Summer is almost over, and Labor Day is already this weekend. Holiday weekends typically involve friends, family, food, and fun. Alcohol is usually included along with these.
I receive a lot of questions about the impact of alcohol on athletic performance and/or weight lately and thought it would be a good topic to provide more information on.
What is the impact of alcohol on you and your goals?
Short-term impacts:
- Alcohol acts as a diuretic that can lead to dehydration from increase urine loss.
- An increase in body temperature, rapid heart rate, and possible nausea/vomiting occur due to dehydration from alcohol’s diuretic effect.
- Overconsumption of alcohol can lead to choices of higher fat and sodium-containing foods, rather than a balanced meal or snack.
- Consumption of alcohol interferes with post-exercise recovery by reducing muscle glycogen repletion and impairing muscle protein synthesis.
- Alcohol consumption decreases your speed and strength the next day because alcohol decreases testosterone and growth hormone, which are both enzymes that are important for muscle growth and repair.
- Alcohol consumption leads to quicker fatigue because it depletes energy sources, which impacts the ability to produce fuel for muscle contraction.
Long-term impacts:
- Alcohol consumption can increase oxidative stress, which impacts immune system function, and cortisol, the stress hormone that impacts metabolism is also increased.
- Increased risk for nutrient deficiencies occurs with alcohol consumption because it decreases vitamin and mineral absorption.
- Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram, which can result in increased caloric intake and unwanted weight gain over time. The body stores alcohol as fat by converting alcohol sugars into fatty acids.
- Consumption of alcohol interferes with sleep patterns by reducing time spent in a deep sleep.
Tips for consuming alcohol:
- Prioritize rehydrating and refueling after training prior to consuming alcohol to ensure proper recovery and repair.
- Try to avoid alcohol 48 hours prior to a race, competition, game, or event for optimal performance.
- Follow guidelines of moderate alcohol intake: 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women.
- It takes twice as much water as alcohol consumed to rehydrate, i.e. if you consume 12oz beer, you should consume 24oz water to rehydrate.
