Chocolate Milk is the Best Recovery Drink
I love a tall glass of chocolate milk but until a few months ago I rarely thought to make it. Now I have a great excuse to drink it all the time.
Since November I've been working out hardcore for at least one hour a day, five to six days a week. Save for the holidays and a couple colds, I've been fairly consistent. I'm doing P90X, a popular DVD set pimped through some rather compelling infomercials. (Yes, it's totally worth the price--but only if you commit to do it.) On every disk, the overly excitable trainer implores that you have a recovery drink after each workout. Not surprisingly, the company that distributes the DVD, Beach Body, also sells recovery drinks.
Skeptical, I did some quick research on the best recovery drink. Turns it's not some fancy laboratory concoction or even even Gatorade. You get the best recovery from plain old chocolate milk. According to a 2006 sports nutrition study, "The findings suggest that chocolate milk has an optimal ratio of carbohydrates to protein to help refuel tired muscles".
I usually throw in some protein powder and creatine with my chocolate milk. I've seen great results and I'm not spending a ton of extra money.
--Spanno
db on July 27, 2009 at 08:26 PM
I also use choco milk as my P90X recovery drink. I make sure I use powder with skim milk because I want to stay away from High Fructose Corn Syrup.
David on August 14, 2009 at 07:12 AM
Thanks to all today I start with P90X and I know that the recovery drinks are so spensive and if chocolate milk help I'll drink it.
Mark on September 22, 2009 at 11:21 AM
I completed P90X this past Sat and agree its a great program. I lost 25lbs. Decide, Commit, Succeed. I followed the recommended portion sizes for each of the food groups based on the body mass index in the beggining of the manual which was a great guideline. There is an allowance for dairy, condiments or snacks in the P90X nutrition guide that you could use for chocolate milk. Here's a link to nutrition info for different types of chocolate milk.
http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/generic/milk-chocolate-skim-milk-based
jason on October 21, 2009 at 06:19 PM
But.... the recovery drink is also loaded with vitamins... Have you looked into the vitamin component that good ole chocolate milk lacks in comparison to the recovery drink?
Jen Campbell on January 14, 2010 at 10:52 AM
I've been reading that it has to be fat-free milk for your body to absorb it quickly enough. Someone said that you should buy milk and mix in the chocolate to get the right ratio of 4:1 carbs to protein.
greenee on February 04, 2010 at 08:38 AM
I've been going over this dilema as well. Tried the p90x drink, and it tastes great. The reading I have done seems to support the theory that a 3-1 or 4-1 carb to protein ratio taken shortly after a tough workout is adviseable. As people have mentioned, the p90x drink seems very expensive at about $44 plus shipping. Fortunately for me, a friend had some left over from her p90x days. However, when you add up the ingredients to match it (as suggested above), it approaches that number for a 30 day supply of "spiked" chocolate milk. My rough estimate is: three gallons of milk, $10.50; 2 bottles choc syrup, $4; creatine, about $5 worth of powder for a month; and protein powder, $20 for a 30 day supply. I'm not sure about the cost of the other stuff (LArginine, LGlutamine, etc.). But if you believe all of those ingredients are necessary, you probably get pretty close to the cost of their recovery drink. I'm still surpised I can't find a "generic" or other commercially available and cheaper alternative. Seems like that would go over big.
shane on March 05, 2010 at 10:27 AM
I have heard the chocolate milk thing for years. However it is not an option for those that are lactose intolerant. Also, Soy milk isn't good because Soy protein is not the type or quality of protein that I want to consume. I prefer 2:1:1 recovery drink. There are things about it I would change, but it is one of the best I have used in 16 years of working out.
brian on March 09, 2010 at 08:31 AM
I just started phase 2 last night and I've been drinking chocolate milk the entire time. I read all about it before I started. There are tons of articles backing this up but the one I liked most was at Askmen.com. The article said something about the type of protein that you get from milk rather than a supplement drink. Choco milk has something like 20% whey protein and 80% of casein protein. Check out this link:
http://ca.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_200/247_fitness_tip.html
Plus milk has calcium, so if you're not drinking white milk then this is a great place to get your daily calcium intake. My 2 cents.
Jason on March 20, 2010 at 11:27 PM
I've heard Ovaltine is better than chocolate milk for a recovery drink. Can someone confirm or deny? Also, I'd steer clear of Hershey's chocolate syrup- IIRC, the 1st or 2nd ingredient is high fructose corn syrup! No thanks!
Mike on April 07, 2010 at 06:50 AM
Thanks for all the input. My wife and I are starting P90X this week and have been going over all the info, especially the nutrition plan. I am not a big fan of taking a ton of supplements and like doing things more naturally. I went out and bought some whey protein and some recovery powder drink and was hesitant on taking it so I started doing some research. I am so glad I found this site. I am returning everything and going for the chocolate milk, soy version. Now, does anyone have any info on whey and when to take it, how much and why? I see it added to meals, in shakes..... just curious. Thanks
buy viagra on April 14, 2010 at 01:42 PM
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Headhits on April 21, 2010 at 08:46 AM
Go organic on the milk!!!
Joe K on May 19, 2010 at 07:22 AM
What about Ovaltine? Is it the milk or something in the chocolate or a combination of both that aid in recovery.
Matt Huggins on June 01, 2010 at 07:15 PM
Anyone know if there's a preference on what type of milk to use for this purpose? Skim...whole...somewhere in between?
zeekgeek on June 10, 2010 at 09:16 PM
Sure, chocolate milk is the best recovery drink... compared to Gatorade and Endurox R4. But the whole point of the P90X recovery drink IS the added L-Arganine, L-Glutamine, and Creatine. Chocolate milk WILL NOT give you the same results. Yes, you can get good results, but you can get BETTER results with the added supplements. You'll get better muscle development and more importantly (since it is a recovery drink) you'll get faster development and much less pain and soreness. Less pain and soreness is essential to keep most people motivated to do an intense workout 90 days in a row.
And when you add in the cost of those extra supplements, the P90X formula is actually (in most cases) slightly less expensive than most other alternatives (MRM's BCAAG formula, TwinLab's Muscle Recovery Formula, etc.) including chocolate milk + supplements. Make your choices with your money.
Of course BeachBody is a business, and out to sell their product, but if you're going to put in the time, effort, and money to really do the P90X routine, skimping on the diet and/or supplements seems like a really big waste to me. There are much better (not to mention cheaper) programs out there if all you are looking for is a good exercise and diet plan.
I say all this as someone who has done the P90X program. I also work for a store that sells supplements, and get very good deals on our products, but even with my huge discounts, I could not reasonably substitute for the recovery drink at less cost. The pills I could sort of substitute (but would have to take way more than six pills a day), and the P90X bars are nearly identical to the Clif Bar Builder's Bar (which are much cheaper) and so can certainly be substituted. I have used a lot of different programs and supplements, including chocolate milk, and I can say for myself at least that chocolate milk is definitely NOT the best recovery drink.
Vince on July 14, 2010 at 01:43 AM
So I am taking whey protein as well. I am taking it once when I wake up, and then right after my workout. When should the recovery drink(chocolate milk) fit into the equation? I have heard about an hour after the protein drink..is that about right?
Any guidance would be much appreciated..
Vince
Rob on October 09, 2010 at 12:22 PM
So with all this great info can you throw out some answers to, what kind of Chocolate Milk are folks 'making' or 'buying'? Is it low sugar, low fat? I would assume so.
2% milk or skimmed milk?
Is there a brand of milk that people like?
Can you put in other supplements?
Creatin, Whey etc...
What about blending in Bananas?
Thanks.
Arya Abadsafian on October 27, 2010 at 11:42 PM
Hi spanno and all, I am 18 years old and am beginning the p90x workouts as well. Though I'm not doing as regimented a routine as suggested, I'm focusing on working on selective groups to supplement my competitive swimming.
I too am very interested in this statement that chocolate milk is just as effective as the recovery drinks you can get out there. I pay $40 for a tub of Hammer Nutrition Recovery mix when I cycled competitively. Now I'm just using the remaining scoops. However...
Would using the powdered chocolate milk (nesquick) work just as well as the syrup? And what type of protein powder do you add? (as well as the amount poured into the 8-ounce glass?) Thanks in advance for all your advice!
CoachSeanMC on November 08, 2010 at 12:39 PM
I stumbled upon this post while researching recovery drinks.
While chocolate milk may be a good recovery drink I am not convinced I would drink it over the P90X recovery drink.
Even with 1% Chocolate milk you are looking at 340 calories for the serving needed for recovery. This also includes 2g of saturated fats.
The p90X drink rings in at 220 calories and .5 grams of sat. fat.
I for one enjoy them both but prefer the p90X drink.
340>220
SeanMC on November 09, 2010 at 09:53 AM
I dug this article up while researching P90X recovery drink alternatives to save money.
I cannot say I am convinced on the chocolate milk.
From what I have read in other articles you need to consume 2Cups of chocolate milk for recovery effects.
I would also like to add that I have tried both. I have used chocolate milk for one month of the 90 days. I remained more sore using the chocolate milk than I did using the recovery drink.
2Cups of 1% chocolate milk:
340 calories
4g unsaturated fat
1 serving of P90X Recovery Drink:
220 calories
.5g unsaturated fat
Troy on January 09, 2011 at 09:13 PM
Everybody should read this article by someone who explains why chocolate milk isn't the best recovery drink before moving on. I found it very enlightening
http://mikesmixrecoverydrink.com/chocolate-milk-recovery-drink/
britny on March 15, 2011 at 10:03 AM
Well, I think ive read enough to decide I will try chocolate milk instead of expensive powders..umm, one question though..I'm lactose intolerant, and can't stand soy..would dark chocolate almond milk have the same recovery power?
Candace on April 09, 2011 at 02:26 PM
Hey all you soy-lovers. News flash....soy is NOT good for you! It is a plant hormone with estrogen-like effects on your body. This is bad news wether you are a man or women. There is so much hype how soy is good for you and people have been consuming it for thousands of years. Yes, it has been consumed for thousands of years; however ONLY in it's fermented state (i.e. soy sauce, miso etc.). In it's raw state, soy was considered poisonous. Soy (GMO and regular) is one of the biggest cash crops in the US and the soy industry is banking on all you ignorant health nuts. Please, if you don't believe me do your own research. Google "The Dark Side of Soy". I know what some of you maybe thinking..."but it's natural and a whole food. It's better than any processed food.". Wrong! I don't know about you, but if I was a man, I would not want "man boobs" :-/
Thanks for reading...I just couldn't hold back.
Jeremy on April 29, 2011 at 09:33 PM
Holy Crap! I just finnished my first workout (P90X) I feel like im gonna hurl, it beat the junk out of me. I didnt even think about a recovery drink then the guy mentioned it so I typed "cheapest recovery drink" into yahoo this site was one of the first. Its 12:30am and I only have 1% milk and only a few squirts of choco left hope that was enough anyone know the recomended amount of choco for an 8oz glass?
Ricky on May 31, 2011 at 02:55 PM
After my P90X workout in the a.m., I usually have an Iron Tek shake, mixed with about a cup and a half of fat free milk, about a third of a banana, and a handful of blueberries, plus a teaspoon of glute and some water. If I substitute the milk with chocolate milk instead, does that make sense? Should I ditch the other items, and simply have the chocolate milk, or, is it ok to mix the choc milk with all of the other items? Thanks!!