Is Chocolate Milk a Good Post-Workout Recovery Drink? Dietitian Looks at the Evidence

Whether you drink chocolate milk regularly as a weekend snack or just to reminisce about your childhood every now and then, it’s probably not the first option you think of when it comes to post-workout recovery.

Unless you’re on TikTok. According to many on the social media platform, chocolate milk is not only delicious, but offers benefits comparable to a post-workout sports drink.

Is there any evidence to support this? Let’s take a look.

Hydration after training is significant

Water is something in between 50% and 60% our body weight. Water has many important functions in the body, including by helping to maintain appropriate body temperature through sweating.

We naturally lose water from our bodies through sweating, breathing, and when we go to the bathroom. It is therefore significant to stay hydrated to replenish the water that is lost.

When we don’t, we dehydrate, which can put a strain on our bodies. Symptoms and symptoms of dehydration Symptoms may include thirst, dizziness, low blood pressure and confusion.

Athletes, due to their higher level of exertion, lose more water by sweating and from breathing (as their breathing rate becomes faster). If they train or compete in a balmy or wet environment, they will sweat even more.

Dehydration affects athletes’ performance and like all of us, it can impact their health.

That’s why it’s significant to find ways to provide athletes with rapid hydration during and after training or competition. Fortunately, sports scientists and nutritionists have conducted studies on the composition of different fluids to understand which ones hydrate athletes most effectively.

Drink hydration indicator

The best hydrating drinks are the ones that the body retains the most after consuming them. In a study where people were given various drinks under standardized conditions, scientists were able to determine how the different options stack up.

To do this, they developed something they call the Beverage Hydration Index, which measures how well different fluids hydrate you compared to still water.

According to this index, drinks with similar fluid retention to still water include carbonated water, sports drinks, cola, diet cola, tea, coffee, and beer with less than 4% ABV. That said, alcohol is likely best avoided during recovery after exercise.

Beverages that retain more fluid than still water include milk (both full-fat and skimmed), soy milk, orange juice and oral rehydration solutions.

Research suggests that when it comes to post-exercise hydration, unflavored milk (full fat, skimmed or soy) is better than sports drinks.

What about chocolate milk?

A miniature study examined the effects of chocolate milk versus regular milk on hydration and exercise performance. futsal players (Futsal is similar to soccer, but played indoors.) The researchers found no difference in hydration between the two sports. There are no other published studies, as far as I know, comparing chocolate milk to regular milk for hydration during or after exercise.

But rehydration isn’t the only thing athletes are looking for in sports drinks. In the same study, drinking chocolate milk after a game (called the recovery period) increased the time it took futsal players to exhaust themselves during further exercise (the shuttle run test) four hours later.

This is also shown in review of several clinical studiesThe analysis found that compared to various placebos (such as water) or other drinks containing fat, protein and carbohydrates, chocolate milk increased the time to exhaustion during exercise.

What does chocolate milk contain?

Milk contains protein, carbohydrates and electrolyteseach of which can impact hydration, performance, or both.

Protein is significant for building muscle, which is good for performance. The electrolytes in milk (including sodium and potassium) lend a hand replace electrolytes lost through sweat, so they can also be good for performance and lend a hand with hydration.

Compared to regular milk, chocolate milk contains added sugar. This provides additional carbohydrates, which are also beneficial for performance. Carbohydrates provide an immediate source of energy for the working muscles of athletes, where they are stored as glycogen. This may contribute to chocolate milk’s advantage over regular milk in terms of athletic endurance.

Coffee-flavored milk has an added bonus. It contains caffeine, which can improve sports performance by reducing the perceived effort expended during exercise.

One study found that a frappe-style drink made with filtered coffee, skimmed milk, and sugar causes better muscle glycogen levels after exercise compared to regular milk with the same amount of added sugar.

So what’s the verdict?

Evidence suggests that chocolate milk may hydrate better than water or sports drinks after exercise. But there is no evidence to suggest that it hydrates better than regular milk. Chocolate milk does appear to improve athletic endurance compared with regular milk, however.

Ultimately, the best hydration drink for athletes is the one they are most likely to drink.

While many TikTok trends aren’t evidence-based, it seems like chocolate milk could be a good option for post-exercise recovery. And it’s cheaper than specialist sports nutrition products. You can buy different brands at the supermarket or make your own at home from chocolate drinking powder.

This doesn’t mean that everyone should reach for chocolate milk when they feel thirsty. Chocolate milk has more calories than regular milk and many other drinks because of the added sugar. For most of us, chocolate milk may be the best way to indulge occasionally.