The effects of low fat chocolate milk on postexercise recovery in collegiate athletes

J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Dec;25(12):3456-60. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182163071.

Abstract

Spaccarotella, KJ and Andzel, WD. The effects of low fat chocolate milk on postexercise recovery in collegiate athletes. J Strength Cond Res 25(12): 3456-3460, 2011-Drinking chocolate milk between exercise sessions may improve recovery. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of low fat chocolate milk vs. a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage (CE) on recovery between preseason practice sessions among 5 male and 8 female Division III soccer players. The study used a randomized crossover design: between morning and afternoon practices, athletes received either an amount of chocolate milk that provided 1 g carbohydrate per kilogram body weight or an equal volume of CE (mean volume of 615 ± 101 ml). After their afternoon practice, they completed a shuttle run to fatigue. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon paired rank-sign test (for shuttle run time) and the paired samples t-test (for dietary intake). No significant differences in run time were reported for the group. For the men only, there was a trend of increased time to fatigue with chocolate milk compared with the CE (exact p = 0.03). Low fat chocolate milk may therefore be as good as a CE at promoting recovery between training sessions during preseason.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Athletic Performance / physiology*
  • Beverages
  • Cacao*
  • Cross-Over Studies
  • Dietary Carbohydrates
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Electrolytes
  • Exercise Test
  • Fatigue / diet therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Milk*
  • Random Allocation
  • Recovery of Function
  • Running / physiology
  • Soccer / physiology*
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Time Factors
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Dietary Carbohydrates
  • Electrolytes