10 Things to Know About Training and Alcohol

Lately, a few of our (not naming names) fitness devotees have been arriving to training with the boozin’ blues. At face value, someone with a hangover seems perfectly capable of completing a tough workout and generally admits to feeling better by the end of it, believing (as we all do) that they’re better off up at the gym burning calories than sitting at home on the couch feeling miserable about last night’s alcohol-induced antics.But all those boozey fumes got me thinking… can someone excessively drink the night before a big workout and actually still benefit from the session? Does all that sweating aid the healing process, or is it hindering recovery? And does alcohol really act as workout fuel, giving you a training boost, or is it all an illusion?Here’s what I found out when I did my research (some positives along with the not-so-positives here): 

1. Alcohol detracts from overall athletic performance

Not surprisingly, when you train after a few brewskies, psychomotor skills that are essential for athletic prowess (reaction time, balance, hand-eye coordination), are significantly impacted. Power, strength and endurance are also decreased, so you certainly lose a little athletic oomph. 

2. Your body can’t actually burn alcohol as fuel

The common assumption is that hitting the gym will, “work off last night’s cocktails” but sadly, this isn’t the case. Alcohol is not a nutrient and its calories cannot be converted to glycogen and stored in your muscles as workout fuel. Instead, they’re converted to fatty acids and stored as fat. 

3. Alcohol negates your hard work in the weights room

Consistent alcohol use has been proven to diminish protein synthesis, which ultimately stops muscle growth in its tracks by preventing the repair of damaged muscles. Hitting the bottle may also decrease levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which helps the body build new muscle, so even your fave post-workout protein shake won’t fix the damage! 

4. Alcohol depletes your energy and decreases endurance

An overload of booze puts a lot of stress on your liver and can disrupt the water balance in cells, ultimately interfering with the production of adenosine triphosphate synthesis (ATP), which is a direct energy source for your muscles. ATP provides the fuel necessary for muscles to contract, so more alcohol equals less readily available energy to burn during your workout, resulting in a sluggish feeling and loss of endurance. 

5. Hangovers are toxic

Hangover symptoms (you all know what they are!) are the product of dehydration, low blood glucose (as a result of your body over-producing insulin in response to the booze) and a flood of toxins in your body.This not only prolongs muscle recovery but can increase risk of heat-related illnesses and cardiac stress. It also slows down fat metabolism and considering alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and must be processed before absolutely any other macronutrient (fat, protein, carb), this means metabolic disaster, which will last for a lot longer than your hangover. 

6. When you’re tipsy or hungover, your body can’t absorb nutrients properly

This includes nutrients that are crucial to energy production and fat burning, as well as those that help balance your hormones. The result? It’s harder to get lean, your endurance and strength will be shot and you’ll feel ‘heavy’.

7. Girls – you’ll find it way harder to score a pair of lean pins if you’re a big drinker. Guys – if you want to land yourself a pair of man boobs, drink beer.

Why? Because it seems booze, particularly beer and white wine, can drastically affect your oestrogen levels. Not cool.

8. Alcohol is a depressant.

This is where working out the morning after can actually help! If you find yourself irritable and grumpy, or just a little bit blue after a night on the town, exercise comes in quite handy indeed! Exercise boosts serotonin (the happy hormone) and dopamine (which controls the brain’s reward and pleasure centre), while kicking stress to the curb and encouraging your body to release endorphins, the pain-fighting peptides which give you that awesome post-workout rush. 

9. Working out will help you recover more quickly, so long as you stay hydrated

Your body gets rid of the byproducts of alcohol in four ways: sweating, breathing, and via your liver or kidneys. And what do we do in a workout? A whole lot of sweating and heavy breathing. Just make sure you add plenty of water to the mix. 

10. Don’t overdo it though…

A short and sweet, relatively cruisy workout is the way to go. Exercise with your usual intensity and dehydration, or exhaustion are likely to take over, which will negate the benefits. 

11. (Ok we know we're 1 point over here) Take it outdoors

The gym is hotter, with less fresh air. This is bad news for hungover little you (hello nausea and dry mouth syndrome) and also bad news for your fellow gym goers (who can no doubt smell you and your rum-laced sweat a mile off). 

NO WINE, NO WHINING — IN SUMMARY

The odd glass of wine can be great for your health but essentially, it’s best to skip, or at least go easy on the drinks if you’re planning on working out with any sort of intensity the next day, as alcohol can linger in the blood even after a good night's rest. As for being intoxicated during or straight after exercise, that's clearly a no. OK OK, seeing as you asked…

Here’s a list of our top 5 hangover cures!

1. Preventative measures: a milk thistle supplement before you hit the town, water in between each drink, avoid sugary mixers and make sure you eat something before the good stuff begins to flow!
2. The day after: avoid sugary sports drinks, coffee and “hair of the dog”, reach for room temperature H2O, fresh coconut water and beetroot juice to calm hangover symptoms instead. Ginger or peppermint tea will help calm your stomach and reduce inflammation and green tea will give you a little energy boost and shot of antioxidants pre-workout, if that’s your plan.
3. Avoid those greasy kebabs and tempting late night pizza slices and opt for a healthy piece of easy-digest bread (spelt or sourdough) with nut butter, some fruit, or a small portion of protein (eggs are great, as they contain amino acids that boost liver function).
4. Try to go without painkillers, as their effects are amplified on a hangover but if you must, reach for good ol’ panadol over ibuprofen and aspirin. It’s kinder on your system and gentler on the stomach.
5. As for a workout, keep it simple and light! There’s no point punishing your body AND your mind in a tough session the day after a huge night out- you’ll just get more dehydrated and lose precious nutrients. Go for a light run, do a bodyweight circuit, go for a swim, surf, or just take a leisurely walk and get some fresh air.

Finally, if you do hit a session “hung”, at the very least be nice to your trainers! ;)