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Working out is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to your overall well being, and after you finish exercising it’s important to fuel your body with ample nutrients to build up your muscles and encourage continued fat burn for healthy weight loss. Determining the best post-workout beverage is essential in making sure that you’re supporting the exercise you just did, working towards your goals with a healthy drink that can replenish and hydrate your body so that you can feel your best after giving your all in the gym.
However, not every beverage marketed for consumption after a workout is necessarily good for your health, and there’s a chance that opting for the wrong post-workout drink could actually have a negative impact on your wellbeing, walking back the benefits you just gained from your sweat sesh and ultimately making it harder to lose or maintain your weight. When it comes to supporting muscle development and setting yourself up for success after you workout, there’s one drink that experts say you should avoid after your workout to reap the maximum positive benefits of exercise.
High in protein and carbs, chocolate milk has gained popularity as a post-workout beverage to regain energy and fuel your muscles for adequate growth. But according to nutritionist Heather Hanks, chocolate milk is up there with sugary sports drinks when it comes to the minimal benefits it can actually offer your body, despite the protein content.
“Chocolate milk - especially from grain-fed cows - is highly inflammatory and can lead to gut inflammation, causing symptoms such as bloating, gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation,” she warns.
Not only can chocolate milk cause discomfort and inflammation in the body, but it is also high in refined sugar which can slow your metabolism over time and overload your body with calories, negating the positive effects of your workout. “Chocolate milk is also made with refined sugar. This can further prevent your immune system from recovering from a hard workout, leading to an increased risk of infections and illness,” notes Hanks.
Refined sugar is one of the most common causes of weight gain, and although chocolate milk can provide protein to the body after a workout, there are a variety of other sources which may do a better job of fueling your body post-exercise than this sugary drink.
Following your workout, a protein shake with unsweetened almond milk or another plant milk variation is going to be your best bet for replenishing your body and building muscle for an ultimately faster metabolism and better results. “Manufacturers have developed recovery specific formulations of protein drinks and recovery specific beverages,” says registered dietitian Trista Best.
“For a simpler yet effective recovery drink in place of your chocolate milk you could also utilize a simple protein powder with milk or water to fuel your muscles with amino acids,” she adds. It is important, however, to continue to look at the ingredients list of your protein powder to ensure that this supplement isn’t also loaded with refined, artificial sugar. The simpler the formula, the better, with protein sources ranging from whey to pea powder depending on your dietary restrictions.
Exercise is essential for healthy weight loss, but just as vital for your overall well being is how you fuel your body after you workout. Chocolate milk may be a common post-workout drink to turn to for a quick boost of protein and energy, but high in refined sugar it does not offer as many benefits as you may think when it comes to promoting muscle growth and weight loss.
Much like sports drink beverages, chocolate milk can cause a blood sugar spike and potentially impact your metabolism over time, and a nutrient dense protein shake in combination with water for hydration is your best option for feeling your best after you workout. Unless you’re clocking serious mileage or spending hours upon hours in the gym, both sports drinks and chocolate milk are better left on the sidelines when it comes to your post workout routine.
