The Blonde Side approves: Core Power: Chocolate

I am by no means an Olympic athlete, but given my recent training schedule and re-commitment back to staying in shape and working hard (at Sculpt Fitness here in Houston), if I can drink the same drink that Olympic athletes do, I feel kind of empowered. Like I’m at least on the right track, somewhere…

Having been an athlete all my life, at least some variation of, milk has never really been my post-workout or post-game drink of choice, although the studies are there to back up why it should be. Milk is one of the best sources of protein – helping to build lean muscle and recharge the body when consumed directly after physical activity. And if you work out hard like I do (or at least attempt to), recharging your body and muscles is an absolute must.

I recently tried Core Power, the real milk-based sports recovery drink, which contains the natural whey and casein proteins from milk. Basically, it’s never removed from their original liquid state, so it tastes natural, the way milk is supposed to. The new brand features simple ingredients and great taste, without the chalky-texture. I repeat: without the chalky-texture. That’s usually the worst part about trying these new protein drinks – they all taste chalky and leave a film in your mouth. Pretty gross, right?

But not this one. (Seriously, I’m not being paid to tell you otherwise.)

Core Power boasts 14 grams of essential amino acids and 5 grams of branched chain amino acids and packs 26g of protein – yet it remains delicious. It’s like those V8 commercials where you’re not supposed to tell the kids how healthy they are, except these are actually good.

Protein consumption after exercise and training is an important part of every athlete’s workout regimen – whether the occasional marathon runner or an obsessed yogi. Protein helps build lean muscle and recharges the body when consumed directly after physical activity. (Note, so it doesn’t really do the body as good hours later.)

And let me just say this – milk is not the first after sport recovery drink I think of – usually it’s just plain ole water or maybe a G2 if I’m feeling fiesty, but it really does taste delicious and refreshing, and knowing the good it does for my body, helps too. And here’s the catch a lot of people forget – this is a recovery drink. If you plan to hit the gym or the running trails or the ski slopes on a regular basis, rebuilding those muscles and tissues is essential to returning day after day. This is part of a healthy training schedule, as is water consumption and adequate stretching.

I’ve only tried the vanilla and the chocolate (my favorite!), but there are a few other flavors to try as well (like banana and strawberry) and there’s even a low-cal version for those counting calories.

Core Power, just named the Official Protein Drink of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games is the perfect high-protein sports recovery drink for not just elite athletes, like Olympians, but folks like you and I who lead active lifestyles.