What effect does excessive alchohol consumption have on athletic/running performance?

bizzump

I'm an athlete. From what I have seen some athletes just hit the piss all of the time, but the more serious tend to binge drink ie get absolutely shitfaced once or twice a month max.

Binge drinking is much better for athletic performance than getting a bit tipsy each weekend and having a hangover the next day. With binge drinking you'll probably train poorly for the next two days. Much better this (two poor days a month) than stuffing up the same day of the training cycle each week ie usually not going as far on your Sunday run.

Also depends on what you are going to drink. It is generally better for athletic performance if you just stick to spirits the whole night (personal experience). I'd rather have 8 mixed drinks ie vodka, lemon lime or cointreau and lemonade, bacardi and coke, bacardi and pineapple jucie etc. Usually having a juice as a mixer is a little better. Having 12-15 beers instead usually leaves you feeling bloated the next day, as well as hungover and thirsty.

Another tip, drink plenty of water in between drinks and at the end of the night.

"Binge drinking is much better for athletic performance than getting a bit tipsy each weekend and having a hangover the next day"

i cant agree with that!

once upon a time

we were informed that alcohol can take up to 72 hours to leave your system. Alcohol effects the body's thermostat, which in warm weather running is like committing suicide with a blunt knife

Anyone for a stoning?

wannabekila wrote:

"Binge drinking is much better for athletic performance than getting a bit tipsy each weekend and having a hangover the next day"

i cant agree with that!

I think if we are talking about drinking to the point of intoxication, then it is better to get paraletic once a month than to be hungover every week.

Of course, having three or four beers each Saturday night is probably the way to go. Enough to be social and to chase women, but not enough to be hungover.

The Alco wrote:

Enough to be social and to chase women, but not enough to be hungover.

Yes, just enough not to be a serious runner

You are absolutely correct. Certainly the best runners never have a few beers every once and a while to relax and socialize. I imagine Shorter never downed a 6 pack the night before he won gold in the 1972 Olympic marathon. John Walker never had a beer in his life. No one in the Florida Track Club in the 1970s ever went out and drank. Neither did Bill Rodgers. In the sport of cycling, I bet Armstrong never drinks (even though he's often talked about how he loves Shiner Bock). Hell, elite runners and endurance athletes never go out for a few beers, that would be ridiculous.

Just remember when you take that drink of alcohol that you have made a conscious decision to not give 100% to your running.

For every good runner you name I can tell you heaps who drink. The point is they only do it at set times ie maybe birthday, post olympics, nationals, christmas etc

Certainly not many get hammered on the weekend like ordinary guys. But you should see some of the Kenyans really hit the piss. They have been all over the place the last couple of weeks (those not in the Olympic team). They put on the 'im a poor african who doesnt speak much english/french/italian/german' and pick up like anything.

You can always find an excuse to suboptimize if you look hard enough. there are people in school who make a 4.0 and seem to never study; fast runners who never seem to train; guys who bag one chick after another who never seem to give a damn. If you think alcohol is a positive contributor to a running program you need to be more honest with yourself.

Ask Pre

Has anyone shown alcohol to be bad for athletic performance. Is having a glass of wine with dinner (helps you relax a bit too) going to detract from your run the next day? Of course not.

Moderation people.

Apparently it will get you tackled near twenty-three miles of an Olympic marathon.

Does it help? You people will not take a well-paying job because it interferes with your running "career" but will not pay the price of absolute sobriety.

I say, if your running "career" is not paying the bills like some elite runners, then who gives a flyin' shit if your training is 90% instead of 100% a couple says outta the month. Live it up and have some fun. Don't be so obsessed with running that you miss out on having a good time. You only live once and everybody dies.

Of course, if you abstain from alcohol for moral reasons, then thats different. But if you want to have a good drunken ball a couple times a month, but you won't because you're afraid it will cut into your training a little the next day, then you live a sad life. On the other hand, if you're one of those lucky few who can have a good time at a party without drinking, then more power to ya.

"All I want to do is drink beer and train like an animal."

- Rod Dixon

Still looking for actual resources, studies, etc.

And would really like to hear from college coaches about what they know, do, etc.

Thanks!

You are all wrong wrote:

For every good runner you name I can tell you heaps who drink. The point is they only do it at set times ie maybe birthday, post olympics, nationals, christmas etc.

And for every good runner you name, they will tell you they probably could have achieved more.

Alcohol has no place in a true professional's life.

Yikes Changes sounds like an AA member - which is fine - but I believe you'd be hard pressed to find a world class athlete whom hasn't had a celebratory drink - personal experience from the American glory days - late 70's early 80's - Rodgers, Shorter, Salazar, Meyer, et al... never got myself above regional level wins, but raced against them at Falmouth, Litchfield Hills, New Haven 20Km and partied with all of them after!

Not shit faced binge parties, but drinking a few and having a blast. Seems to me that you need to contact Pete Pfitzinger - he'll have info on this stuff, I bet.