Student athletes have many choices to make: What sport to play, brand of gear to use, position to play and increasingly—sports beverage to drink. In fact, sports drinks are among the most marketed products to young adults.
Student athletes reach for sports drinks to replenish fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise. However, the overconsumption of sports drinks can make athletes overweight and obese. It is such a problem that the American Academy of Pediatrics released a report warning against overconsumption.
The good news is there is a healthier and cheaper option—chocolate milk! Believe it or not, the health benefits of chocolate milk provide protein, fluids and electrolytes needed to replenish tired muscles. In fact, many coaches and young athletes are opting for chocolate milk over sports drinks due to the health benefits of dairy.
Set your student athlete up for success. Keep a gallon of chocolate milk in the fridge at home, talk to your student’s coaches about stocking the weight room or gym with a cooler of chocolate milk and buy shelf-stable, single-serve containers for your student to throw in their bag for after practice.
Enjoy the health benefits of chocolate milk with your student using these delicious recipes:
- Chocolate Banana Frappe
- Chocolate Comfort Sipper
- The Fairway Café’s Mitchell London Hot Chocolate
- Hazelnut Hot Chocolate
- Hot Cocoa with Moroccan Spices
- The Avenue’s Classic Hot Chocolate
- Mulled Hot Chocolate
Lanier Dabruzzi, MS, RD, LD
![Lanier Dabruzzi](https://thedairyalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Lanier_Headshot.jpg")