New Research on Chocolate Milk as Recovery Routine
New Research on Chocolate Milk as Recovery Routine
According to new research, grabbing chocolate milk after a hard swim could give swimmers a performance edge. Researchers at Indiana University found that when trained swimmers recovered with lowfat chocolate milk after an exhaustive swim, they swam faster in time trials later that same day.
• On average, swimmers shaved off 2.1 seconds per 200 yard swim, and 0.5 seconds per 75 yard sprint after drinking chocolate milk, compared to when they recovered with a traditional carbohydrate sports drink or calorie-free beverage.
• The study is the first to test the benefits of chocolate milk in swimmers, and included six division one collegiate swimmers performing a muscle fuel (glycogen)-depleting swim bout of 60 x 100 yards followed by five hours of recovery for three consecutive weeks.
• The athletes then recovered with one of three randomized beverages – chocolate milk, commercial carbohydrate sports drink (with the same calories as the chocolate milk), or calorie-free beverage – immediately and two hours after the swim. The athletes who recovered with chocolate milk swam the fastest in their time trials later that same day.
• On average, swimmers shaved off 2.1 seconds per 200 yard swim, and 0.5 seconds per 75 yard sprint after drinking chocolate milk, compared to when they recovered with a traditional carbohydrate sports drink or calorie-free beverage.
• The study is the first to test the benefits of chocolate milk in swimmers, and included six division one collegiate swimmers performing a muscle fuel (glycogen)-depleting swim bout of 60 x 100 yards followed by five hours of recovery for three consecutive weeks.
• The athletes then recovered with one of three randomized beverages – chocolate milk, commercial carbohydrate sports drink (with the same calories as the chocolate milk), or calorie-free beverage – immediately and two hours after the swim. The athletes who recovered with chocolate milk swam the fastest in their time trials later that same day.
