsequent exercise session better than sports drinks. And a 2007 British study found that regular milk is better than water or a sports drink at restoring fluid levels following a bout of exercise in the heat. Plus, milk contains bone-strengthening vitamin D and calcium.
Sipping Points: Single-serving containers are handy for tossing into a cooler for a postrun treat and for portion control."
You can always make your own chocolate milk if you want to have more control over sugar levels, and milk fat percent.

takumaku

I just had an 8 oz glass of kvass and a 231 g grapefruit after my 4 mile run. Most of the time after my runs, I'll eat some yogurt and some fruit (either dry or fresh).

RollinDawg

Personally, I'm pretty sure I'd puke if I drank chocolate milk right after a workout...but whatever works for you.

bluechip777

According to a study Stager led, drinking chocolate milk postexercise speeds up recovery and increases the time it takes to reach exhaustion during a subsequent exercise session better than sports drinks. And a 2007 British study found that regular milk is better than water or a sports drink at restoring fluid levels following a bout of exercise in the heat. Plus, milk contains bone-strengthening vitamin D and calcium.

luckily for chocolate milk they didn't do the study w/ chicken & oatmeal instead of sugary sports drinks.

jjefferies7

if you fit it into your macros/cals drink it, it's fine. also your body is NOT going to absorb it differently because it's after exercise as some posters have stated. its daily intake not what you have within 45 minutes of your workout.

runfreddyrun

i wouldn't go for whole. i would do fat free skim or 1%. the articles i have read about post workout meals say it is not necessary to consume a fat, only protein and carb. but i'm not sure how i feel about this after a run. i definitely do this after strength training but i hadn't decided whether to do this after other workouts. maybe i will if i do HIIT.

i personally LOVE horizon organic 1% chocolate milk. just google 'post workout meal' and you'll get lots of suggestions about what kinds of things to consume. people like chocolate milk because it's easy and cheap and it contains the right ratio of carb to protein.

apocalypsepwnie

if you fit it into your macros/cals drink it, it's fine. also your body is NOT going to absorb it differently because it's after exercise as some posters have stated. its daily intake not what you have within 45 minutes of your workout.

I'm just giving the same advice I've gotten from a personal trainer, a nutritionist and sports advisor. Does it really feel right to be putting processed sugar into your body after you've just done something great for it?
I didn't say it would absorb differently because that's not possible, it will just get absorbed quicker and stored quicker.
I'm eating specifically for sports performance. This is what I do and I haven't suffered from DOMS or cramps since.

The OP is looking for advice and I've given mine. I don't think it's ok to try and write other people's advice off to give your own.

jjefferies7

if you fit it into your macros/cals drink it, it's fine. also your body is NOT going to absorb it differently because it's after exercise as some posters have stated. its daily intake not what you have within 45 minutes of your workout.

I'm just giving the same advice I've gotten from a personal trainer, a nutritionist and sports advisor. Does it really feel right to be putting processed sugar into your body after you've just done something great for it?
I didn't say it would absorb differently because that's not possible, it will just get absorbed quicker and stored quicker.
I'm eating specifically for sports performance. This is what I do and I haven't suffered from DOMS or cramps since.

The OP is looking for advice and I've given mine. I don't think it's ok to try and write other people's advice off to give your own.

and what is your opposition to processed sugar? if she has hit her macro/micro nutrients and her calorie goal how would processed sugar make a difference? it won't. even if the nutrients were to absorb faster what would it matter? the results are insignificant and it matters much more about the daily intake as a whole than one post workout meal. also the GI is very innacurrate and in most cases irrelevant.

apocalypsepwnie

if you fit it into your macros/cals drink it, it's fine. also your body is NOT going to absorb it differently because it's after exercise as some posters have stated. its daily intake not what you have within 45 minutes of your workout.

I'm just giving the same advice I've gotten from a personal trainer, a nutritionist and sports advisor. Does it really feel right to be putting processed sugar into your body after you've just done something great for it?
I didn't say it would absorb differently because that's not possible, it will just get absorbed quicker and stored quicker.
I'm eating specifically for sports performance. This is what I do and I haven't suffered from DOMS or cramps since.

The OP is looking for advice and I've given mine. I don't think it's ok to try and write other people's advice off to give your own.

and what is your opposition to processed sugar? if she has hit her macro/micro nutrients and her calorie goal how would processed sugar make a difference? it won't. even if the nutrients were to absorb faster what would it matter? the results are insignificant and it matters much more about the daily intake as a whole than one post workout meal. also the GI is very innacurrate and in most cases irrelevant.

I don't have a problem with processed sugar. It's effect on the blood sugar levels and where it's most effective to eat is all I'm talking about.
I'm not going to bother arguing with you because it's pretty obvious you have your opinion and I'm not going to try and change it.
I'm just giving her the same advice that's worked for me.

roxinronni

Thanks everyone for the great tips and advice !!

KBGirts

A lot of my triathlete friends drink chocolate milk after a workout. Some also drink Ensure.

runfreddyrun

if you fit it into your macros/cals drink it, it's fine. also your body is NOT going to absorb it differently because it's after exercise as some posters have stated. its daily intake not what you have within 45 minutes of your workout.

I'm just giving the same advice I've gotten from a personal trainer, a nutritionist and sports advisor. Does it really feel right to be putting processed sugar into your body after you've just done something great for it?
I didn't say it would absorb differently because that's not possible, it will just get absorbed quicker and stored quicker.
I'm eating specifically for sports performance. This is what I do and I haven't suffered from DOMS or cramps since.

The OP is looking for advice and I've given mine. I don't think it's ok to try and write other people's advice off to give your own.

from what i understand, post workout is an okay time for this to occur. my question is, is this really needed? in all these tests, is it really just shown to work for endurance athletes or people who are going to do an additional workout soon after the one they just finished or is it also shown to help for people who might not do another workout for 24 to 48 hours?

MoreBean13

Chocolate milk is a fine recovery drink. If you're concerned about the sugar, go with plain milk. Cheap, effective, and delicious. I drink milk after every workout- a ton of it. Last time I checked I wasn't in any olympic trials, but I've progressed with my running, progressed with my lifting, and recover quickly. I add protein to it when I need to to meet my daily goals (which is pretty common) If I didn't need the extra protein, I would go with the milk alone.

Edit: As a matter of fact- I started a whole thread on recovery benefits of milk. I hesitated to include it when I first posted because the study only specifically looks at recovery from strength training, but decided people may be interested anyway:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/703254-got-milk-recovery-benefits-of-milk?hl=Got+milk

apocalypsepwnie

if you fit it into your macros/cals drink it, it's fine. also your body is NOT going to absorb it differently because it's after exercise as some posters have stated. its daily intake not what you have within 45 minutes of your workout.

I'm just giving the same advice I've gotten from a personal trainer, a nutritionist and sports advisor. Does it really feel right to be putting processed sugar into your body after you've just done something great for it?
I didn't say it would absorb differently because that's not possible, it will just get absorbed quicker and stored quicker.
I'm eating specifically for sports performance. This is what I do and I haven't suffered from DOMS or cramps since.

The OP is looking for advice and I've given mine. I don't think it's ok to try and write other people's advice off to give your own.

from what i understand, post workout is an okay time for this to occur. my question is, is this really needed? in all these tests, is it really just shown to work for endurance athletes or people who are going to do an additional workout soon after the one they just finished or is it also shown to help for people who might not do another workout for 24 to 48 hours?

Not sure what they tested on. I eat cleanly, as above, and try and stay within the macros. I'd prefer complex carbs to simple ones.
I'm going on advice given to me by professionals who advised that sugary drinks aimed at sports recovery should only be used by hardcore athletes such as triathletes and endurance/marathon runners. They burn it up really quickly as they are constantly exercising and/or putting great physical stresses on their body as a norm but for someone like me who does something every 2 days...