If you’re reading this, you probably just Googled ‘Is chocolate milk a good post workout?’ Don’t worry, I’ve done the same thing like 31 times. The first 23 times were to make sure my eyes weren’t lying to me and that chocolate milk (the best drink on the planet) was, in fact, a good post workout. The last 8 times were just to get a better understanding of which chocolate milk I should buy.

But what I found is that a lot of the articles on the interwebs don’t dive into enough detail as to what type of chocolate milk is a great post workout. So that’s what I’m about to break down for y’all real quick.

If you were once a kid like me, (which I can only assume most of you were), you know that not all chocolate milks are created equal. They all taste a little different, feel a little different when we drink them. But what we never looked at or thought about as careless little meatballs playing knee hockey and hopscotch, is that all of these chocolate milks also had different nutritional makeups. In other words, some chocolate milks are better for you, or are a better post workout, than others.

“So what chocolate milk should I drink after a workout!?” Well…

Most chocolate milks out there have loads of added sugar. Even as a post workout, your body does not NEED this. Some added sugar is fine, but most chocolate milk out there have dozens of grams of added sugar… which means if you’re working out to be healthy, this kind of defeats the purpose. So you’ll want one with limited added sugar.
 
Next, studies show that after exercise, your body needs protein to replenish your muscles. According to Men’s Health, right around 20g protein is optimal after a workout, depending on your body weight. Most chocolate milk only has 8 grams of protein per ounce, meaning you’d need 20oz to get the protein you need. And while likely quite tasty, that would come with some unwanted and unneeded extra calories. So you’ll want a chocolate milk with a higher concentration of protein per ounce.

You had a question, we answered it.

Keep em’ comin.

The Slate Milk Squad