Chocolate Gold?

Those of you who may know me pretty well know that I love chocolate milk. Call it childish, silly or just plain dorky, but it is true. In fact, I love it so much that I tried to drink one gallon of chocolate milk in an hour when I was 19 (picture to the left). Let's just say that didn't turn out too well...

Anyhow, on a daily basis I will typically drink between 1-3 glasses of chocolate milk depending on how I'm feeling. I sometimes drink them first thing in the morning, before or after workouts and often before bed. I was pleasantly surprised about two years ago when a study in a strength and conditioning journal revealed chocolate milk might possibly be the ideal recovery drink for post-exercise recovery. This is because chocolate milk has some key characteristics of a great post-workout drink: a balance of carbohydrates which helps glycogen recovery, protein for muscle maintenance and fat for nutrient transport.

Since then I have used my extremely active lifestyle and this study to justify the reason why I drink so much chocolate milk besides the fact that I believe it is truly a little glass of heaven here on Earth. God bless the man who invented chocolate milk you are a saint! Much to my delight, an article was posted on Yahoo! today practically deifying chocolate milk as the holy grail of nutritious beverages:

That’s the crux of what I'm calling "The Chocolate Milk Diet," which isn’t a diet at all. It’s essentially three eight-ounce servings of chocolate milk consumed at key points throughout your day: one when you wake up, a second before you exercise, and a third directly after your workout. Or, if it's your day off, just pattern them for morning, afternoon, and night.- Yahoo! Health

The article uses studies that claim there are four secrets to chocolate milk's fat fighting capabilities:

# 1 - Calcium

Some studies have shown calcium has the ability to block your body from of absorbing fat


# 2 - Vitamin D

Those of you who watch Dr. Oz know how much he emphasizes our need for Vitamin D which helps transport calcium from food to the body. Many people in our country are Vitamin D deficient and symptoms include: brittle bones, weak muscles and even depression. No wonder I love chocolate milk so much I don't have any of those symptoms...


# 3 - Increase Your Endurance


Chugging down some chocolate gold before a workout is beneficial because of the simple sugars and electrolytes found in chocolate milk can help properly fuel endurance exercise and keep you hydrated. The Yahoo! Health article refers to one study that was done showed subjects who drank chocolate milk before riding a stationary bike were able to outlast their generic carbohydrate replacement counter parts by 49%! Before you know it chocolate milk is going to be on the NFL's banned substance list and riders in the Tour de France will be tested for chocolate milk content mid-race...

# 4 -  Protein Content

Numerous studies have shown an ideal consumption of protein before and after working out comes in doses of 10-20 g of protein in both cases. Chocolate milk coincidentally can contain anywhere from 8-12 grams of protein in an 8 ounce glass, which fits nicely into the ideal range for muscle building and recovery.