Alcohol and Athletic Performance
Does alcohol affect performance? Is a little ok? How might alcohol affect recovery after races? These are just few of the concerns I will discuss in this article.
Steve Parcell, ND
Just last week I was asked twice about alcohol and athletic performance. How much is too much? What is the effect of even one or two drinks? I didn’t have a good answer so I researched the subject.
Alcohol and sport have a long history and are part of our sport culture. Alcohol is the most commonly consumed drug among the athletic population. Chronic alcoholism causes liver damage, muscle wasting, nutrient depletion, osteoporosis and heart damage. No one I know uses alcohol before or during sporting events but in some cultures this is common (rugby anyone?). Drinking during sporting events causes increased rates of injuries, dehydration and poor athletic performance (AP).
Researchers have looked mostly at moderate (2-3 drinks a day) and heavy use (greater than 3 drinks a day). Low use is defined as one drink a day or less. Low use is associated with reduced risk of heart disease probably because low use raises good cholesterol without damaging organ systems. Life expectancy decreases with more than two drinks per day largely due to increased incidence of cancer and hypertension.
We know excessive drinking is bad for your health in general and it follows that AP will suffer as well. Less understood is what effect low to moderate alcohol ingestion can have on AP. What effect may alcohol ingestion have on AP the night before a race or post-race? Equally important is recovery and the possible negative effects alcohol can have.
Moderate use of alcohol results in loss of motor coordination for up to 12 to 18 hours, clearly a problem for many sports. Alcohol consumption has a significant impact on liver function as well. Research has shown that alcohol impairs the liver’s ability to make glycogen. Glycogen is the basic fuel for the body and brain. An inadequate glycogen supply may impair recovery and cell repair after training or racing.
The immediate and chronic toxic effects of alcohol on skeletal and cardiac muscle are important. Three drinks a day could cause some degree of muscle damage (myopathy) to skeletal and heart muscle (Urbano-Marquez 2004). Muscle weakness and atrophy are the major end result of skeletal myopathy, and heart palpitations and progressive left heart dysfunction are those of cardiomyopathy. Most athletes would have no symptoms other than decreased AP. Chronic alcohol abuse can cause atrophy of Type II muscle fibers and affects up to two thirds of all alcohol misusers (Preedy 1999). Both acute and chronic alcohol exposure are associated with a reduction in skeletal muscle protein synthesis (Preedy 1999).
Alcohol's impact on the cardio-vascular system can be significant. Chronic moderate alcohol ingestion can raise blood pressure and put extra stress on the heart. Studies have also demonstrated that your blood stays thicker and is more prone to forming clots if you drink after a hard workout. This is likely to be due to the negative effect alcohol has on hydration.
Sleep is affected by even low to moderate alcohol intake. As little as one ounce of alcohol consumed before going to bed can suppress stage four deep sleep and cause frequent waking. Less time spent in stage four sleep results in diminished growth hormone secretion. Growth hormone is a key hormone involved in healing and muscle growth. It is secreted mostly during stage-four sleep.
Even one or two drinks per day can deplete vitamins to below normal levels. Metabolism of alcohol uses up certain B vitamins which regulate important enzyme and metabolic functions. Alcohol can also lower levels of Vitamin C which can cause reduced resistance to infection and impair healing. Multivitamin use can prevent this.
In regard to overindulging and hangovers, the brain can remain impaired for up to 72 hours after alcohol has left the blood stream. This means that if you get drunk on a Friday night, cognitively, you aren't back to normal until Monday. The hangover effect of alcohol consumption has been shown to reduce AP by 11.4% (O’Brien 2000). Drinking within 12 hours prior (but not during) downhill skiing has shown to be associated with increased risk of traumatic injury, probably due to the hangover effect as well.
Summary: For the citizen racer or amateur athlete one drink taken early in the evening before a race is not likely to have any noticeable effect on AP. Never drink within two hours before bedtime. If you are a competitive athlete do not drink every day. Do not drink anything 48 hours before a race. Do not drink within your window of recovery after training or racing. This means if your race was one hour long you should wait at least an hour while you get hydrated and eat something. Weigh yourself before and after the race to make sure you are hydrated. If you do drink after a race just have one drink. Avoid drinking after training. All athletes should keep alcohol intake low to moderate when they do drink. Low to moderate alcohol users should consider taking a high quality multivitamin.
