In a perfect world we’d be able to meet friends for happy hour and still smash a 6 a.m. run! Unfortunately, alcohol can have a big (mostly negative) effect on fitness goals. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to drinking and performance.
First let’s look at the basics. Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram (for reference protein and carbs provide 4 calories per gram and fat 9) and consumption of one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men is considered moderate and acceptable by health guidelines.
Beyond those standards, the lines start to blur when looking at whether alcohol can help or hurt. More recent research studies point to drinking, especially antioxidant-rich red wine or dark beers, as beinghealth promoting。但是，对于每项声称收益的研究，似乎都有一个强调与饮酒有关的风险和损害。
Obviously, the jury is still out on drinking for general health, but what about for fitness and athletic performance? Will throwing back a few at happy hour or sipping a night cap recharge your enthusiasm or leave you dehydrated and fatigued?
THE DOWNSIDE OF ALCOHOL
First, the bad news, there are many potential consequences on performance related to drinking alcohol:
- Alcohol dehydrates the body, which leads to decreased concentration, hand-eye coordination and ability to cool the body during training.
- Glucose is broken down at a slower rate when alcohol is present, leaving your body with less energy to pull from and greater risk of bonking.
- Consuming excessive amounts of empty calories can lead to weight gain of non-lean mass.
- 酒精的存在会损害肌肉的合成，伤害力量性能和身体成分目标。
- Consuming alcohol after training efforts can reduce the body’s ability to replenish glucose stores.
- Foods consumed during or post imbibing tend to be more caloric and less nutritious which can lead to a lack of weight control and nutrients known to fuel performance.
- Chronic alcohol consumption promotes a risk of deficiency of vitamins B6, B12 and D as well as hinders calcium and folate absorption.
如何找到平衡
Worried you can’t have asocial life outside the gym？不！有几种方法可以思考吸收并表现良好：
- Before drinking, have a nutrient-rich meal or snack that contains a complex carb, protein and healthful fat to delay alcohol absorption.
- 通过为每次食用的饮料食用一杯水来保持水分。
- Sip at your own pace and do not be tempted to go drink for drink with others.
- Choose a happy hour beverage over a nightcap. Drinking closer to bed can impair sleep, which has a negative effect on training capacity.
- Choose drinks that have potential health benefits like alcoholic kombuchas, red wine, dark beers or trendy cocktails with fresh vegetable juice or citrus ingredients over those loaded with sugary components or energy drink mixers.
THE BOTTOM LINE
重要的是要记住，宽容是饮酒如何影响个人的重要因素。您喝的越多，急性影响可能就越不太明显。例如，由于激烈的竞争，这位精英运动员戒除了几个月的时间，那么特殊场合的吸收可能会比沉迷于每晚持续的每晚饮料的休闲运动员要进行的下一个训练更为粗糙。
Overall, the effects experienced range greatly from person to person based on tolerance, lean muscle mass, hydration status and current fitness level and can manifest in a variety of ways from reducing stress and promoting appetite, to hindering motor skills and decreased physical output. In any case, your best bet is to limit alcohol and forgo drinks completely in the 24–48 hours surrounding a serious competition or hard training session.
