Fairlife Chocolate 2% Ultra-Filtered Milk

Fairlife Chocolate 2% Ultra-Filtered Milk is our top pick because it has nearly equal carbohydrates and protein, contains key micronutrients, and is lactose-free. Cow’s milk (especially chocolate milk) is one of the best recovery drinks you can have. Fairlife’s technology has enhanced the nutritional profile of the regular chocolate milk people know and love, with the carbohydrate content of a cup of chocolate milk and the protein content of a typical protein drink.

Milk naturally contains sugar in the form of lactose, but some experts estimate that about 68% of the world has some form of lactose malabsorption. This product contains lactase enzymes to break down the lactose, which means it is perfect for people who suffer from lactose intolerance or have an acute lactose intolerance after exercising.

One serving, or 14 ounces of this chocolate milk, contains 50% of the daily value (DV) for calcium, 25% of the DV for vitamin D (which many people don’t get enough of), 10% of the DV for potassium, and some iron. It also contains 210 milligrams of sodium, which is helpful for replenishing the sodium lost in sweat during your workout.

Another perk of this drink is that there are several flavor options—if you don’t like the more traditional chocolate flavor, you can get cookies and cream or strawberry flavor instead.

Key Specs:

_{Serving Size: 14 fluid ounces Calories: 250 Total Carbohydrates: 22 grams Protein: 23 grams Sodium: 350 milligrams Potassium: 500 milligrams}

Muscle Milk Knockout Chocolate

With 40 grams of protein in a 14-ounce bottle, Muscle Milk Knockout Chocolate offers a powerful source of protein in each bottle. Our experts chose the chocolate flavor versus the others because it has a few more carbohydrates and more potassium, an important electrolyte. If chocolate isn’t your flavor of choice, it’s also available in vanilla, strawberry, and banana.

Muscle milk also contains 45% of the daily requirement for vitamin D, 50 percent of the daily requirement for calcium, and 25% of the daily requirement for vitamin A, iron, and niacin. It contains 800 milligrams, or 15% of the daily requirement, of potassium. It also contains 230 milligrams of sodium to help replenish losses from sweat during your workout.

The high amount of protein may be helpful if you just finished a difficult strength workout and are hoping to build muscle mass. While very high in protein, Muscle Milk lacks carbohydrates. Although it contains 12 grams of carbohydrates, six of those grams come from inulin, a form of fiber, which is beneficial for health but cannot be used by your body for energy. We recommend eating another form of carbohydrates after your workout, like a banana or pretzels, since strength training also uses up those carbohydrate energy stores quickly.

Take note that Muscle Milk is a more processed post-workout drink option, containing many ingredients, including artificial flavors. Consider how this fits into your lifestyle, depending on your goals and nutrition preferences. 

You can also buy this shake in other sizes (such as an 11-ounce bottle) which will have slightly different nutrition than the 14-ounce bottle. 

Key Specs:

_{Serving Size: 14 fluid ounces Calories: 220 Total Carbohydrates: 12 grams Protein: 40 grams Sodium: 230 milligrams Potassium: 800 milligrams}

Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution Unflavored

Pedialyte Electrolyte Solutions contains high amounts of electrolytes to replenish your sodium and potassium levels.

You can also use this drink to replenish yourself during exercise. If you are completing endurance workouts, like long runs or bicycle rides, you may need to consume electrolytes during exercise lasting over 60 minutes.

For endurance trainers, sodium is a very important electrolyte to consume to prevent low sodium levels in the blood or hyponatremia. On the flip side, it is also essential to avoid high sodium levels, also known as hypernatremia or dehydration. Both pose a health risk for endurance trainers and competitors because of the time spent exercising. Even a little imbalance may hamper performance. This drink will help you avoid either state by offering hydration with proper amounts of sodium.

Endurance athletes also benefit from consuming protein post-workout, at about 0.25 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which, for reference, is about 17 grams for a 150-pound athlete. It can be beneficial to pair a post-workout Pedialyte with a source of protein, such as a serving of Greek yogurt.

Key Specs:

_{Serving Size: 12 fluid ounces Calories: 40 Total Carbohydrates: 21 grams Protein: 0 grams Sodium: 370 milligrams Potassium: 280 milligrams}

Ripple Protein Shake

“Some people prefer not to have any dairy at all for different reasons, and there are plenty of valid options out there besides milk,” says Nick Snow, BS, NASM-CPT, FNS, a nutritionist and fitness director. Ripple uses pea protein to create this delicious vegan protein shake that is similar to the texture of milk.

We like this product because of its relatively balanced nutritional profile, containing 20 grams of protein and 18 grams of carbohydrates per bottle. One serving also contains 2 grams of fiber and necessary minerals such as calcium and iron, as well as essential electrolytes sodium and potassium. Many of these vitamins and minerals are important for supporting sports recovery.

This plant-based option is also free of soy, gluten, nuts and lactose if any of these are of concern to you.

Key Specs:

_{Serving Size: 12 fluid ounces Calories: 200 Total Carbohydrates: 18 grams Protein: 20 grams Sodium: 370 milligrams Potassium: 723 milligrams}

OWYN Only What You Need 100% Vegan Plant-Based Protein Shake

If you have one of the eight most common food allergies, including dairy, wheat, and soy, OWYN 100% Vegan Plant-Based Protein Shake may be the best for you. The protein comes from a pea and pumpkin seed blend. Pea protein may be comparably effective to whey (which is commonly considered the protein gold standard) for repairing and building muscle after a workout. However, more research is needed to validate pea protein's ability to promote strength, performance, muscular adaptations, and body composition.

This post-workout drink also contains 40% of the daily value for iron, which comes from the pea and pumpkin seed protein rather than separately added iron fortification. It contains 240 milligrams of sodium to help replenish sodium losses from sweat. OWYN contains 6 grams of fiber from added soluble fiber, though it is not clear what type of soluble fiber. It also contains a greens powder blend that includes broccoli, spinach, and kale, though it is unclear how much additional nutrition this blend adds.

The drawback of this post-workout drink is the lower carb content. We recommend pairing this post-workout drink with a fruit or a bar with carbohydrates. 

Key Specs:

_{Serving Size: 12 fluid ounces Calories: 180 Total Carbohydrates: 10 grams Protein: 20 grams Sodium: 240 milligrams Potassium: 72 milligrams}