got milk? Campaign Honors Deserving Coach at Shelby High School

SHELBY, Neb., Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Eric Crouch and got milk? are teaming up to recognize Coach Sandy Voss of Shelby High School for her outstanding efforts in teaching student athletes about the benefits of post-exercise nutrition.

Eric Crouch will be visiting Shelby High School on November 4, 2010, as part of the Refuel America Grant program, sponsored by the "got milk?" Campaign, which recognizes coaches who've changed their team's recovery game plan to include lowfat chocolate milk to help give teen athletes the competitive edge. There will be a Refuel Rally to honor Coach Voss, where the school will be presented with a $1,000 grant to help further exercise and nutrition efforts at Shelby High School.

When it comes to performing at the highest level, an athlete's post-game recovery routine is just as important as their pre-game preparation. Experts suggest there's a two-hour recovery window after a game or workout—the best time to refuel and rehydrate your body to keep it in top shape and help you get back in the game.  Lowfat chocolate milk contains a mix of carbs and protein to refuel and repair muscles, fluids to rehydrate and electrolytes, including calcium, potassium and magnesium, to replenish what is lost in sweat and has the added bonus of bone-building nutrients.

"My coaches always stressed the importance of recovery after tough practices and games, and I would not have been able to achieve so much without this advice," said Crouch. "I'm excited to be part of this important program to help honor Coach Voss, who teaches her athletes how drinking chocolate milk can help them refuel after exercise."

In 2001, Crouch won the Heisman Trophy and threw for 1,510 yards and seven touchdowns, while also rushing for 1,115 yards and 18 touchdowns. Crouch was the USA Today Nebraska Player of the Year and a Parade All-American athlete at Millard North High School, where he was a two-time All-State selection at quarterback.

Your Workout's Finished. Your Body Isn't.

Chocolate milk is making star appearances in locker rooms around the country as more athletes and top level coaches discover the benefits of refueling with chocolate milk after training. Experts agree that the two-hour window after exercise is an important, yet often neglected, part of a fitness routine. Active bodies need the right mix of nutrients and fluids to properly recover and get back in the game.

"What's so great about lowfat chocolate milk is that it delivers the things the body really needs to recover – like carbs, high-quality protein, fluids and electrolytes – with the bonus of other nutrients like bone-strengthening vitamin D and calcium, all in a great-tasting, affordable drink that's probably already in your refrigerator," said nationally-recognized certified sports dietitian Tara Gidus, RD, who works with some of the nation's top athletes.

A growing body of research supports chocolate milk's recovery benefits.  Most recently, a series of four studies presented at the American College of Sports Medicine suggests that drinking lowfat or fat free chocolate milk after exercise can help the body retain, replenish and rebuild muscle to help your body refuel and could even help prepare muscles to perform better in a subsequent bout of exercise.(1-4)

About Refuel Grants

Through November 2010, coaches, teachers, students and parents can nominate secondary schools that refuel their athletes with chocolate milk for a chance to receive one of ten $1,000 Refuel Grants to help them further efforts to teach the benefits of exercise and nutrition.

To learn more about the Refuel America program and the science behind the recovery benefits of lowfat chocolate milk, log onto www.bodybymilk.com .

About the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign

The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, through MilkPEP, runs the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk.  For more information, go to www.whymilk.com. Deutsch, A Lowe and Partners Company, is the creative agency for the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign.

References

1. Lunn WR, Colletto MR, Karfonta KE, Anderson JM, Pasiakos SM, Ferrando AA, Wolfe RR, Rodriguez NR. Chocolate milk consumption following endurance exercise affects skeletal muscle protein fractional synthetic rate and intracellular signaling. Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise. 2010;42:S48.
2. Karfonta KE, Lunn WR, Colletto MR, Anderson JM, Rodriguez NR. Chocolate milk enhances glycogen replenishment after endurance exercise in moderately trained males. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2010;42:S64.
3. Colletto MR, Lunn W, Karfonta K, Anderson J, Rogriguez N. Effects of chocolate milk consumption on leucine kinetics during recovery from endurance exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2010;42:S126.
4. Ferguson-Stegall L, McCleave E, Doerner PG, Ding Z, Dessard B, Kammer L, Wang B, Liu Y, Ivy J. Effects of chocolate milk supplementation on recovery from cycling exercise and subsequent time trial performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2010;42:S536.

SOURCE MilkPEP