most detrimental effect of alcohol in a runner?

I seem to inevitably poop my pants when I drink. I go to the bar thinking that I'll stop drinking before I poop myself this time, but ultimately I always end up surrounded with strangers with disgusted looks on their faces as poop squirts uncontrollably into my underwear and down my legs. That's the most detrimental effect that drinking has on me.

And how does that affect your running? Answer the question damrnmit.

I would say death in Pre's case.

I always felt that dehydration was an issue after drinking a lot the night before...

I remember being a college freshman once too. Lol.

krispy kremlin wrote:

Caloric intake, lost sleep/rest, mental lethargy, missed/curtailed training session/lifting/extras, something else physiological, drop of discipline, other?

Caloric intake, hands down. With proper planning, all of the other things on your list can be avoided even if you are drinking 6-12 drinks a day...

162430 wrote:

krispy kremlin wrote:

Caloric intake, lost sleep/rest, mental lethargy, missed/curtailed training session/lifting/extras, something else physiological, drop of discipline, other?

Caloric intake, hands down. With proper planning, all of the other things on your list can be avoided even if you are drinking 6-12 drinks a day...

So theoretically, if you're smart about it, and you only drink, say vodka (with Gatorade perhaps), you could be in the clear.

not true at all. alcohol consumption is detrimental to GH release

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2128439

No, not if you're drinking a lot. Heavy drinking will tank your testosterone levels and damage with your digestive system, leading to anemia and various vitamin deficiencies (see Korsakoff's syndrome).

Dr. Popov wrote:

see Korsakoff's syndrome

Dude...I'm pretty sure this isn't the level of drinking the OP is worried about. Do you have any idea what it takes to get to Korsakoff level?

slower recovery. your body is spending its energy & resources trying to get rid of a toxin instead of repairing damage done during your last workout. of course this pushes back the timing of your next hard session, so a byproduct is lost training time/less workouts in a particular timeframe.

Alcohol in excess damages every single part of your body. Watch this documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dJ97Vwoup4

. The guy that the documentary features has been drinking 3 pints of vodka every day for well over a year. When he goes to the hospital, his bones are completely deteriorated, fractured everywhere; his vital organs are shot.

Yea, a single binge might only kill 0.001% of your total health, but if you're getting totally blacked out then there's the added risk factor of falling over a balcony, driving into a telephone poll, falling asleep on your back and asphyxiating on your own vomit like the John Bonham did, or becoming belligerent and trying to fight someone who in self-defense stabs you with his pocket knife.