Milk chocolate, without doubt, the favorite drink of your childhood, could well be an overpowered method to accelerate recovery after exercise. Researchers have compiled results of studies on the consumption of milk chocolate and its impact on recovery. The results are surprising, especially for a clearly underestimated drink. In all, these are 12 studies that want you to fall back into childhood, for your good and that of your muscles.
The effects of milk chocolate
After analyzing its effect on performance and recovery markers, on heart rate, exhaustion time, serum lactate and serum creatine kinase, the researchers found results similar to or even better than those of a placebo. or sports drinks. The time to exhaustion increases considerably after consuming milk chocolate. There is frankly enough to be tempted!
Where does milk chocolate get its power?
This probably comes from its incredible macros. The 4: 1 carbohydrate to protein ratio of this drink is just perfect for recovery. The minerals (electrolytes) found in milk chocolate are also great for good hydration. Another study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism found that athletes retain twice as much liquid with milk chocolate as with a post-workout sports drink.
So don’t limit yourself to sports drinks. Keep yourself a few simple moments of pleasure, with a teaspoon and a half of cocoa powder in 200ml of milk. You can add a spoon of sugar if you really want to. And opt for cocoa powders without sugar and without additives. For the milk, it is up to you to decide if you prefer whole, half or totally skimmed.