There are many stable myths about alcohol and sports compatibility. We will figure out how alcohol affects the body if you use it before or after training.

Alcohol and sport: drink or not drink before and after training

The question of whether alcohol and sport are compatible, worries novice athletes. The arguments of the doctors that alcohol causes exclusively harm to many seem unconvincing. Meanwhile, the established fact is that it is impossible to achieve any significant results in sports by regularly drinking. Let's figure out why this is happening.

Article posted: March 28, 2022

Last change: April 24, 2022

The information provided in the article is an introductory nature and cannot be used to make a diagnosis, prescribe treatment and does not replace a doctor. Contact your doctor!

Pros and cons of alcohol intake

Moderate and infrequent drinking does not carry harm For the body, moreover, it can benefit. Namely:

• calm the nerves;
• show a moderate analgesic effect;
• increase activity;
• increase the level of hemoglobin (when using red wine).

However, a positive effect can be expected with irregular use of a small dose. For an adult man of medium complexion, such a dose is 30 ml in terms of alcohol. This means that you can drink about 50 ml of vodka or 150 ml of wine. For women, this dose is even less.

However, few people like the taste of alcoholic beverages, most people drink to achieve a state of intoxication. And for this you need to drink much more recommended Norms.

When using a large amount of alcohol, a lot of negative effects occur:

• decrease in reaction rate;
• loss of a sense of balance;
• a decrease in muscle strength;
• decrease in endurance;
• strengthening the process of accumulation of fat deposits;
• dehydration;
• Violation of the production of hormones.

Can I drink when playing sports?

The answer to the question depends on the goals. If classes consist in easy runs “for health”, then moderate drinking of alcohol will not have a lot of influence. Moreover, small loads will help faster Restore after drunk and reduce the intensity of a hangover. If a person drinks often and a lot, then he is unlikely to think about the need to maintain a physical form.

Is it possible to drink alcohol and play sports at a professional level? In this case, the answer is negative. It is impossible to achieve good results without refusing alcohol. Influence Alcoholic drinks on the body depends on the time of their use.

Is it possible to play sports after alcohol? Even a small amount of alcohol reduces the effectiveness of training.Especially harmful is used immediately before loads. Physical exercises, like alcohol, enhance the load on Cardiovascular system. Therefore, it is impossible to combine them, it is dangerous for health and life.

It is also forbidden to play sports after alcohol because the reaction slows down, coordination of movements is disturbed. This can lead to sad consequences, both when working on simulators and during combat classes arts Or extreme sports.

It would seem that after training, alcohol can no longer harm the athlete when performing exercises. But his negative impact on health is preserved. If you drink after physical exertion, then the processes are violated recovery. And this will lead to the fact that the growth of muscle mass will pass much more slowly.

After binge

It is customary to call the drinking of alcohol for a day or for a longer time. Usually, binges arise in people suffering from alcoholism. But single short -term binge can also be observed in a person who is not dependent, for example, when trying to relax with prolonged stress

Sport after binge categorically contraindicated, since the cardiovascular system may not withstand the load. Active training can result in a hypertensive crisis or heart attack.

After leaving the binge, you must wait for at least a week. At this time, it is advisable to undergo supportive therapy. After that you can gradually Start training, starting with minor loads and gradually increasing their intensity.

Myths and reality about alcohol in the life of athletes

In a sports environment, there are many myths about the compatibility of alcoholic beverages and sports training.

1. The first myth: a bottle of beer after training will help to relax. Reality: alcohol, even in small quantities, negatively affects the nervous system. Inhibition of processes prevents the natural restoration of muscles. In addition, in consciousness Formed Sustainable stereotype “load – drink”, then it will be difficult to abandon this destructive image.
2. Myth second: alcohol does not affect physical form. Reality: taking alcohol blocks the production of testosterone, so there is no need to expect an increase in muscle mass after training. In addition, alcohol contributes to the increase in adipose tissue.
3. Myth is third: alcohols are part of our body, so alcohol will not harm. Reality: the body contains not at all the alcohols that are contained in drinks. Artificially It makes no sense to increase the amount of alcohol in the body.
4. Myth fourth: alcohol saturate the body with moisture. Reality: Alcohol not only does not saturate the cells with moisture, but, on the contrary, contributes to dehydration.And this makes it difficult to recover after physical exertion.

There are other myths about alcohol that are not related to sports. For example, many believe that drinking alcohol helps to keep warm. In fact, you can warm up after 50 ml of vodka only in a warm room. If you drink in the cold, then the chances of getting frostbite will only increase.

How to exercise after drinking

Not all athletes are complete teetotalers. In life, there are holidays that are usually celebrated with alcohol. Of course, there will be nothing wrong with drinking juice instead of wine. But if you want to relaxsometimes you can afford it.

But since alcohol is incompatible with serious physical exertion, it should be minimized. harm from its use. To do this, you must follow the following rules:

• after a feast, do not train for at least 2 days, this applies to all types of power loads and fitness;
• you should drink only high-quality alcohol, watching the amount drunk;
• during a feast, you should not mix alcoholic drinks and drink them with sparkling water;
• after a feast for a couple of days, drink more water than usual, this will help restore the level of moisture in the body.

A sense of proportion and a thoughtful approach are the main secrets correct drinking alcohol. Only with this approach will alcohol be compatible with sports training.

Drawing conclusions

Of course, each person has the right to decide how to build his life, whether he should drink alcohol or play sports seriously. But you need to learn one thing: it will not work to achieve serious success in the sports field without giving up alcohol. Therefore, it is necessary to consciously choose sports and alcohol, the compatibility of these concepts is excluded. Either a person trains hard, or allows himself regularly relax by drinking alcohol.