Refuel with Low-Fat Chocolate Milk

Submitted by Susquehanna County Alternate Dairy Princess, Brooke Marvin

“Vroom, vroom!” Is that what you imagine when you think of refueling? As the months of summer are dwindling, students, athletes, and parents are getting prepared to soar through their year of school. When you went school shopping, what did you think of? Was it the endless options of clothes or shoes? To the Alternate Dairy Princess of Susquehanna County, Brooke Marvin, school shopping consisted of dairy products including MOO-licious chocolate milk. Why may you ask?

Brooke Marvin
Susquehanna County Alternate
Dairy Princess

Research has shown that chocolate milk is a great source of nutrients and recovery drink for those who are athletes. Low-fat chocolate milk contains the perfect combination of protein and carbohydrates to help you refuel along with electrolytes that help you restore what you lost through sweat. In addition, it is a great way to hydrate due to the sodium and potassium levels found in milk. Not only does it help quench your thirst, but helps muscles to recover. Dr. John Ivy from The University of Texas found that those who drink low-fat chocolate milk after a workout ended up with a three-pound lean muscle advantage over those who drank a sports beverage or water in the course of four weeks.

Whether it be helping you to recover quicker to train more or helping you replenish your muscles for them to become stronger, chocolate milk is a treat that is capable of improving performance in any exercise. For example, a study in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise showed that those who drank fat free chocolate milk after a workout ran 23% longer and had a 38% increase of building muscle over those who drank a sports beverage. 

Imagine if you were to put low-fat chocolate milk head to head with water or a sports beverage for a post workout drink, nothing would compare due to low-fat chocolate milk packing double the carbs and protein. Plus, what is better than absorbing all the nutrients you need to refuel up at your local grocery store? 

So, what do you say? Is chocolate milk going to be an item on your shopping list? It surely is on mine!