It’s been said that a glass of chocolate milk is the perfect recovery drink, and that might be true for endurance athletes who need the carbs. But if protein’s your priority, a study published in the Nutrition Journal suggests 20 grams of whey protein enhanced with 3 grams of the Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) Leucine does a better job of triggering protein synthesis compared to milk.

Researchers gave healthy older adults a 150 calorie shake containing whey and leucine or milk protein amounting to the same amount of calories after weight training. The rate of muscle protein synthesis was significantly higher for 4 hours after the workout in subjects who drank whey.

True Strength Moment: A glass of milk might make a good substitute for promoting recovery when you finally reach the bottom of that tub of whey protein, but if you want a higher dose of pure protein and BCAAs, whey’s the better option. Especially if you’re trying to avoid extra calories, carbs, sugar and fat.