Drinking Chocolate Milk Has An Unexpected Effect On Your Workout Recovery

Imagine you're at the end of an intense workout, and you've forgotten to restock your fridge with your usual recovery drink. Whoops. What should you do at that point? If you have the ingredients, consider whipping up some homemade chocolate milk. (Or, grab the premade type from your fridge.) It may sound like an unconventional post-exercise beverage, but it may be exactly what your body needs.

A 2018 review in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the nutritional refueling effects of consuming chocolate milk after working out against those of basic sports drinks and water. Though the sample size was modest, chocolate milk appeared to work as effectively as the other drinks in producing recovery markers such as a measurable reduction in muscular lactic acid buildup. A 2015 study from the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness produced similar findings about chocolate milk's capability as a muscle recovery tool. Per the findings, competitive climbers who systematically drank chocolate milk after their climbs and with at least one of their daily meals exhibited less post-workout muscle fatigue than climbers who only drank water to recover.

But what is it about chocolate milk that makes it such a potentially reliable post-workout food? Its secret seems to lie in its protein and carbohydrate content.

One cup of chocolate milk (made from whole milk) contains 7.92 grams of protein and 25.8 grams of carbohydrates. By comparison, 20 ounces (2.5 cups) of a popular energy sports drink contains no protein and 36 grams of carbohydrates. In other words, you're getting quite a surge of protein from chocolate milk that you wouldn't necessarily get from a different recovery drink. And, if you drink dairy-based chocolate milk, you can expect the protein to be complete.

Complete proteins can be beneficial because they deliver all of the essential amino acids your system needs at once. Additionally, the complete proteins found in chocolate milk may be particularly advantageous post-exercise as you get older. In a 2019 review in Advances in Nutrition, researchers discovered that drinking cow's milk daily seemed to improve muscle mass and strength in midlife and older adults.

Cow's milk proteins have another upside: They're known for being bioavailable. A 2021 review in Nutrition Reviews notes that dairy proteins tend to be quickly digested and thus ready for the body to use. That means you may spend less time waiting for your glass of chocolate milk to work its (potential) recovery power.

Since chocolate milk is rich in carbohydrates, it restores any carbohydrates you've lost during exercise, too. The carbohydrates in chocolate milk are mainly made up of lactose, and that could be good for reducing post-workout muscle aches and weakness. A 2021 study in the International Dairy Journal looked at the potential nutritional impacts of athletes consuming lactose after exercise. The authors theorized that lactose could be a key ingredient for individuals who wanted to optimize muscle recovery as well as promote improved gut microbiome health.

Lactose aside, carbohydrates in general are recommended for restoring your body after engaging in an intense exercise routine. And they may work even better if they're accompanied by protein, as explored in a 2020 meta-analysis in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. The analysis determined that when carbohydrates and proteins were ingested together after a workout, individuals were likely to experience faster glycogen recovery to support and reverse their muscle nutrient depletion.

Chocolate milk's unexpected post-workout effect may sound sweet, but many experts suggest only drinking recovery beverages after harder, endurance-based workouts. This includes Kylee Van Horn, a registered dietitian nutritionist. Speaking to Run, Van Horn said that ". . . A recovery mix is only helpful after a high-intensity session or post-long training session." Therefore, you may want to treat chocolate milk as an occasional recovery drink instead of a mainstay after-exercise beverage.