Student athletes have coaches for advice, fans for support, Bucky Badger for laughs and a custom-made protein drink at the University of Wisconsin.

Available in orange and strawberry flavors, the aptly named "Recovery Drink" aims to help athletes repair their muscles after tough workouts and games. It is available for consumer purchase at Babcock Hall Dairy Store, 1605 Linden Dr.

The Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research on campus developed the beverage two years ago and began supplying athletic teams with the drink in 2006. Ben Herbert, assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Badger football team, said it works well for his players.

"A lot of (protein) supplements don't taste very good," Herbert said in a news release. "This gives us what we need and the guys really like it."

K.J. Burrington, a researcher at WCDR, said a survey last spring showed most guys on the football team liked using the drink after practice or games. The survey also showed a preference for orange flavor.

The main protein in "Recovery Drink" comes from whey, a byproduct of cheese production. Researchers believe the protein helps muscles recover from hard exercise, and Burrington said it would also help non-athletes after less strenuous workouts.

The drink is not meant to replace energy drinks such as Gatorade — which is meant to rejuvenate lost electrolytes — but "Recovery Drink" does contain some of Gatorade's similar elements.

Burrington said UW's dairy-based protein drink could also help some people balance weight loss. She said dieters tend to lose muscle mass as they trim calories and fat. "Recovery Drink" could help people maintain their muscle mass while losing fat.

"It's really a drink that everyone can benefit from," Burrington said.

Well, it's a drink people near campus can benefit from. Babcock Deli is the only place currently selling "Recovery Drink." University policies prohibit most products made using campus facilities to be sold elsewhere. The drink is currently produced at the Babcock Dairy Plant on the west side of campus.

"It's probably one of the few products (created by WCDR) specifically for use at the university," said Burrington. "Right now it's kind of exclusive for the Badgers."

Besides the whey-based protein, UW's beverage is a little different from some mainstream products. "Recovery Drink" uses two complex carbohydrates rather than high fructose corn syrup. It allows the body to digest more slowly and keep blood sugar levels relatively steady.

WCDC is an on-campus center that promotes the dairy industry — remember the "Got Milk" campaign? — and it also receives a significant amount of funding from Wisconsin dairy farmers.