Hot Topics on Exercise Recovery -- Fluid, Nutrition, Rest

VAUGHAN, ON -- The 3 big issues with recovery from training and game/competition that a soccer player needs to look at are the following: Fluid Ingestion/Hydration, Nutrition/Protein for muscle recovery and Rest/Mental recovery.

The buzz these days, if one searches the research, is that milk or chocolate milk is an effective post exercise/competition drink. In the past, sports drinks (which now come in many forms and shapes) were considered to be the drink of choice as part of a recovery process. Researchers in the UK, USA and Canada are now finding that the drinking of low-fat chocolate milk approximately ½ hour after a training session or game provided an excellent recovery fuel. These researchers advocate that low-fat chocolate milk provides the liquid required for fluid replenishment, appropriate sugar in the form of “lactose” for muscle glycogen replenishment and a source of high quality protein required for muscle building during the repair stage. The only exception would be for those who are lactose intolerant.

Of course, milk cannot replace all of your water or sports drink in-take. It is still recommended that as a pre-event drink, water or a sports drink is the fluid of choice -- during the soccer event, water is preferred and, if the game goes on longer than regulation time as in an over-time situation, a sports drink is preferred. Appropriate fluid in-take recommendations are found on The OSA web site under the “Medical” tab in the left hand column of the home page.

These recommendations still need to be followed. However, some researchers are advocating that milk is a superior alternative and that low-fat chocolate milk is ideal. One study in the British Journal of Nutrition (2007), entitled “Milk as an Effective Post-exercise Rehydration Drink” suggests that the consumption of milk lessened the fluctuation in the body's fluid balance as detected by urine sampling 1 and 2 hours after participation as compared to water or a sports drink. In soccer, especially during training camps, pre-season preparation or when the team is traveling, the team is often expected to either train twice per day or train and play on the same day. In these situations, low-fat chocolate milk is advocated as a better recovery drink between training sessions.

The reason given by the authors in an article published by the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (2006) entitled “Chocolate Milk as a Post-Exercise Recovery Aid”, is that milk provides the required elements for muscle injury rebuilding which are missing in the usually carbohydrate-based water and sports drinks. These authors also looked at the “perceived exertion” that often accompanies heavy bouts of training which are caused primarily by heavy eccentric exercise components such as plyometric and bounding elements in the workouts and which are often an integral part of soccer training. They felt that athletes did not feel as exhausted between these bouts and felt more energized for the next session.

In conclusion, although low-fat chocolate milk can be considered as a good fluid-replenishment drink after training and games, it is not appropriate for everyone. As mentioned earlier, the lactose intolerant athlete will not benefit and the substitution of soy milk will not offer the same muscle repair elements that regular milk will offer as it is missing some of the essential amino acids required for muscle repair. Typically, soy milk, although often fortified with other essential nutritional elements, is not fortified with these essential amino acids. For those who are lactose intolerant, caution is advised and you should consult your doctor before using low fat chocolate milk.

So, to get that extra edge in your workout recovery, and in your efforts to achieve “peak performance” consider low-fat chocolate milk as your next recovery drink.

Dr. Robert Gringmuth
Chair-Medical Advisory Group, OSA