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| Maybe not such a good idea. |
So what does alcohol do to you exactly? How is your performance curtailed? Well the effects vary with the amount of intake. Also, while one side effect may not seem like a big whoop, the combination of all of the effects will indeed slow you down even if you just drink a little.
Dehydration! We all know this one, drink alcohol and you have to pee. But the hidden danger for us athletic types is that with dehydration (even slightly) comes electrolyte imbalances. This can lead to cramps, muscle pulls and strains. Now mix that in with a hot training or race day and you can see trouble is just around the corner. Now we are not talking about a severe case of dehydration, which could case brain injury, just a moderate 2 or 3 beer case.
Alcohol will also impair your reaction time and mental acuity for up to several days after consumption. The more you drink the bigger the effect. This of course decreases performance and increases injury risk. What if you find yourself drinking regularly? Well the result of all those training days you are putting in is going to be less effective than if you didn't drink. Alcohol also interferes with lactic acid breakdown and can result in increased soreness after a workout, making it harder for you to get out the door for you next effort.
Alcohol, at 7 calories per gram, is stored in the body similar to fat and it will also break down amino acids that are in your system and store them as fat. Therefore alcohol increases fat storage and adversely affects body composition. Yes a beer belly. Plus how many times do you accurately account for the calories your drink from alcohol, maybe for the first one but less and less everyone after that!
Nutritionally alcohol blocks intestinal cells from absorbing vitamins and minerals again leading to electrolyte imbalances and vitamin deficiencies. Also it has a direct effect on your body's ability to control its blood glucose levels. See how things are starting to pile up against you??
Lastly lets talk about sleep. Alcohol and sleep and not a match made in heaven. Yes alcohol has been shown to help you fall easier. But, as with other sedative products, it interrupts you progression to REM sleep. REM sleep is essential for good health, good moods, proper weight maintenance and muscle recovery. Less REM makes an unhappy athlete for sure!
Now teaching Indoor cycling classes I have some first hand experience of the effect of alcohol on your athletic output. As little as two beers the night before a class will significantly decrease my power output on the bike. Because I ride the same bike every class, and I know the routine very well most variables are accounted for so when I do identical classes and routinely average 20 watts less after drinking its pretty solid evidence. Now what about one beer? Are there effects I can't measure with watts? I am sure that not matter how small the intake their is some negative effect on you.
During our little discussion I left out the side effects of long term and heavy alcohol use as it didn't seem pertinent to athletic performance, obviously if you can't stand up you can't do an Ironman, but rather we focused on the smaller and maybe unnoticed effects. Eliminating or greatly reducing alcohol from your diet will improve your performance and maybe get you over the hump toward meeting your athletic goals.
