PETA Calls On IRONMAN Brand to Stop Promoting Chocolate Milk

Promoting Cruel and Unhealthy Chocolate Milk to Athletes Is Irresponsible, Says Group

For Immediate Release:
December 10, 2013

Contact:
Allison Lakomski 202-483-7382

Tampa, Fla. – PETA has posted an action alert on its popular website asking visitors to contact Andrew Messick, CEO of the World Triathlon Corporation, to push for an end to IRONMAN’s partnership with the Milk Processor Education Program’s REFUEL/”got chocolate milk?” campaign. As PETA has pointed out in its letters to Messick (available here and here), cow’s milk—which is loaded with artery-clogging cholesterol—is a poor nutritional choice for athletes, and multiple nutritionists have disputed the dairy industry’s claims that chocolate milk is an appropriate drink for muscle recovery. Furthermore, many of the studies claiming that milk is an effective sports recovery beverage were at least partially funded by the dairy industry.

“As the vegan triathletes at PETA know, there are numerous healthy, effective recovery products available that don’t contribute to animal suffering,” says PETA Executive Vice President—and triathlete—Tracy Reiman. “IRONMAN can recover from the embarrassment of buying into the dairy industry’s marketing ploy—all it has to do is stop encouraging athletes to consume inhumane, unhealthy dairy products.”

While the consumption of dairy products is linked to acne, diabetes, and cancer, plant-based recovery options—such as soy and hemp protein powders, CeraSport’s rice-based products, and Vega’s pea-based products—are effective and have none of the cholesterol or cruelty associated with cow’s milk.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.