Mmmmm…chocolate milk. I drank way too much of the stuff when I was a kid - always trying to pass it off that I was really drinking “milk”. Deep down inside, I knew it probably wasn’t what the commercials had in mind when they said, “Milk - It Does A Body Good”.
But…As it turns out, chocolate milk does do a body good. Scientific research has shown that chocolate milk is one of the best recovery drinks for athletes to have after they finish a tough workout or game.
1% chocolate milk has the perfect blend of:
–> Simple sugars (carbohydrates) from the chocolate that will get absorbed by the body quickly in order to immediately replenish lost energy stores
–> Protein from the milk that will help the muscles recover from the wear and tear of the on-ice (or off-ice) session.
Athletes ideally need a carbohydrates-to-protein ratio of 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 after exercise. Chocolate milk has that ratio; unflavored milk doesn’t. It turns out that I was on to something when I was a kid - except that I drank it by the jug and definitely did not restrict my consumption for after practices and games.
Chocolate milk just might be the perfect hockey recovery drink. It tastes great and helps players to recover faster.
Sounds pretty perfect to me.
Until next time,
~Coach Kim
Originally published on Total Female Hockey Club [1].