As the majority of people watch television, many people are exposed to a plethora of different sports drinks, protein shakes, and other after-workout drinks that claim to help them recover after a long workout. However, athletes have found and studies from various sources have shown that there is an easier, cheaper, and better way to replace the proteins and nutrients that you lose while working out: chocolate milk.

As a swimmer, I have had my fair share of early mornings and long workouts. My coach gives us articles on nutrition to help us understand what’s good and bad for us during training. I’ve always found, though, that chocolate milk helps me recover and refuel for my next workout, which is usually only a couple hours away from my last one. It quenches my thirst, fills me up, and helps my muscles rebuild.

Compared to sports drinks, regular milk, and plain old water, chocolate milk has carbohydrates and proteins, small amounts of sodium and sugar, and the bonus of calcium. Plus, it has a high water content, which hydrates after sweating. All of these ingredients allow chocolate milk to be a great drink for tired muscles.

Chocolate milk has never been marketed as a recovery drink until a few months ago by the Got Chocolate Milk? ad campaign. Now, you can see commercials with Olympic swimmer Dara Torres and NFL quarterback Cam Newton. Of course, there is a website for you to visit to find more about the benefits of chocolate milk as a recovery drink as well: www.gotchocolatemilk.com.

I am not a doctor or fitness expert; I am just a veteran swimmer. Make sure you evaluate your exercise level to see if adding chocolate milk would benefit your workout. As with everything, different people require different things to stay healthy and fit.

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