After working in the fitness industry for an extended period of time, this is one of the main questions I am constantly asked: “What is the best thing to eat after a workout?” My answer surprises many people, but I still think it’s one of the absolute best choice foods to consume after a workout. This magical food is none other than one of our childhood favorites, chocolate milk.

When you think of chocolate milk, it’s difficult to not think about a delicious treat that’s not necessarily considered one of the healthiest choices. This may be true on most occasions, but not directly after a workout. Directly after a workout, your body needs a certain amount of protein and a certain amount of carbohydrates to start the muscle recovery process. An optimal ratio for carbohydrates/protein after a workout is around 4:1.

You may have two questions in mind at this given moment. The first question being “shouldn’t protein intake be higher than carbohydrate intake after a workout?” The answer is no. When you are talking about muscle recovery after strenuous exercise, your body needs to replenish the glycogen it’s used during the workout. For those unfamiliar with the term “glycogen”, it’s the sugar your body stores in your liver and muscle cells. Muscle recovery cannot take place until your glycogen is replaced. The additional carbohydrates in chocolate milk do just that. The second question you may be asking is “doesn’t chocolate milk have a lot of sugar?” The answer is yes, but this is actually a good thing. After a workout, it’s crucial for a quick recovery that you choose a carbohydrate that can be quickly converted and make it to your muscles as fast as possible. The sugar in chocolate milk accomplishes this task.

While you may notice many athletes choose a sugary sports drink after intense exercise to achieve these muscle recovery benefits, they are still missing one major part of the equation. Sports drinks are all carbohydrates with little to no protein content. This is where chocolate milk takes the upper hand. The protein in chocolate milk works in conjunction with the sugary carbohydrates and speeds up glycogen synthesis. This means your muscle recovery time will come at a much faster pace. If you’re looking for the ultimate post-workout food, remember that chocolate milk isn’t just for babies.

-Tom