Hydration Balance: Replenishing Water in Proportion to Alcohol Consumption and its Impact on Exercise

Is it better to "drink and then exercise"?

There is a common misconception that after consuming alcohol, one's mental state becomes slightly tipsy, making it easier to engage in conversations, laugh more, and improve social performance. It is believed to have an antidepressant effect and induce happiness. During this time, individuals may also feel a sense of invincibility, thinking that their performance will be enhanced after drinking alcohol.

The Movie "Druk"(Starring Mads Mikkelsen) presents a theory that a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 makes people more relaxed and inspired. While real life cannot be experimented with like in the movies, does alcohol have an impact on sports performance? Today, let's explore together whether alcohol is beneficial or detrimental to those of us who love exercising!

You may experience dehydration.
Do you feel the need to constantly go to the bathroom while drinking alcohol? It may not necessarily be due to excessive drinking, but rather because alcohol, like caffeine, is a diuretic. If we consume too much, it can lead to dehydration. During exercise, our body temperature rises, and we continue to sweat. Drinking alcohol can exacerbate the dehydration situation.

Muscle relaxation.
Another characteristic of alcohol is that it can cause muscle relaxation and affect the central nervous system, slowing down the processing of information. Apart from decreasing athletic performance, it can also lead to slower reaction times, poor coordination, loss of balance, and an increased risk of injuries.
In addition, alcohol consumption can also lead to muscle cramps. The cause of cramps is the accumulation of lactic acid produced during exercise, and the byproduct of alcohol metabolism is also lactic acid. Furthermore, sweating during exercise depletes sodium, further increasing the likelihood of cramps. Therefore, from the perspective of muscle cramps, it is highly discouraged to consume alcohol during exercise.

Recovery of the body.
For athletes, it is highly likely that it would take several days of training to regain their original level of performance after consuming alcohol. This is because alcohol also affects liver function. After intense exercise, sleep is necessary for the body to recover, and the liver plays a crucial role in repairing damaged tissues. However, excessive alcohol consumption can disrupt liver function and interfere with sleep cycles. As a result, even after a night's sleep, athletes may still feel tired, experience widespread muscle soreness, and have disrupted daily routines and training schedules.

Based on this, it is best to have zero alcohol in our system when we exercise. What else should we be mindful of?

1.Avoid consuming alcohol before engaging in intense exercise.
Alcohol can affect our performance, and even after the alcohol has metabolized, our body may not have fully recovered. We wouldn't want a single drink to jeopardize our competition or workout, right?

2.Avoid engaging in overly intense exercise after drinking alcohol.
Alcohol can impair our reaction time and judgment. For safety reasons, it's also recommended to avoid activities that cause excessive sweating, such as hot tubs, to minimize the risk of dehydration.

3.Increase fluid intake after drinking alcohol.
To facilitate faster recovery, it's important to replenish fluids and enhance metabolism. Additionally, sports drinks can help replenish sodium and reduce the likelihood of muscle cramps.

While alcohol can be enjoyable for social gatherings, it is crucial not to mistakenly believe that drinking alcohol makes us invincible. Drinking alcohol before exercising not only fails to enhance performance but can also be harmful to our bodies. Striking a balance between relaxation and exercise is the appropriate approach.

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