chocolate milk

Chocolate milk after intensive prolonged exercise helps recovery much better than a carbohydrate replacement drink or a fluid replacement drink. After my 10 kilometer run on Sunday I’ll have some chocolate milk.

This was tested in a study in which during recovery from prolonged exercise (cycling) the participants ingested chocolate milk, carbohydrate replacement drink or a fluid replacement drink. After the chocolate milk the participants cycled 51% and 43% longer than after drinking carbohydrate replacement drink or a fluid replacement drink.

This could be due to differences in carbohydrate type and or fat content of the beverages. The absence of sucrose in carbohydrate replacement drink might have caused less liver glycogen repletion. Chocolate milk has a higher fat content and increases free circulating fatty acid. This might improve recovery for low-moderate endurance exercise while carbohydrate replacement drink is more effective for higher intensity endurance exercise.

Chocolate can also help improve your maths

Mental arithmetic became easier after volunteers had been given large amounts of compounds found in chocolate, called flavanols, in a hot cocoa drink.

They were also less likely to feel tired or mentally drained, the findings, presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference in Brighton show.

Eating things that are high in polyphenols the better that is for your brain in the long run. Chocolate especially dark chocolate is high in flavanols, a kind of polyphenol. So next exam be sure to do some binge eating of dark chocolate.

Anyone experience with these uses of chocolate for maths or exercise? Let me know in the comments

Thomas, K., Morris, P., & Stevenson, E. (2009). Improved endurance capacity following chocolate milk consumption compared with 2 commercially available sport drinks Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 34 (1), 78-82 DOI: 10.1139/H08-137