The Mobile Dairy Bar was at the finish line of two Massachusetts road races this summer to hand out free chocolate milk. Runners at the Horseneck Half-Marathon and the Narragansett Summer Running Festival were excited to refuel with a cold, delicious beverage after their workout. Many runners even told us chocolate milk is their drink of choice after a long run. Check out some of our favorite memories from the races below.
Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk is an ideal post-workout beverage because it contains the right mix of protein and carbs, scientifically shown to refuel exhausted muscles. Drinking chocolate milk after a workout helps restore muscles and replenishes fluid, nutrients, and electrolytes lost in sweat.
- Carbohydrates in milk help to refuel energy and help muscles recover after exercise.
- High-quality protein works to repair and build muscle while reducing muscle breakdown.
- Fluid and electrolytes – like calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium – replenish what is lost in sweat to rehydrate the body.
Refueling After Running
When refueling after a run, your goal is to replenish glycogen stores with carbohydrates and rebuild muscle with protein. Chocolate milk contains an ideal 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein for this purpose. A study found that runners who consumed fat-free chocolate milk after a strenuous run, “ran 23% longer and had a 38% increase in markers of muscle building compared to when they drank a carbohydrate-only sports beverage with the same number of calories.” Chocolate milk also replenishes electrolytes which are important for runners to prevent muscle fatigue and cramping.
2021 Boston Marathon®
Moo Squad member Alyson Comeau is a licensed Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Personal Trainer. She always refuels with chocolate milk after a run, remarking that, “as a former Division 1 track and field athlete, we always were given chocolate milk post-practice. Recovery was then, and is now, so essential to be able to train adequately. I wouldn’t be able to get in all my miles if I weren’t recovering, (and) chocolate milk is a huge part of my recovery plan.”
On Saturday, September 18th, the Mobile Dairy Bar attended the Hop 21 Boston Marathon® training run to support all charity runners with a cold glass of chocolate milk at the end. We are incredibly proud of our Boston Marathon® Moo Squad and all the charity runners working hard training and fundraising. Learn more about our amazing team and support them on their journey to the Boston Marathon® on October 11th.
