After a muscle burning and heart pounding workout, what should you be reaching into your fridge for, as you stand there, drenched with sweat? The answer is simple–chocolate milk.
While some people drink water to hydrate themselves and to keep their muscles from cramping, others turn to sports drinks, such as Powerade or Gatorade to hydrate and replenish electrolytes. However, a key to becoming a stronger and healthier person is to eat protein after you exercise to help  you recover and be more effective with your workout. Protein is needed to rebuild muscles that are torn down during exercises, so it is essential that one obtains the right amount of protein. One way to do this is via chocolate milk!
Chocolate milk is not only good for its source of protein. For instance, a sports nutritional specialist from Pennsylvania named Althea Zanecosky once stated that chocolate milk is one of the best drinks to consume after exercising because “You get protein to rebuild muscle. You get carbs to refuel muscle. You get lots of liquid to rehydrate, but you also get the minerals to help you rehydrate.” If one compares it to plain milk, water, or a sports drink, such as Powerade, one will see that chocolate milk has double the carbohydrate and protein content. It also has a  high water content that will replace fluids lost as sweat. Of course, one other bonus to remember is that it is a source of calcium and also contains a little bit of sodium and sugar.
Of course, a lot of people do not want to drink milk after they exercise, especially chocolate milk, because they are running to lose calories. They think that drinking chocolate milk will defeat the purpose of exercising. Yes, chocolate milk contains more sugar, but there are low fat or fat-free options available that will work as well. However, the sugar is good for you to some degree because it will help your body refuel from the exercises performed.
This childhood favorite just may become your new favorite sports drink!
For more information on other tasty pre- and post-workout food items, read Save Money on Supplements.
