Posted on 02/26/2006 5:29:03 AM PST by grundle
NEW YORK: Chocolate milk may be as good - or better - than common sports drinks like Gatorade or Endurox R4 at helping athletes recover from strenuous exercise, says a new study.
Intense endurance exercise reduces supply of stored glucose or glycogen, a key source of fuel for exercise, to the muscles.
To maximise glycogen replacement, sportsmen use to take a serving of carbohydrates within 30 minutes after a long and vigorous workout.
Common sports drinks such as Gatorade supply those carbohydrates, as well as fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat. More recent research suggests that adding protein to the mix may further hasten recovery, reported health portal WebMD.
The new study, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism counter the notion that high-tech, expensive supplements are better than whole foods when it comes to athletic performance, it said.
A team of researchers led by Joel M. Stager of Indiana University found that milk contains key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, in quantities that sports drinks can't match.
In the study, nine male cyclists rode until their muscles were depleted of energy, then rested four hours and biked again until exhaustion.
During the rest period, the cyclists drank low-fat chocolate milk, Gatorade, or another sports drinks Endurox R4. During a second round of exercise, the cyclists who drank the chocolate milk were able to bike about 50 percent longer than those who drank Endurox, and about as long as those who drank the Gatorade.
The findings suggest that chocolate milk has an optimal ratio of carbohydrates to protein to help refuel tired muscles, Stager said.
Sounds good to me. My athletic cats love chocolate milk .......... and cantaloupe.
"Breast is best." --- La Leche League counselors anywhere
Where was this article 10-15 years ago when I was arguing with my mother that I should have Chocolate Milk?
We just got back from WDW. Carnation Instant Breakfast mixed up in an empty 24 oz sport top water bottle makes a great, portable, disposable breakfast for the kiddies. Make with whole milk and they will stay full and hydrated for hours. Wake them up and head to the Magic Kingdom, they can drink it on the way. The caffiene in chocolate also wakes them up.
Is the extra sugar from the chocolate a factor, or would white milk have worked just as well?
Even better for conversion to glycogen are complex carbohydrates. The actual window is two hours, however the ideal window is 30 minutes. Recommended for post workout recovery (say a training ride of at least two hours) is 100 grams of carbohydrate, and 20 to 40 grams of protein. Not only does this quickly replenish muscle glycogen, it also arrests post workout muscle damage - the body actually consuming its own muscle tissue (does the term catabolic apply to this?).
While still trying to lose weight, I still consume this mix after a long ride. Yes, I get the comments that I'm just putting the calories back in, and won't lose the weight. Not the case, within the window the chemistry's a bit different.
It's one of the oldest "homeopathics". And now it's new? It's not new knowledge whatsoever. What's next? Another ad war between Gatorage and Chocolate Milk Drinkers?
Pardon me -- I thank you for posting this article... I'm just amused, heavily, over this latest "scientific breakthrough". lol
I wonder why chocolate? Is strawberry just as good? regular white....how about with a little bourbon in it?
Chocolate milk is good for what ails you. At least that's what I've found.
To maximise glycogen replacement, sportsmen use to take a serving of carbohydrates within 30 minutes after a long and vigorous workout.
I know this isn't knew. I've always known this was true, just based on my own experience.
I meant to say "new."
When I coached competitive soccer in tournaments, I learned from other coaches that a product named Sport Shake was the thing to use. It is loaded with calcium, protein and carbohydrates. Since it must be refrigirated the players found it to be a case of the colder the better.
Thirty minutes post play was the consumption window aimed for to recharge the liver.
What about the lactic acid in milk? The main reason I was told not to drink milk before or after working out.
They laugh about the fact that smoking, drinking, and chocolate were considered to be harmful.
They smirk; "...exactly the opposite of what we now know to be true."
casein, the protein in cow's milk is used for wallpaper paste.
Oh yeah, give the poor babes cookies and a hug too!
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