At weekend 10Ks and half-marathons across America, organizers always seem to hand out the same thing post race: bananas. They are seen as the perfect way to replenish the carbs, sodium, and potassium expended during a race.
Recently, the team at Thrive Ice Cream asked an interesting question: What if they started handing out chocolate ice cream instead?
It’s not such a crazy idea. Science has proven that chocolate milk – 
a cousin of chocolate ice cream – is an ideal post-workout recovery food. In a blog published by Web MD, Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, points out that:
- Chocolate milk has the ideal ratio of carbohydrate grams to protein grams, which appears to enhance glycogen replenishment in the muscles post workout.
- Chocolate milk contains whey protein, which is digested and absorbed quickly, getting essential amino acids circulating in the blood stream soon after consumption. Whey protein is thought to enhance the building and repair of muscle.
- Chocolate milk contains the protein casein, which is digested and absorbed more slowly than whey protein and sustains amino acids in the body’s circulation hours after consumption. Casein is thought to reduce muscle breakdown.
Following this line of thinking, if chocolate milk is good, nutrition-packed Thrive Ice Cream is even better as a post workout/post performance recovery food!. Here’s why.
- Thrive has the ideal 4-to-1 carb-to-protein ratio for muscle recovery and replenishment of Glycogen stores.
- Thrive has nine grams of high quality milk protein isolate with the same ratio of whey and casein as whole milk.
- Thrive has significantly more vitamins and minerals than milk. Thrive is an excellent source of 24 different essential vitamins and minerals, including potassium.
- Thrive is a good source of natural soluble fiber which has been shown to improve digestion.
- Thrive has 500 million CFU of Ganeden BC-30®* probiotic that is clinically proven to:
- Improve amino acid absorption in blood, increasing protein availability.
- Improve recovery time and strength gains in athletes.
- Support digestive and immune health.
Nothing against bananas, but what if race organizers start handing out Thrive Ice Cream’s Simply Chocolate at the finish line? What if football and basketball players got Thrive instead of an energy drink? I know I’m in. How about you?
For more information on the complete nutrition found in Thrive Ice Cream and how we’re helping collegiate athletes thrive, visit our website.