Thread: Drinking alcohol affects athletic performance

Alcohol is very high in calories but despite of that it is still not a good source of energy to athletes because the body can only metabolize alcohol at a fixed rate of 8 grams per hour. So even with increased activity an athlete can still only burn calories at that small rate.

That's right. I also want to add that alcohol does not supply any vitamins or minerals in our body. High alcohol intake can impair the body's absorption of nutrients from food and bring about vitamin deficiencies particularly the B group of vitamins.

I know how important it is for an athlete to stay active and agile. I for one make sure that I have all the energy that I need for a great game. I always engage in many spots and I know how good diet contributes to my performance. So to ensure high performance for a game, avoid alcohol for at least 48 hours before strenuous exercise or training. When it comes to re-hydrating, always drink the non-alcoholic options.

That is right. Water is of course preferable. In 12oz of regular beer there are 149 calories. While 12oz of light beer has 110 calories. Imagine only burning 8 of 110 per hour no matter how active you are. Just count how many calories you take in if you finish 3 bottles? That is too much and more than you can burn.

However I read in an article that there has been good evidence based on more than 100 studies shows that moderate alcohol consumption can help prevent heart attack, sudden cardiac death, peripheral vascular disease, and stroke caused by blood clots (ischemic stroke). The risk of these diseases is reduced between 25% and 40% in both men and women. The reduction is seen in both people who have no apparent heart disease and those who are at high risk of heart disease because they have type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), angina (chest pain), or have already had one heart attack. Researchers suggest that this protective effect occurs because alcohol increases the amount of HDL or “good” cholesterol and also affects various proteins in ways that make blood clotting less likely.

Beer has benefits but it also has risks. In women, even moderate drinking is associated with a modest increase in the risk of developing breast cancer. However, researchers suggest that taking at least 600 mg of folic acid daily will counteract this increased risk. Alcohol consumption can also alter sleep patterns and interact with many medications.

Right that is why women, especially the pregnant ones are prohibited from drinking alcohol as it can damage the developing fetus.