Training & Nutrition - Chocolate for recovery

yes i love chocolate milk as well. I found people posting about using chocolate milk as good recovery drink after a long ride, because the balance of carbs etc is perfect.

What i like to know is how much milk should one drink?

like one Litre? etc? or what is the right amount?

As well, would i be ok to use the powder chocolate milk stuff as well like quick etc?
or the ready made stuff in the carton best only?
thanks

What i like to know is how much milk should one drink?How long is a piece of string? That much.

More words are better? Or not. Chocolate milk runs 100-150 calories/cup, depending on dairy fat content. How much depends on body weight and length of time spent riding - depth of depletion. For a complete over-generalization, one might want 200 cal. immediately after. Then, if one cannot eat a proper meal within 2 hours, about another 100-150 calories per hour after that until one can eat. None of which is actually necessary unless you're going to ride again tomorrow. Though that over-generalization probably should prompt more words.

As well, would i be ok to use the powder chocolate milk stuff as well like quick etc?
or the ready made stuff in the carton best only?

Store bought chocolate milk as well as Nestle Quik, et al., have a long list of ingredients that probably don't provide a lot of nutritional benefit [desired nutritional benefit being carbs/protein].

Chocolate syrup is easy to make (sugar dissolved in water, cocoa mixed in, maybe salt/vanilla for taste: "alton brown chocolate syrup recipe" with Google has a recipe that works well, though I like the taste of the "natural" unprocessed cocoa like Hershey's rather than the dutch-processed) and you can mix it to taste.

Store bought chocolate milk as well as Nestle Quik, et al., have a long list of ingredients that probably don't provide a lot of nutritional benefit [desired nutritional benefit being carbs/protein].

Actually, Nestle's Quik is about the healthiest popular brand out there. No corn syrup for sweetener, just plain old sugar.

I always regard Yoo-Hoo is the best chocolate milk for nutrition, but I've never compared labels.

OP, the right amount is dependant on how long/hard you ride. If you're using it as a post-workout drink, you need to adjust your intake with your exertion and the required carbs/protein you want to ingest. I personally always have a protein shake after a ride. ~30g protein and ~75g carbs

I always regard Yoo-Hoo is the best chocolate milk for nutrition, but I've never compared labels.

??? Yoo-Hoo is a "chocolate drink." It isn't milk based, rather it's chocolate-flavored sugar-water.

??? Yoo-Hoo is a "chocolate drink." It isn't milk based, rather it's chocolate-flavored sugar-water.
haha thats correct, yoo-hoo is probably the worst for post workout recovery compared to real chocolate milk.

haha thats correct, yoo-hoo is probably the worst for post workout recovery compared to real chocolate milk.Not really. The primary purpose of a recovery drink/food is to replenish your glycogen stores. Anything with sugar or carbs in it will accomplish this. Adding a little protein speeds up the process a little but for 90% of people adding the protein with your carbs post ride is not necessary, provided you are eating enough protein during the day.

Not that I care to argue which one is better than the next (i'll stick to my protein shakes, with or without milk is fine :P)

Did some research:
yoohoo 15.5 oz - 260 Cal, 1g sat fat, 57g carbs, 4g protein, 52g sugar
choc milk 16 oz - 452 Cal, 9.8g sat fat, 62.4g carbs, 17.2g protein, 64.4 sugar

so actually, milk loses based on strictly nutritional facts. I'll argue that I do enjoy milk more, though!

yoohoo 15.5 oz - 260 Cal, 1g sat fat, 57g carbs, 4g protein, 52g sugar
choc milk 16 oz - 452 Cal, 9.8g sat fat, 62.4g carbs, 17.2g protein, 64.4 sugar

That must be whole milk. Non-fat milk would take the saturated fat to zero yet still give you all the protein milk is good for.

We get 2% organic milk at Costco, and at some point I calculated that a 16oz glass (so more like 15oz of liquid, ~14oz of milk and 1oz of syrup?) was 300kcal with 14g of protein.

[We tend not to cook meat at home, so it is always a challenge for me to get enough protein in my diet. Milk (either in lattes or with chocolate syrup) is the easiest way to bridge the gap between sushi binges.

Being rather old, I can recall when "elite" local cyclists filled one bottle with de-fizzed coke and stuck a couple of YooHoo's in their back pocket. The popular banana was always a terrible choice because the damned thing turned black in your jersey pocket as the day went on. I still like good old fig newtons (I've upgraded to whole wheat).

I usually end up drinking a mason jar of milk with Rich Chocolate Ovaltine (that's one pint of liquid). Seems to be a tad healthier than Nestle, though I'm sure they're comparable. Try out Nestle, Ovaltine, your own syrup, everything else listed here, and just pick whichever one tastes best to you.

I would say to stick with milk, and not Yoohoo. The whole point of a recovery drink is to have a good sugar-to-protein ratio, which all these milk-based chocolate drinks have, and Yoohoo does not.