The Truth About Drinking Chocolate Milk After A Workout
A few weeks back I was hanging out with a friend, who is a member at one of the local chain health clubs. She told me that they have advertisements all over the gym promoting chocolate milk as a post workout replenishing drink. Ummm, say what? Come to think of it, I have noticed a lot of people toting a carton of chocolate milk in one hand, and a gym bag in the other. Has the world gone mad?
This is similar to the hiking and sporting goods store that I regularly walk by. It had a giant (20 foot!) mural advertising chocolate bars as an energy supplement. I thought the, "It gives you energy" slogan was debunked at least ten years ago?
Now that I'm settled in with my potato chip breakfast, and my chocolate chip cookie lunch is packed, I'm writing this article to settle this new increasing trend in the most absurd post workout beverage choice.
I did a little research and the chocolate milk promotion makes a whole lot of sense. The study was funded by the dairy industry. Yes, they are really trying to push chocolate milk on us as a sport supplement! It seems that parents are peeved by a similar campaign directed at their youngsters. I had always known chocolate milk to cause kiddies to run up the walls, and across the ceiling until 2am. To hear it promoted as a health food is jaw-dropping.
Sadly, I used to drink a lot of chocolate milk because, well it's delicious. I stopped for plenty of good reasons:
1. Sugar. As you will see below it IS junk food. There is nothing healthy about it.
2. It made me break out. Too much dairy and sugar will cause unsightly blemishes to us unfortunate souls who are prone to acne.
3. I gained weight. Look at it this way, if you drink 500ml of chocolate milk everyday day and then stop, in theory you will lose 3lbs worth of calories a month, with the simple cutback!
4. My teeth hurt! Again, sugar being the culprit. You need chocolate milk like you need a hole in your tooth, and that is exactly what you will get. Chocolate milk made my dentist cry.
5. It made me crash. There really is an obscene amount of sugar in chocolate milk!
I have decided to do a little chocolate milk comparison.
500ml 1% chocolate milk=
Calories- 320
Fat- 3g
Carbohydrates- 52g
Protein- 16g
Sugar- 50g
So let's break it down:
The study states that after a workout your muscles need hydration, simple sugars, and protein. Does chocolate milk have all of these requirements? Yes, but let's take a closer look.
320 calories is the equivalent of:
-A bowl of brown rice, 1 serving of tofu or boneless/skinless chicken breast and an apple.
-1 cup fat free Yogurt, 1 banana and 10 almonds.
-1 cup orange juice, 1 cup 1% cottage cheese, and a slice of whole grain toast.
All of these meals contain the same replenishing nutrients that low fat chocolate milk promotes.
Basically the calorie count is as much as a small meal. Personally, I prefer to eat my calories, rather than drink them.
For a 500ml container of 1% chocolate milk you could also have 1 cup of skim milk and 10 Hershey Kisses for the same amount of calories! Would you really eat that after a workout?
50g of sugar is A LOT! Without factoring in fat, or calories, it's equivalent to:
-4 chocolate dipped granola bars
-20 Hershey Kisses
-a Kit Kat Bar
-7 chocolate dip donuts
-A can of Cola.
Sure, 1% chocolate milk is low in fat, and high in protein. However, with that kind of calorie and sugar count (that they conveniently left out of their study) it's actually about as junk food as it comes. If you want to throw back a beverage immediately after exercising try these combinations instead.
A glass (250ml) of skim milk:
Calories- 90
Fat- 0g
Carbohydrates- 13g
Sugar- 13g
Protein- 9g
This is a great after workout drink! It contains less calories and more protein than chocolate milk. Plus hydration, less fat, and simple sugars.
I drink half a glass or less of vanilla flavoured soy milk after a workout. Its nutritional counts are similar to 1% milk and it tastes really good, thanks to the vanilla, but with an even lower sugar count.
Don't forget about your protein powder. Add 1 scoop to milk or water for:
100 calories
2g fat
25 g protein
1 g sugar
1 g carbs
OR
Use skim milk and/or protein powder (without milk just add water) to make a smoothie add:
-1/2 banana, 1/2 cup OJ and fat free yogurt.
-1/2 cup blueberries, fat free yogurt and 1Tbsp honey
-How about chocolate protein powder, 1Tbsp peanut butter and 1/2 a banana? Yum!
Okay, if you really can't help yourself and you want to throw away that intense workout with chocolate milk, do your body a big favour and go with the 250ml carton. I can sip one of those down in less than 30 seconds and it's just not worth it!
As always, if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Do your research and stay informed!
Kaleena Lawless
Personal Training Specialist
http://www.kalisthenixfitnessblog.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kaleena_A_Lawless
