Alcohol and sports
These reasons speak against the combination
Drinking alcohol the night before can be a problem when exercising.
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Working out after a night of drinking can cause a lot of problems. That’s why alcohol and exercise don’t mix.
Who does not know it? After work, many people enjoy a glass of wine, an Aperol Spritz or a beer – and on the weekend there are cocktails etc. in the beer garden or in the bar. Every now and then alcohol is not a problem for the body, except for people who like it regularly Exercise or be on a strict fitness plan. Alcohol and exercise don’t mix well, but why? Five reasons why you should avoid alcohol for a fitter life.
Dehydration
Alcohol stimulates water excretion by the kidneys, which can lead to dehydration of the body. That’s why you should drink a glass of water with every glass of alcohol to counteract the “drying out” of your body. If the body still receives too little fluid, this can disrupt the mineral balance, which in turn is bad for the muscles. It is therefore advisable to use isotonic drinks during and after exercise. These have the same ratio of electrolytes to fluid as human blood and are therefore easy to digest.
Increased risk of injury
If you want to do a lot in your training the next day, you should definitely avoid alcohol the night before. A connection with nighttime cramps and excessive alcohol consumption has long been investigated. It is also suspected that alcohol prolongs the recovery time after exercise. A hangover the next day is also difficult to combine with a demanding training session. Excessive exertion can only make dizziness and nausea worse and possibly lead to injury.
Disturbance of metabolism
Anyone who is currently on a weight loss journey or would like to lose a few kilos will not be happy with the combination of exercise and alcohol. Alcohol slows down your metabolism and makes losing weight much more difficult. Muscles can also only be built slowly if you drink the bottle regularly. As with fatty foods and sweets, the same applies to alcohol: enjoy it in moderation, not in large quantities.
A real calorie bomb
Alcohol is often overlooked, especially when counting calories. It’s just a liquid, right? In fact, most alcoholic drinks are full of calories, which are also “empty”, i.e. devoid of vitamins and nutrients. Each gram of alcohol provides around 7 kcal. A single glass of Aperol Spritz already contains 280 kcal, which is roughly the same amount of calories in a standard chocolate bar. So if you exercise to lose weight or get in shape, you should avoid unnecessary calories from alcohol.
Worse performance
Alcohol dilates blood vessels. This leads to you feeling sluggish and tired more quickly, and you often don’t have enough energy for long periods of time. Sleep is also affected by alcohol consumption. Too little sleep causes more stress and the stress hormone cortisol is released. All of these things not only affect your metabolism, but also your concentration during training the next day. This can lead to poorer performance, such as slower response times. It also becomes difficult with endurance as the body feels exhausted more quickly.