Chocolate Milk Vs. Whey Protein
One of the latest fitness fads seems to be a recommendation to drink chocolate milk post workout instead of whey protein... Well as much as I love chocolate milk, I'm going to have to give my opinion that it is not your best option.
The first clue on this to me had to be that all my friends that told me of this new magical and economical post workout drink were friends that didn't work out. My friends that dont workout always tend to have the latest and greatest quick fixes towards training less to get the same results. Can chocolate milk be used as a post workout recovery drink? Yes of course, it has protein and replenishes your glycogen storages, so does a fast food burger and a soda. There's a bunch of issues with the chocolate milk argument, lets take a look at the facts...
What is whey protein anyway? Whey is milk, without all the stuff we don't want post workout. It's filtered out in a process similar to making cheese from milk.
Not enough protein: Milk alone has roughly 9 grams of protein per serving and the chocolate mix typically has less than 1 gram, compare that with protein supplements that contain 25 to up to 50 grams per serving. Even if you are just looking to maintain your level of fitness the recommended serving is 1 gram per pound of body weight, if you were a 5'3 female weighing 120 pounds you would need to drink 13 cups of milk a day! If you were drinking whole milk that would equal 104 grams of fat! Now fat free milk can be better but do you really wanna drink 13 cups a day?
Saturated fats: unless you are drinking fat free milk, milk has saturated fats and cholesterol.
Too much sugar: you are looking to replenish glycogen levels not shoot them up.
But some whey protein has added sugars too?: yes some protein has added flavors, some protein supplements even have enough sugar i consider them candy rather than health food, but not all proteins are loaded with additional ingredients. The protein I use is pure whey.
Just because something is cheaper or easier to make doesn't mean it's better, and the opposite is true as well, something that is more expensive is not better either. But whey protein has been around now for decades, it has been used by athletes, figure competitors, models, body builders, and all around gym goers. It works, and it will continue to work. Hey if you wanna chug down some chocolatey milk once in awhile go for it, but make no mistake, whey protein will be better for your overall gains.
I get a fair amount of emails on diet and protein supplements, below is the protein I use, the only ingredient in it is whey protein, it has no added or artificial flavors. Try it if you like, and if you already are happy with what you are using then continue to make gains and have a great workout!
The views and opinions expressed in that article are solely those of the author. Consult a doctor or medical professional before beginning any diet or training program.
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The two months I worked the front desk at a gym I had to make all those drinks, and I couldn't believe how much sugar was in some of them....How about using a protein with milk vs low-fat milk, vs with water. I used to use water instead of milk when I was trying to cut up....After this summer I need to experiment with some new supplements..late august
ReplyDeleteNice blog of chocolate milk that beneficial for us..
ReplyDeleteWhey Protein
This information will helps to know about the Whey Protein and its benefits against the chocolate milk shake.
ReplyDeleteThanx For ur post, i also read somewhere Whey Proteins are fundamental components of all living cells and include many substances, such as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies that are necessary for the proper functioning of a body are essential in the diet of humans for the growth and repair of tissue and can be obtained from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, and legumes. i also read Whey Proteins are much usefull for muscle building. is this true..??
ReplyDeleteChocolate milk does not only have 1 gram of protein per serving. It is essentially 1% milk with added sugar (so 9 grams of protein per serving.) Unless the chocolate milk at where you are is somehow different. So the 13 cups of milk thing is actually not true....
ReplyDeleteAnd the sugar in chocolate milk is actually beneficial for you post workout because you need to consume at least 1 gram of carbohydrate per kg of your body weight post workout to immediately kickstart the replenishing of glycogen stores in your muscles. Your muscles are most sensitive to glycogen resynthesis right after a workout. As time past, the sensitivity level will decrease, hence the reason you should immediate consume carbohydrate right after a workout.
You can take all the protein you want post workout to repair your muscles, but if you don't immediately replenish your muscle's glycogen store, you will feel like crap on your workout because your muscle's glycogen store wasn't even replenished back to the same level as it was before your last workout.
I am not making a case saying one is better than the other. I am simply filling in the gaps on what was missed in the above article, coming from an exercise nutrition point of view and not a protein supplement point of view.
YES. YOU GET IT. SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT CHEMISTRY AND NUTRITION!
DeleteWhey protein is by the far the biggest selling sports supplement on the market. What you might be asking yourself is why has whey protein become so popular.
ReplyDeletewhey protein