When I get back from a long run, or get done with a workout or lift, the first thing I reach for is the chocolate milk from the fridge. Not only is it refreshing, it's also considered to be one of the best post-workout drinks. 

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The purpose of a post-workout recovery is to restore the sugar stores in your muscles and to rebuild your muscles so that when you're ready for your next workout, your body is to.   

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In a study done by Pamela Nisevich Bede, M.S., R.D., she wrote, "'… research began to uncover that a blend of carbohydrates and protein, in a ratio of four grams of carbohydrate to one gram of protein, was effective in promoting muscle recovery following endurance exercise.'” Chocolate milk naturally has this ratio of carbohydrates to protein. 

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Chocolate milk helps "replace fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise, it contains key nutrients for health such as calcium and vitamin D."  

 

Leslie Bonci, resident “The Furnace” expert and sports dietitian, says that three things are important after a race. "For one, you want to rehydrate. Second, you need to refill the glycogen or stored carbohydrates the body has just depleted. Third, running is a breakdown activity, so you need fuel that will help with rebuilding muscle fibers." Chocolate milk helps with all three of these things. The carbohydrates "help replete glycogen and stored carbs," and the protein "helps rebuild and recover muscles after exercise."