The Official Fluid Blog

8 years ago, I was a collegiate athlete working out 8-10x a week. To enhance recovery and maximize the results of my training, my coach at the time suggested I start consuming a post-workout drink containing carbs, protein, and electrolytes. He told me it was a critical component of training that many athletes skipped, but that if I wanted to be the best athlete I could be, I should focus on this huge detail! He gave me options that included popular canned diet shakes,  smoothies and chocolate milk. He also said I could make my own if I felt so inclined...little did he know I would take him up on the idea, but that is another story entirely!

The purpose of this post is to address the recent explosion of using chocolate milk as a recovery drink. It seems that not a week goes by where someone says to me, "How does FLUID Recovery Drink compare to chocolate milk?" Or, "I already have the best recovery drink, I use chocolate milk!" So in an effort to deliver quality information on a larger scale, here's my rundown on the positive & the "other" of chocolate milk:

The Research:

The Good:

Chocolate Milk is a liquid source of protein and carbohydrates. It tastes good and is always a nice change from most sugary tangy sports drinks. It can be cost effective if you buy it by the gallon, but that's a lot of chocolate milk to drink, so most people by it by the pint which equates to about the same cost as any other drinks these days including a Starbucks coffee, which  = $2/serving.

The Other:

1. Protein:

 Not all protein and carbohydrates are created equal. The protein source is milk protein, which comprises of about 80% casein protein and about 20% whey protein. See the diagram at right courtesy of WheyofLife.org.

Both are excellent complete proteins, however casein is a more complicated protein that takes between 4-5 hours to digest. Whey protein has been shown to digest as fast as 45min and usually tapers by 60min. When time is of the essence due to the body's recovery window, whey protein is the clear winner. Chocolate milk also contains lactose, fat, and cholesterol. Lactose can cause stomach upset, gas, and/or bloating even in people who are not lactose intolerant, and most certainly in people who are. Milk fat can also slow the digestion/absorption process, another thing to avoid when speedy absorption is of the essence. 

2. Carbohydrate

The carbohydrate source of chocolate milk is usually high fructose corn syrup or sucrose, both of which are not ideal carbohydrate sources. Any remaining carbohydrate is comprised of lactose. Any combination of these sugars on a sensitive stomach can also cause an upset stomach. A quality recovery drink will use a carbohydrate that's both quick to absorb yet gentle on the stomach and will usually be lower in sugar. 

3. What's missing

Chocolate milk does not contain added glutamine, which can help support the immune system & can help manage aches, pains, & soreness by reducing inflammation. 

Here is a quick table to break down the key items and how Chocolate Milk & FLUID Recovery Drink compare:

Comparison Chart
	Chocolate Milk	Fluid Recovery Drink
Protein Source	80% Casein, 20% Whey	100% Whey Isolate
Protein Digestion Speed	Slow	Fast
Carbohydrate Source	HFCS, Sucrose	Maltodextrin, Fructose
L-Glutamine	No	Yes
Lactose	Yes	No
Fat	Yes	No
Cholesterol	Yes	No

Final Thoughts: Chocolate milk is a source of liquid carbs & protein designed for a tasty alternative to regular milk. Use it if you drink milk and want to treat yourself to something tasty. Using it as a recovery drink is like being up to bat, swinging a 2x4 instead of a baseball bat to hit and expecting a homerun. While they may be made of similar ingredients, the purpose of their creation is entirely different. If you want to maximize your fitness results, use a tool that was designed for the job of muscle recovery, rehydration and replenishment from the very beginning. You will have less chance of a stomach ache, you'll feel like eating real food again sooner, and you'll mitigate inflammation better with the added L-Glutamine.

Cheers,

Richard Smith
Founder/CEO