Post-ride chocolate milk

[Owlie]

I know there are tons of post-ride chocolate milk advocates on here. I'm okay with the idea (chocolate! And it gets the milk out of the fridge!), so my question is: what do you use as the chocolate base? Hershey's syrup? Something else?

Or do I go to the grocery store and pick up a gallon of the commercial stuff? (Please no, that stuff is gross.)

[badger]

and slightly on tangent, can soy chocolate do the same? I'm lactose intolerant so while it would taste good going down, chocolate milk would incapacitate me in about an hour. I do love Silk's chocolate flavour.

[jessmarimba]

I do soy, and I don't think the flavor matters so much as the fact that it should have sugar. I'm a silk very vanilla girl myself

The chocolate milk theory is based on the ratio of carbs/fat/protein, so I would think most "synthetic" flavored milks (soy, hemp, almond, etc) would be somewhat close. I'd much rather drink any of those than the nasty chalky recovery drinks my guy mixes up after a run or ride... *shudder*

[alexis_the_tiny]

I use a homemade syrup. Equal amounts of cocoa powder and sugar dissolved in enough water and then cooked to a syrup. You can tweak the amount of cocoa powder and sugar to make it as bitter or sweet as you like.

[shootingstar]

Would only buy and have chocolate milk after doing a long ride ie. 100+ kms. and if I had no other better choice at hand.

Knowing myself, I would get concerned on getting hooked on the stuff.

[7rider]

I know there are tons of post-ride chocolate milk advocates on here. I'm okay with the idea (chocolate! And it gets the milk out of the fridge!), so my question is: what do you use as the chocolate base? Hershey's syrup? Something else?

Or do I go to the grocery store and pick up a gallon of the commercial stuff? (Please no, that stuff is gross.)

DH often downs a big glass of milk with Nesquik powder in it after a ride. It alleges to having less sugar "than leading brands" but I have to admit, I haven't checked on sugar levels of all the options. But after a hard ride, it's cool, refreshing, and decadent!

[Atlas]

I haven't been on many rides long enough to need a recovery drink, but he has and I usually have chocolate almond milk or chocolate soy milk in the fridge when he gets home. And I always have a glass myself, though he has the rest of the quart.

[OakLeaf]

Only soy milk (and only some brands of that) has protein that compares to dairy milk. I don't do either dairy or soy in quantities to meet my protein requirements, so to slam a quick recovery drink I'll use a protein powder like Garden of Life, mixed with juice for the sugar. I don't think fat is really necessary in a recovery drink, but I do try to get healthy fats throughout the day.

[GLC1968]

If you can't digest milk but yogurt is ok (like my H)...then sweetened yogurt is the right ratio and makes a nice recovery meal as well.

[lauraelmore1033]

I find Chai Latte to have the same restorative powers as chocolate milk. Oregon Chai has a pre mixed product that you mix half and half with milk. Trader Joe's Chai is also nice, but not quite as convenient.