WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the professional basketball season nears its halftime, the league’s best players are preparing to show off their skills this weekend in New Orleans and will be looking for ways to maintain peak condition through the second half of the season. One of those players, three-point shooting superstar Klay Thompson, has officially joined BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK in a new marketing campaign set to spotlight his distinct approach to training, performance and muscle recovery.
Known for his clutch basketball performances and long-range jump shots, Thompson began to incorporate lowfat chocolate milk into his nutrition program when his dad, a former professional basketball player, gave him chocolate milk after his youth games. Thompson’s affinity for chocolate milk as his go-to recovery beverage grew when he later learned about its “three-point play” that many other recovery drinks can’t make:
Chocolate Milk’s “Three-Point Play”
- Nutrients to refuel muscles
- Natural protein to rebuild muscles
- Backed by science
“With 82 basketball games a season, grueling practices and gym workouts, plus a hectic travel schedule, I need to take care of my body and take my recovery routine seriously,” said Thompson. “Thanks to my dad, chocolate milk has been my go-to recovery drink since I was a kid, so joining the BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK campaign is a given.”
BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK: Klay Thompson Makes a Splash
As one of the stars on a championship-caliber team and touted as one of the most dynamic professional basketball players, Thompson will be the face of the new national BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK TV, print and digital campaign, debuting on February 15. Later this season, Thompson will also star in a BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK digital content series produced by CBS Sports that is set to play off of his widely known superstition of triangles. Fans will have the opportunity to share their own superstitions for their chance to win signed gear.
A Championship Roster
Thompson joins a long lineup of elite athletes who make chocolate milk their post-workout drink of choice, such as IRONMAN® Triathlon Champion Mirinda Carfrae, U.S. gold medal swimmers Tyler Clary and Jessica Hardy, and professional hockey player Zach Parise.
“When you look at the caliber of professional athletes who are drinking chocolate milk after exercise, it’s no surprise that more people are trusting it as their go-to recovery beverage,” said Miranda Abney, Marketing Director at the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), the group behind the BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK campaign. “Sales for chocolate milk have steadily increased as the demand for simple and effective recovery tools are at an all-time high, and we’re excited to continue to inspire and inform everyday athletes through our new partnership with Klay.”
Chocolate Milk: Built With Science
More than 20 scientific studies including athletes from sports spanning running, cycling, swimming and soccer support the benefits of recovering after strenuous exercise with the high-quality protein and nutrients found in lowfat chocolate milk. As part of a regular recovery routine, it’s an ideal way to help athletes rebuild and reshape with high-quality protein scientifically shown to help repair muscles. In fact, drinking chocolate milk after a tough workout could give athletes a performance edge, according to a growing body of research. According to one study, runners ran twenty-three percent longer in their next run later that same day and saw a thirty-eight percent increase in signs of muscle building when they drank fat free chocolate milk after an initial run, compared to a carb-only sports drink with the same amount of calories.i Other research suggests regularly recovering with lowfat chocolate milk could help athletes tone up. Plus, 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.ii, iii, iv
To learn more about the BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK campaign, the science behind the recovery benefits of lowfat chocolate milk, and to watch Klay Thompson’s TV spots and exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, visit BuiltWithChocolateMilk.com. Join the conversation on Facebook/BuiltWithChocolateMilk, Twitter @Chocolate_Milk and on Instagram @BuiltWithChocolateMilk.
About the BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE 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 BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK Campaign, a multi-faceted program designed to educate athletes and exercisers about the recovery benefits of lowfat chocolate milk after strenuous exercise. Lowfat chocolate milk helps athletes refuel, rebuild and reshape after regular exercise – with high quality protein scientifically shown to help repair and rebuild muscles. For more information, go to http://www.BuiltWithChocolateMilk.com/.
- Lunn WR, et al. Chocolate milk & endurance exercise recovery: protein balance, glycogen and performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2012;44:682-691.
- Hartman JW, et al. Consumption of fat-free fluid milk following resistance exercise promotes greater lean mass accretion than soy or carbohydrate consumption in young novice male weightlifters. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;86:373-381.
- Josse AR, et al. Body composition and strength changes in women with milk and resistance exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2010;42:1122-1130.
- McCleave EL, et al. Effects of aerobic training and nutritional supplementation on body composition, immune cells and inflammatory markers. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2011; 23:442.
Source: The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP)
