The impact of alcohol

Alcohol can play a large part in social interaction and even sporting culture, and there may be times when it is or isn’t appropriate. Understanding the impact alcohol has on your body may help you make your own decisions as to when or if you include it in your lifestyle.

Alcohol and energy levels
Alcohol is a toxic substance that is foreign to the body, and for this reason the body will try to eliminate it first as it’s an inefficient fuel source.  The presence of alcohol also means the stores of other forms of fuel including carbs, proteins and fats can’t be utilised easily. As a consequence, the body feels tired and fatigued as it can’t access stores of energy and may lead to eating excess food that isn’t necessary to just boost blood glucose levels. If you are in a training session you may hit a wall as the body can’t access fuel stores you may usually tap into.

Alcohol and weight maintenance
Along with the additional fatty and salty foods that can accompany drinking alcohol, the substance of alcohol itself also contributes kilojoules at 29kJ/g of alcohol. When each standard drink has 10g of alcohol it can add up quickly. Beer or drinks with sweet mixers have additional carbohydrates, which will add a further kilojoule contribution to the drink.

Alcohol and performance
If you are training around a time in which you have been drinking more than a safe amount, alcohol can decrease performance by 15% up to 72 hours after consumption. Alcohol can have a diuretic effect for six to 12 hours after consumption which can lead to dehydration following training sessions. This may mean headaches, low performance and a reduced anabolic response to the training.

To reduce the risks associated with drinking alcohol, it is recommended that women drink no more than two standard drinks a day, and men no more than four standard drinks a day, with one or two alcohol-free days a week. (National Health and Medical Research Council)