WTF Alert: Chocolate Milk is New ‘Nature’s Sports Drink’

As if we didn’t need to add another reason to scrutinize the U.S. dairy industry, this just in: the National Dairy Council will seek to “rebrand” milk as “nature’s sports drink” in tandem with the 2014 Winter Olympic promotional frenzy.

The campaign, dubbed the “Built with Chocolate Milk” promotion, was created by those behind the dairy industry’s notorious “Got Milk” campaign. The primary claim? That the carbohydrates, protein, electrolytes, and other “nutrients’ in chocolate milk make it a great way for athletes to “refuel muscles, reduce muscle breakdown, and rehydrate with fluid.”

Besides the obvious reasons why we shouldn’t Support the dairy industry, mainstream media reports its own take: “There’s reason to be skeptical of milk taking a place on the sideline. Putting aside the obvious logistical issues of toting a perishable drink for hours of exercise, as the Week’s Carmel Lobello notes, the majority of adults can’t properly digest milk,” writes Kavitha A. Davidson for Bloomberg.

Then there’s that whole issue of corporate interest potentially funding “science” backing the milk campaign – a 2006 Indiana University that found low-fat chocolate milk helped with athletic muscle recovery was reportedly funded partially by the dairy industry. Surprise, surprise (not)!

Obviously, this campaign is part of the dairy industry’s plight to recoup its declining sales over the last several decades – but, people, don’t fall for the advertising – stick with water and healthy animal-free proteins to fuel your workout the truly “natural” way! And if you need more reason to steer clear of dairy, check this out.

Image Source: USDA/Flickr