Chocolate Milk: The best choice for PWO?

  • Thread starter Thread starter tattoopierced1
  • Start date Start date

tattoopierced1

Guest
Despite my better judgment, I will try again with this topic.

I'll offer one (there may be others) that has actually been reasonably tested and does not come with too much hype.

Seemingly every athlete, regardless of his or her level, is looking for an edge, a little help, something with which to train and/or perform better. Hence, the tremendous sum of money being spent on "performance" products and supplements. In these trying economic times, I have an inexpensive little secret for you: chocolate milk.

Yep, you heard it right: chocolate milk. The funny thing is this is not new information, but I guess brown moo is not exotic or sexy enough to pique the interest of serious athletes. That's too bad because in several studies, cheap ol' chocolate milk smoked some very well known sports drinks.

I'll paraphrase one of the studies for you. At the Indiana University kinesiology/physiology lab, high-level cyclists trained to exhaustion (depleting glycogen stores). Then, within 45 minutes, they drank 16 oz. of chocolate milk. The cyclists rested for four hours. They then pedaled to exhaustion.

With the chocolate milk, they pedaled 49 percent longer and had a 57 percent increase in their work output as compared to the results after consuming a very popular carbohydrate sports drink (gator-something or another). Similar studies with similar results have been performed with swimmers and strength athletes (weightlifters). Since MMA requires both explosive strength and tremendous endurance, milk appears to be a well-qualified and modestly priced performance drink.

Milk is 90 percent water, so it hydrates well. The four-to-one carbohydrate-to-protein ratio seems to be perfectly balanced for athletes (16 oz. of chocolate milk has 52 grams of carbs and 16 grams of protein). The carbs replenish energy, and the protein rebuilds muscle. The extra sugar in chocolate milk also seems to help in the post-workout phase. As we all know, milk is a great source of vitamins and minerals that are important in proper growth and development.

Babies drink it for a reason:

* Calcium: helps build strong bones
* Protein: vital in muscle, ligament/tendon and brain development
* Vitamin A: helps vision, immune system and healthy skin
* Vitamin B-12: boosts immune system
* Vitamin D: promotes calcium and phosphorus absorption in bone
* Potassium: important in regulating blood pressure, fluid balance and muscle contractions
* Phosphorus: necessary for the proper strengthening of bones
* Niacin: supports nervous-system development and proper function of enzymes

Chocolate is also is rich in flavanoids that act as antioxidants that may protect against cell damage.

Timing is very important. The milk needs to be consumed within one hour after the workout to maximize its potential benefits.

For those that don't believe in scientific studies and think that I have something to gain by misleading you, maybe you'll believe Dana Torres.

You remember Torres, the 40-something (years old) Olympic gold-medalist swimmer from Beijing. You'll easily recognize her. She's the one (with the chocolate, low-fat got milk 'stache) that beat all of those girls half her age. (Funny, but I hear that a fairly good swimmer from Baltimore, Michael-something or another, does pretty much the same thing.)

I realize that Olympic swimming and MMA are very different in a lot of ways, but a full tank of gas is a full tank of gas, regardless of the sport.

Remember the "golden rule" of MMA: "It is far better to give an ass-whooppin' than to gas out and receive one."

Invalid Link Removed

Discuss....
 
riskerz said:
It sounds logical...low fat brown moo then?
Click to expand...

maybe throw in some extra protein powder to get more protein in there, but I'm thinking of giving this a go for the next few months, switching from my protein, WMS, and creatine combo PWO that I currently use.
 
its great man. I love to chug a quart of chocolate milk after a workout. soo refreshing too.
 
this was a big topic on ProMuscle a little while back, there were quite a few people who used Chocolate milk PWO
 
I know I've seen studies in Men's Health a couple of times saying that its a great pwo drink.
 
I bought a 1/2 pickup recently so I could just haul a cow to the gym with me. I like to chug the fat first with the water chaser. Homogenized milk is for homos...
 
CBS knows their stuff
here is alink to some choco milk info
(since i dont have 50 posts i can post the link, here is the article from CBS)

During a 2004 Summer Olympics awash in controversies over steroids and supplements, one sportswriter wryly noticed that top American swimmer Michael Phelps was playing it safe -- he preferred to drink Carnation Instant Breakfast between races.


Now it appears that the six-time gold medalist may have been onto something. A new study shows that plain old chocolate milk may be as good -- or better -- than sports drinks like Gatorade at helping athletes recover from strenuous exercise.

The study, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, was small in scale; it was partially funded by the dairy industry. But dietitians say the study should help to counter the notion that high-tech, expensive supplements are better than whole foods when it comes to athletic performance. They also note that milk contains key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, in quantities that sports drinks can’t match.

"[Milk] is a sports drink ‘plus,’" Keith Ayoob, EdD, a registered dietitian and associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, tells WebMD. "It will supply you with things you need whether or not you’re working out."

The study builds on findings that intense endurance exercise reduces the muscles’ supply of stored glucose, or glycogen, a key source of fuel for exercise. To maximize glycogen replacement, the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association recommend taking in a serving of carbohydrates within 30 minutes after a long and vigorous workout.

Milk vs. Sports Drinks

Common sports drinks such as Gatorade supply those carbs, as well as fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat. However, more recent research suggests that adding protein to the mix may further hasten recovery. Hence the new wave of drinks such as Endurox R4 that include protein as well as higher doses of carbs.

In the study, nine male cyclists rode until their muscles were depleted of energy, then rested four hours and biked again until exhaustion. During the rest period, the cyclists drank low-fat chocolate milk, Gatorade, or Endurox R4. During a second round of exercise, the cyclists who drank the chocolate milk were able to bike about 50% longer than those who drank Endurox, and about as long as those who drank the Gatorade.

The findings suggest that chocolate milk has an optimal ratio of carbohydrates to protein to help refuel tired muscles, researcher Joel M. Stager, PhD, Indiana University kinesiology professor, tells WebMD.

But the most puzzling result of the study, experts say, was why Endurox -- which has the same carb-to-protein ratio as the chocolate milk -- fared so poorly. Researcher Jeanne D. Johnston, MA, tells WebMD it may have to do with the different composition of the sugars in the milk. Another theory is that the sugars in the milk may be better absorbed in the gut than those in the Endurox.

Edward F. Coyle, PhD, a researcher on exercise and hydration at the University of Texas, tells WebMD the trial would have been stronger if the researchers had also tested the effect of flavored water or another dummy (placebo) drink.

The study was partly funded by the Dairy and Nutrition Council, an industry group. Coyle says that the study’s reliance on industry funding is not unusual in the world of sports research, as federal funding for such research is hard to come by.

A Cheaper Alternative?

While rapid nutrient replacement may not be important for casual exercisers, it can make a big difference in performance for competitive athletes who work out vigorously once or twice a day, says Roberta Anding, a sports dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Anding has long recommended chocolate milk for young athletes who come to her practice at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. For children and teenagers from lower-income families, it doesn’t make sense to spend serious money on sports drinks when they can get milk as part of a subsidized lunch program, she tells WebMD. The only advantage of sports drinks, she notes, is that they never spoil.

Ayoob estimates that more than two-thirds of teenagers should be drinking more milk anyway because they don’t get enough calcium in their diets. He also recommends milk for its vitamin D and potassium content. “For me, this is a no-brainer,” he says.

By Richard Sine
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, M.D.
© 2006, WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.
 
i usually just stick with cow semen for my pwo drink.. lots of protein a little carbs.. i make sure its a bull so i get maximum testosterone transfer
 
bigzach1234 said:
i usually just stick with cow semen for my pwo drink.. lots of protein a little carbs.. i make sure its a bull so i get maximum testosterone transfer
Click to expand...

The sad thing is that I'm sure we would all do this if they proved it true.

At the health food store...

Me: "Excuse me, but do you have any cow semen in stock?"
Employee: "For the last time, NO!...*looking at manager* There's another AM wack-job in here!"
 
Irish Cannon said:
The sad thing is that I'm sure we would all do this if they proved it true.

At the health food store...

Me: "Excuse me, but do you have any cow semen in stock?"
Employee: "For the last time, NO!...*looking at manager* There's another AM wack-job in here!"
Click to expand...
LOL That is true, WHERE IS THE COW SEMEN? I NEED IT!
 
My thinking on PWO nutrition has been changing a lot lately; there was a time when I would've thought this was nuts, but currently I think there is some value to it. I'm not crazy about the sucrose, but Milk, yeah, I definitely think that's a good idea.
 
Some of the best gains I ever made were drinking a quart of Choc Milk 1% with a Tiger's Milk bar immediately after workout.
 
my trainer said this to me and i didnt belive him. What kind of chocolate milk is best for an athlete trying to keep body fat low? Would it also be beneficial to add extra protein powder 25-50 g??
 
Irish Cannon said:
Sounds to me like some people just really want to drink chocolate milk.

Cyclists and bodybuilders are very different.
Click to expand...

agreed,

I wonder how many people would be all over this idea if you replaced broccoli juice with chocolate milk..

reminds me of the people who read an article that pistachios are healthy, and go out and consume several cups and wonder why they become fat.
 
For me lately , my PWO concoction has been

2C fat free milk
2scoops whey
2 tbsp Natty PB

4 neovar 15min prior to my drink.

Just enough carbs + protein and healthy fats to make it work out rather nicely i think
 
Cocoa

Cocoa has been shown to increase NO production. I've been taking arginine at night along with my own chocolate milk made with 1/2 cup of cocoa. 100 g of dark chocolate has been show to lower blood pressure, and improve hdl while lowering ldl.

nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Direct-evidence-that-cocoa-benefits-heart-health
 
I'm craving chocolate milk now! Looks like my cheat meal will be washed down with some next Friday :)
 
Damnit, tried it 2 times and it upsets my stomach after workout :frustrate

The ideal PW drink and I cannot take it :rasp:
 
When I was skinny, I used to drink a 2 litre carton of Big M almost every day. I was told that they don't call it 'Big M' for just any reason. I'm lucky I didn't turn in to a diabetic!

Invalid Link Removed
 
What % fat milk was the study done with, and what kind of chocolate? These would seem to be big factors....??
 
i'm onboard. i generally use something like:

2c skim milk
1 scoop all the whey chocolate
1tbs egg whites
2 tbs brown rice syrup
1 tbs girardhelli chocolate

tastes like a melted chocolate shake, awesome
 
Fat free frozen yogurt is pretty good too.
I read somewhere that the steelers eat ice cream together after every workout.
 
I just read the ingredients for Alta Dena Dairy lowfat chocolate milk, it has high fructose corn syrup!!!!!!!!

I also looked at chocolate syrup at the market today . . . HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!!!

Would it be beneficial to use hershey's powder or Nestle Quick powder?
 
Last edited:
No that's a very bad idea for PWO. Lactose isn't as you want, especially because it's mostly casein and digests very slowly. Also like said about HFCS is bad PWO no fast digesting carbs and only a little fast digesting whey.

You should have carbs to spike your insulin, the simpler the better, meaning the glucose(dextrose) should be taken PWO for best results. Whey protein and glycomaize is what I use.
 
PowerlifterMB said:
You should have carbs to spike your insulin, the simpler the better, meaning the glucose(dextrose) should be taken PWO for best results. Whey protein and glycomaize is what I use.
Click to expand...

That's what I do currently:
WMS= 70 gr + Neovar
Whey= 40 gr
 
It wouldn't need to be low fat to reap benefits. You need fat to transport the amino acids from your protein into your muscles. Also research shows it doesn't matter the GI of a post workout carb so oatmeal or simple sugar would both be equally advantageous.
 
^ It would matter because simple carbs would cause an insulin spike; complex carbs wouldn't. Do have the study, it sounds interesing?
 
a long time poster and very very smart guy....BOBO has also been known to say numerous times that consuming malto, dextrose, etc has NO added benefits of spiking insulin over something as simple as oats PWO.

Me, i drink...

whey + 1/2C FF milk + 1/2C oats

PowerlifterMB said:
^ It would matter because simple carbs would cause an insulin spike; complex carbs wouldn't. Do have the study, it sounds interesing?
Click to expand...
 
After my tub of whey and my kwick karb runs out I'm going to give the choc. milk a try for sure. sounds like a treat...
 
I've been doing the chocolate milk (1%), with a scoop of whey and a scoop of WMS for a few weeks now, and I must say, DOMS are much less noticeable.
 
oats are probably just as good as WMS. I think wms is somewhat overhyped. I honestly dont think it replenishes glycogen "that much faster" than a lower GI like oats. I think the GI has much less to do with it, than just getting something in your body.

Ask yourself this.....what did weightlifters eat and drink back in the 70's and 80's? It sure wasnt WMS. Im not talking about arnold and lee haney , etc.....im talking about regular guys like us.

I would assume they came home and ate stuff like.....food....

cereals
sandwiches
hamburgers
breads
cokes
etc........

i would think they did just fine with that. The supplement market is brainwashing way too many people



tattoopierced1 said:
I've been doing the chocolate milk (1%), with a scoop of whey and a scoop of WMS for a few weeks now, and I must say, DOMS are much less noticeable.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah I agree I haven't noticed a difference since I started using WMS vs whey/oats or a meal. My little brother is just drinking regular choc milk nothing else added and he has been making good gains.
 
I too am a firm believer of this. I drink about 10oz of chocolate milk with Neovar recomped and a yogurt after my workout.
 
I just had a knarly leg workout...currently consuming 16oz. Mootopia chocolate milk: 4g fat, 13g carbs (from sucrose; it's lactose free), 12g protein per 8 oz. Its HEB's brand if you have one around you.

Cheap and is something I look forward to after every workout.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top