Chocolate Milk - a great sport drink!

This is from an article I submitted in EzineArticles. Just more information out there that chocolate is good for you.
Women's Health Magazine recently compiled a list of The Best Fitness Foods for Women. One of the foods listed was chocolate milk. Sports nutritionist Susan Kleiner, Ph.D, author of High-Performance Nutrition: The Total Eating Plan to Maximum Your Workout, said that "there's way more to milk than just calcium. In fact, it's a d#@ near perfect food, giving you a lot of valuable energy while keeping your calorie count low. The chocolate kind is loaded with calcium,
vitamins, and minerals just like the plain stuff, but new studies confirm that milk with a touch of cocoa is as powerful as commercial recovery drinks at replenishing and repairing muscles."
Other recent studies have been done to show that chocolate milk is helpful in recovering from strenuous exercise just like Gatorade.
A team of researchers led by Joel M. Stager of Indiana University found that milk contains key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, in quantities that sports drinks can't match.
In their study, they had nine male cyclists ride until their muscles were depleted of energy, then rested four hours and rode again until exhaustion. In between rides, the cyclists drank low-fat chocolate milk, Gatorade, or another sports drink Endurox R4. During the second round of exercise, the cyclists who drank the chocolate milk were able to ride about 50 percent longer than those who drank Endurox, and about the same as those who drank the Gatorade.
The results suggest that "chocolate milk has an optimal ratio of carbohydrates to protein to help refuel tired muscles", Stager said.
These studies all are indicative of the new revelations that are being made about chocolate. In it's basest form chocolate is a healthy food filled with antioxidants. We have all been trained that it is a 'treat' and not good for us, but that is something that has come from the candy companies turning chocolate into a sugar and calorie loaded concoction. Dark chocolate is getting more and more press today as being good for us. And as many say the closer you are to the pure form of cacao (chocolate) the more health benefits you will get.
I just know the sound of chocolate milk after a run sounds much tastier than a Gatorade, and now I can drink it knowing I'm doing my body just as good.