A new study has discovered that chocolate milk helps mend and reconstruct muscles, after exercise as compared to specially designed carbohydrate sports drinks.

Scientists agree that the two-hour window post exercise is a vital part of a fitness routine.

After tiring work out, this post-workout recovery period is important for active people at all fitness levels, which help take advantage of an exercise routine and stay in top shape for the next workout.

The study suggested that consuming fat free chocolate milk post work out can help the body retain, replenish and rebuild muscle to help body recover.

Drinking chocolate milk, which contains low fat, after a tiring exercise could even help prepare body muscles to perform in a better way.

Specifically, the researchers found a chocolate milk advantage for:

Building muscle - Post-exercise muscle biopsies in moderately trained male runners showed that after drinking 16 ounces of fat free chocolate milk, the runners had enhanced skeletal muscle protein synthesis.

It is a sign that muscles were better able to repair and rebuild - compared to when they drank a carbohydrate only sports beverage with the same amount of calories.

Replenishing muscle "fuel" - Replacing muscle fuel (glycogen) after exercise is essential to an athlete's future performance and muscle recovery.

Boffins said that having 16 ounces of fat free chocolate milk with its mix of carbohydrates and protein resulted in greater concentration of glycogen in muscles at 30 and 60 minutes post exercise.

Maintaining lean muscle - Athletes risk muscle breakdown following exercise when the body's demands are at their peak. Researchers found that drinking fat free chocolate milk after exercise helped decrease markers of muscle breakdown compared to drinking a carbohydrate sports drink.

Subsequent exercise performance - trained men and women cyclists rode for an hour and a half, followed by 10 minutes of intervals.

They rested for four hours and were provided with one of drinks immediately and two hours into recovery: low fat chocolate milk or a carbohydrate drink with the same amount of calories.

When the cyclists then performed a subsequent 40 km ride, their trial time was significantly shorter after drinking the chocolate milk compared to the carbohydrate drink.

Chocolate milk's combination of carbohydrates and high-quality protein first made researchers take notice of a potential exercise benefit.

The combination of carbohydrates and protein already in chocolate milk matched the ratio found to be most beneficial for recovery.

In fact, researches suggested that chocolate milk has the right mix of carbohydrates and protein to help refuel exhausted muscles, and the protein in milk helps build lean muscle.

The findings of the study were presented at the American College of Sports Medicine conference this week. (With Inputs from Agencies)