Cleaning my room today found a book I never read much of, The Competitive Runner's Handbook by Bob Glover and Pete Schuder, published in 1983. I flipped through it and found a section on Beer that reads as such:
Beer
Nectar of the gods, ambrosia of those who seek fast times--beer may be the runner's fuel. It doesn't take a scientific study to know that a majority of competitive runners, including those of world class, drink a lot of beer and argue (sometimes loudly) that it helps them. Dr. Peter Wood, of the Stanford University Disease Prevention Program, discovered that runners outdrank nonrunners by two to one. We're still trying to find out if that's cans or pitchers.
A quart of beer supplies about 450 calories, which will quickly replenish depleted energy reserves. That quart contains about the same amount of carbohydrates as a quarter pound of bread, but goes down much faster and is metabolized quickly. Beer also contains B complex vitamins and other nutrients. Studies indicate, however, that one beer lowers heat tolerance for as long as three days. Alcohol promotes urination, and can thus help cause dehydration. If you have a slow metabolic rate of if you don't keep your mileage up, beer consumption will add weight; many runners prefer the low-calorie beers.
We recommend as part of your daily diet, if you wish, two or three glasses of beer. But that's it! If you're knocking down a six-pack a day, you not only have a weight problem but also a drinking problem. We do not recommend beer to excess. A beer or two in the evening may help you relax and promote sleep, especially the night before a big race. Before one Boston Marathon, a top level marathoner couldn't get to sleep because he was so nervous. Bob Glover suggested he have a couple of beers. He drank two--and became quite dizzy. He woke up on the floor with a hangover, and ran a terrible race. He didn't tell Glover that he had never had a drink before in his life. However, the postrace, postworkout beer will replace lost fluids and minerals and help you relax. Whoever heard of a runner's party without beer?
The tone of this sounds like it was pretty common knowledge in 1983 that beer is the best possible thing for runners to consume. Anyone still agree with it?