Milk, Chocolate -- Does a Body Good

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

When most adults think about exercise, they imagine working out in the gym on a treadmill or lifting weights. But for children, exercise means playing and being physically active. Kids exercise when they have gym class at school, soccer practice, or dance class. They're also exercising when they're at recess, riding bikes, or playing tag.

There's a lot we can learn from our kids. Exercise doesn't have to be a grueling workout. It can actually be a lot of fun too. Another thing we can learn from our kids is to drink chocolate milk. That's right - chocolate milk.

I read this news article on a recent research study that showed the benefits of drinking chocolate milk after a strenuous workout. Compared to a typical sports drink like Gatorade, they have high carbohydrate content and it helps restore the glycogen to the muscles. The replenishment between the two drinks is similar, however milk provides B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus and bone-building calcium.

Chocolate milk is an ideal restorative for our children and for teenagers because it provides them with the building blocks of growth while restoring the nutrients they need after intense physical workout. Unfortunately, it's a much higher calorie count than a sport's drink so for those interested in weight loss - chocolate milk is not the best thing to be drinking.

The study took into account the fact that the first 30 to 45 minutes after a workout are the most crucial time to replenish your body and getting the carbs into your system. So as you encourage fitness in your family, especially in your children - remember that chocolate milk is a good idea for them.

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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