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Chocolate milk vs. Gatorade

chocolate milkSo, going for the hat trick in chocolate-is-good-for-you posts, here’s an article about how chocolate milk may be just as effective a sports drink as Gatorade.

The article cites a study set to be published in International Journal of Sports Nutrition in which researchers compared the effects of sports drinks like Gatorade and Endurox R4 with chocolate milk when given to “elite” cyclists. The milk was as effective as Gatorade and twice as effective as Endurox.

While milk is high in protein, calcium and vitamin D, its high caloric content is seen as a drawback by some.

Leslie Bonci, head of the Center for Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center, doesn’t see chocolate milk’s high level of calories as a problem, however. She says that many athletes usually fail to take in enough calories anyway, and that drinking their nutrients would be more convenient than eating them.

 

Filed Under: Science, Ingredients
Tags: chocolate, dairy

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

JJ

10-05-2005 @5:40PM JJ said... Yes, but after half a day on a bike, on the road, in the heat, that chocolate milk you put in your bottle would be more like chocolate yogurt.
Reply

Slick

10-06-2005 @2:36AM Slick said... I would puke all over the place if I tried drinking chocalate milk while working out. It's too rich. Why don't I just eat a pizza while running a marathon then.
Reply

Nick

10-06-2005 @9:00AM Nick said... Yeah, that was my though too: which is easier to drink? Regardless of how effective it is, if you can't keep it down it doesn't matter.
Reply

stephen

10-06-2005 @2:47PM stephen said... I am not sure that it will do well in my camel pack on a day long ride. Although it might be good during those winter rides, I could microwave it before heading out, and sip hot chocolate while biking in sub freezing temps. That might be worth a go, it is bound to taste better than the hot gatorade that I usually have to endure, just so it doesn't freeze in the tube.
Now to figure out how to get the mashmallows through the valve.
Reply

Dipesh Navsaria

10-06-2005 @11:12PM Dipesh Navsaria said... I had heard this several years ago and use chocolate milk as my "recovery" drink after long runs or long bike rides. The difference, though, is that I either use skim milk with chocolate powder (less far, fewer calories) or, for when I'm travelling, I use a mix of chocolate powder and non-fat milk powder. Just add water, mix up, and it's good to go.

As a drink for using while exercising...I think I'd still stick to Gatorade or the like. The fat and/or protein content would delay gastric emptying, which would be counter-productive to fast rehydration and might lead to nausea. I suspect the reporter misunderstood the point -- it's an excellent _recovery_ drink, but as a during-workout drink, it's not so hot. (I wonder about some of the other statements: "fat proteins in carbohydrates"? Huh? I'd wait for the actual article to be published, because I think it'll be closer to what I said above...)
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5 Comments / 1 Pages

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