Built with Chocolate Milk

As excitement builds for the world’s biggest winter sports event in February, there are two stories about athletes that already stand out. The first is a tale of fearlessness and perseverance. The second is one of determination and redemption. Both are stories that show how drive and ambition are built with the power of the human spirit. Now, a new national marketing campaign recognizes these athletes and shows how their preparations for the world stage have been BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK. Ski jumping has always been one of the most thrilling extreme sports, but women have never been allowed to participate alongside their male counterparts at the highest level, despite having a long and rich history in the sport.  The got chocolate milk? campaign is proud of the perseverance by Women’s Ski Jumping USA athletes who pushed for their rightful place in history on sport’s biggest stage in Russia, 2014. In 2010, Zach Parise scored USA’s tying goal late in the final hockey game against Canada to send it to overtime. Although Team USA went home as runners up, Parise has since dreamed of winning gold and will get a second chance in Russia. The got chocolate milk? campaign salutes these incredible athletes and will feature them in the new BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK campaign, which debuts in early November.  Backed by Women’s Ski Jumping USA and USA Hockey, the new campaign showcases what elite athletes have known for years – and what research supports: drinking lowfat chocolate milk after strenuous exercise helps athletes refuel and rebuild their bodies so they’re ready to give it their all in their next workout or competition. For any athlete competing in Russia next year, recovering effectively between each intense training session can mean the difference between standing on the podium and going home empty-handed. The dynamic new BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK print, television, online and in-store campaign features USA Hockey star Zach Parise plus Women’s Ski Jumping USA athletes, Abby Hughes, Alissa Johnson, Jessica Jerome, Lindsey Van, Nita Englund, Nina Lussi and Sarah Hendrickson. They join a long line-up of elite athletes who make chocolate milk their post-workout drink of choice, such as football MVP-turned endurance athlete Hines Ward, two-time IRONMAN World Champion triathlete Mirinda Carfrae and members of the USA Swimming Team. In addition, a webisode series at www.gotchocolatemilk.com shares an exclusive look at how Parise and members of the Women’s Ski Jumping USA team are building up to represent their country on the biggest stage in sports. “Our nation’s brightest medal hopefuls are following what many elite athletes have been doing for years – refueling with chocolate milk,” said Miranda Abney, Marketing Director at the Milk Processor Education Program, the group behind the new campaign. “Now, we want to show athletes from all sports that their personal athletic goals can be built with hard work, dedication and a recovery routine that includes chocolate milk, which is scientifically shown to help you refuel and recover after a strenuous workout.” Chocolate Milk: Built With Science More than 20 scientific studies including athletes from sports spanning running, cycling and soccer support the advantages of drinking chocolate milk after strenuous exercise. As part of a regular recovery routine, it’s an ideal way to help athletes refuel, rebuild and reshape with high quality protein scientifically shown to help repair and rebuild muscles. In fact, drinking chocolate milk after a tough workout could give athletes a performance edge, according to recent research. Runners ran twenty-three percent longer in the next run and saw a thirty-eight percent increase in signs of muscle building when they drank fat free chocolate milk after their run, compared to a typical sports drink. Other research suggests regularly recovering with chocolate milk could help athletes tone up. Milk and milk’s high quality protein has been shown to help athletes gain more lean muscle compared to drinking a carb-only or soy protein beverage, and even lose fat when compared to drinking a carb-only beverage, as part of a regular workout and recovery routine. Elite athletes, coaches and serious exercisers are recognizing the benefits of refueling with lowfat chocolate milk. Dave Ellis, RD, CSCS, USA Hockey team dietitian, makes chocolate milk a staple on the training menu of his athletes. “Lowfat chocolate milk has what my athletes need to recover after tough workouts so they can train their hardest and avoid costly burnouts, which can mean the difference between winning and losing,” said Ellis. “Athletes have been drinking it for years for good reason – it’s a natural source of high-quality protein to build lean muscle, it has the right mix of protein and carbs to refuel exhausted muscles, plus it has fluids and electrolytes to help replenish the body.” The Official Recovery Beverage of Serious Athletes Through a variety of initiatives – and with the help of elite athletes, trainers and sports dietitians – the BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK campaign will reach active adults who are serious about exercise to educate them about the importance of recovering effectively:

The BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK campaign will host recovery clinics featuring leading sports dietitians and experts to inform athletes about the importance of recovery and the role that lowfat chocolate milk can play.