- Default serving250 ml8.5 fl oz · Dairy & milk
- Counts toward goal250 mlthe full serving
- Hydration factor1.45raises the hydration level more than water
- Calories158 kcal63 kcal per 100 ml
Move the slider to see what a bigger or smaller chocolate milk does to the numbers. The app uses the same figures.
Work out your daily drinking target with the water intake calculator.
What the trial says
Chocolate milk was not one of the 13 drinks in the Beverage Hydration Index trial. Plain milk was, and it came out among the best: full-fat milk scored 1.50 and skimmed milk 1.58 against still water's 1.00. Two hours after drinking a litre, the men had kept about half as much fluid again as after water. (Maughan et al., 2016) The milk page has the details.
Chocolate milk is the same milk with cocoa and sugar added, and the sugar works in the same direction. In a follow-up trial, drinks with 10% sugar produced less urine than plain water. (Maughan et al., 2019) WaterChamp gives chocolate milk a hydration factor of 1.45, just under plain milk's 1.50. The glass counts in full toward your goal, and the factor lifts the live hydration level further than water.
Caffeine and theobromine
Cocoa brings a little caffeine. USDA data for lowfat chocolate milk show 1 mg of caffeine per 100 g, about 3 mg in a 250 ml glass, against 95 mg in a cup of coffee. (USDA FoodData Central) WaterChamp logs chocolate milk at 0 mg. The same USDA entry lists 12 mg of theobromine per 100 g, the other stimulant in cocoa. Hot chocolate has more on it.
Sugar
The same USDA entry lists 9.9 g of sugar per 100 g, about 26 g in a glass. Plain milk brings about 5 g of its own milk sugar per 100 ml (the skimmed milk in the trial had 5.0 g), so roughly half the sugar in chocolate milk is added. (Rodriguez-Sanchez, 2016) Chocolate milk counts at 63 kcal per 100 ml, in line with the USDA's 64 kcal for lowfat chocolate milk.
The 12 drinks without alcohol with the highest hydration factors:
| Drink | Hydration factor | In the trial |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1.50 | Retained more than water (full-fat 1.50, skimmed 1.58) |
| Chocolate Milk | 1.45 | Not tested; WaterChamp estimate |
| Kefir | 1.40 | Not tested; WaterChamp estimate |
| Hot Chocolate | 1.35 | Not tested; WaterChamp estimate |
| Protein Shake | 1.30 | Not tested; WaterChamp estimate |
| Kiwi Smoothie | 1.20 | Not tested; WaterChamp estimate |
| Smoothie | 1.20 | Not tested; WaterChamp estimate |
| Strawberry Smoothie | 1.20 | Not tested; WaterChamp estimate |
| Boba Tea | 1.10 | Not tested; WaterChamp estimate |
| Cappuccino | 1.10 | Not tested; WaterChamp estimate |
| Chai Latte | 1.10 | Not tested; WaterChamp estimate |
| Electrolyte Water | 1.10 | Not tested; WaterChamp estimate |
Questions
Does chocolate milk have caffeine?
A little: about 3 mg in a 250 ml glass, by USDA data. A cup of coffee has about 95 mg.
Does chocolate milk count as water intake?
Yes. A glass counts in full toward your daily water goal.
Is chocolate milk more hydrating than water?
Probably, since plain milk was kept better than water in a controlled trial. Chocolate milk itself was not tested.
How much sugar is in chocolate milk?
About 26 g in a 250 ml glass of lowfat chocolate milk, roughly half of it added sugar.
Hydration factors follow the Beverage Hydration Index: Maughan RJ, Watson P, Cordery PA, et al. “A randomized trial to assess the potential of different beverages to affect hydration status: development of a beverage hydration index.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2016;103(3):717-723. Read the paper on PubMed. In WaterChamp a chocolate milk raises the hydration level more than plain water.
