5 Sports Drinks That Actually Work

#2 Best Drink for Recovery: Chocolate Milk

Low-Fat Chocolate Milk (8 fl oz)

158 calories
2.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
25 g sugars
8 g protein

Drinking a combination of carbohydrates and protein after a hard workout can help restore your energy and aid in building lean, metabolism-boosting muscle, but it turns out that you don't need a fancy recovery beverage to reap these benefits. A 2009 article in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism found that after participating in a vigorous cyclying session, cyclists who drank chocolate milk were able to ride 51 percent longer in a subsequent workout than those who drank a standard recovery beverage. Plus, chocolate milk is cheaper (and tastier) than anything you'll find in a sports nutrition store.

Not That!

Endurox R4 Chocolate Recovery Drink (2 Scoops)

270 calories
1.5 g fat
44 g sugars
13 g protein