After a hard workout, the last thing I want to chug is a glass of chocolate milk. The very thought of choking down a glass of thick sugary dairy leaves me feeling queasy.

And what better way is there to undo the effects of my hard work than drinking down a beverage that's been linked to numerous health concerns including bone fracture, strep throat, allergies, Crohn's disease, and insulin regulation?

Yet the Dairy Research Institute has announced that I should indeed be reaching for a cool glass of sugared milk as soon as I get home from the gym. Summarizing the results of a study from University of Texas Research, Dairy Research Institute president Gregory Miller proclaimed that milk is "nature's sports drink" and that it can be an "effective way to help the body refuel, rehydrate, and recover" after a tough workout.

Only 32 people participated in the study. They worked out five days a week and followed those workouts with a glass of chocolate milk, a carbohydrate drink that matched the milk in calories and fat, or water. The results were similar to those in another study that showed that chocolate milk was more effective than water in fueling muscles with carbs.

Really? Maybe it's because...water doesn't contain carbohydrates? If they're looking at it that way, why not put a candy bar up against water? Or a donut? I bet those will win the "what puts carbs in the body" battle, too.

The study showed no difference in markers of muscle breakdown.

Oh, I should probably mention that Miller is also the executive vice president of the National Dairy Council--which, incidentally, co-sponsored the research that led to his conclusions. The other sponsor? None other than the Milk Processor Education Program.

So at least we know there's no bias there.

I'm kidding, of course.

Miller heaped even more praise on chocolate milk: The carbs help you refuel muscles! It has protein! Electrolytes help replenish what you sweat out.

He made no mention of the 3 teaspoons of added sugar in chocolate milk--which you could also get from three Oreo cookies or four of those donut munchkins your coworkers keep bringing into the office.

Or that a 2005 meta-analysis with no connections to the dairy industry debunked the "milk builds healthy bones" myth.

I think I'll stick to my plan of having a piece of fruit and a few almonds after a workout. Thanks anyway, Dairy Council.

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