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If I started this blog out by asking “Who doesn’t love alcohol?” there would be plenty of people out there shouting “ME!”. No, alcohol isn’t for everyone, especially those that spend an avid amount of time on their fitness, however, if you are like me and have a love for wine, champagne, margaritas (you get the picture), then this blog’s for you. I started perusing articles and blogs about alcohol and it’s effects when endurance training as my own fitness regime started to evolve per regularly participating in longer triathlons and taking on a few half marathons over the past year. I was curious about what I would find on the topic as it relates to my own fitness journey and additionally what do the pros do(?). Inevitably per reading a number of articles and blogs about fitness and working out I didn’t come across anything revolutionary. Yes, I know alcohol has primarily negative effects on the body. Yes, I know you sleep better sans alcohol. Yes, I know alcohol dehydrates you. And the list goes on. The one enlightening thing I found-professional endurance athletes do drink. Hooray! Just celebrating the fact that as I continue to up my game in the Triathlon/Ironman world it’s nice to know I get to keep my Pinot if I so chose. Granted I tend to do what I want in terms of my diet and exercise but most recently have dedicated myself to following a tried and true training program for my upcoming Ironman 70.3 and want to do well so am learning how to evolve my diet along with the training schedule.

Because I found a number of fitness enthusiasts just starting out in their journey with basic questions about alcohol and how it will affect their progress I thought it important to highlight just a few of the effects alcohol has on your body when consumed in excess:

Dehydration

Alcohol is a diuretic and when consumed in excess sucks the body dry of H2O. Ever wake up in the middle of the night after having a few too many cocktails and down water like it was the nectar of the gods? Or is that just me? It’s important to be mindful of this point especially while training for a big event as your body needs to be properly balanced before physically exerting itself. I have always had the “sweat” it out mentality after a night of indulging in cocktails and just want to rid my body of the toxins still hanging out in my body. The problem with this approach is you are putting your body under duress when you push it physically without properly rehydrating and re-upping on electrolytes. Not being properly hydrated before a training session can lead to heart palpitations, dizziness, and fatigue.

Nutrition

Alcohol contains no nutritional value whatsoever. Harsh, I know. Too bad tequila isn’t infused with B12 (I could be onto something there). Alcohol contains what is referred to as “empty calories” meaning it is void of anything that benefits our bodies such as vitamins and minerals. That being said our bodies treat alcohol like fat and instead of converting it to usable glycogen it converts it into fatty acids. Basically alcohol increases your bodies fat storage which means yes, if you consume a substantial amount of alcohol on a regular basis over time you will gain weight. The fat kind, not the good kind from building muscle.

“Sleep”

Too much alcohol leads to straight up passing out. Sure you may have been “asleep” for 10 hours but the truth of the matter is alcohol keeps your body from slipping into REM. REM sleep is the deep sleep your brain and body need in order to recover, repair, and reenergize. Ever woken up from “sleeping it off” and feel exhausted? There’s your answer-lack of REM sleep. Sleep deprivation has been linked to higher stress on the body, fatigue, and the inability to produce the necessary elements needed to burn for energy use.

The above three examples of alcohol’s effects occur when alcohol is consumed in excess. There are studies out there highlighting positive effects alcohol has on the body (i.e. the benefits of having a glass of red wine a day for heart health) which maintain the notion of moderation. Though there are generic guidelines to what is a healthy amount of alcohol to consume (1 drink/night for a female, 2 drinks/night for a male) it truly comes down to the individual. My metabolism is not the same as yours which is not the same as say Daniela Ryf (Kona Gold Medalist 2015-2017). Ultimately you want your body to perform for you at the highest level possible whether it’s competing in an event or for simply maintaining your fitness so using the models in place for what is a healthy level of alcohol consumption is a good place to start.

When training for a big race there isn’t a lot of room built-in to “tie one on” so to speak. And to be honest we are talking about addressing alcohol intake while training for major races so for all intents and purposes we are swimming in the pool of moderation, looking for balance between work and play. That being said, in addition to moderation timing is also a factor.

Q: When is the best time to have a drink?

A: Enjoying your favorite cocktail at the end of the day can be a way to relax and help strike some life/training balance. In fact, some of the athletes at the very top of the sport do exactly that. For multiple Ironman 70.3 winner Kelly Williamson, drinking a good IPA brew while cooking dinner signifies that the day is done. “It’s something I truly enjoy,” she says. “I know that practically speaking, a regular beer will not negatively affect my training or racing. On the contrary, I think it helps me because I would probably be grumpy and resentful of my profession if I told myself that I couldn’t have it!”

For 2010 Ironman world champion Mirinda Carfrae and her ITU World Long Course champion partner Tim O’Donnell, a bottle of good wine is a regular at the dinner table: “Tim and I enjoy a glass or two of wine with dinner a few nights per week,” she says. “I don’t think it takes anything away from training (unless we go for bottle number two) and, in fact, I think it helps me unwind and relax after a long day.”

Read more at http://www.triathlete.com/2013/07/nutrition/booze-rules-endurance-athletes-guide-to-drinking-alcohol_60052/3#xhJchxZKWfAHwry6.99

It is important to keep up with friends and family (your social life doesn’t have to completely disappear when training for a big event), therefore, plan accordingly. For example, if you have a brick workout scheduled for Saturday day then maybe keep things close to the cuff on Friday night and save your indulgences for Saturday evening, post-workout, post-brick, post-pushing it. Even so, if scheduling allows, it’s important to still maintain a sense of balance and not over indulge when you do get out on the town. Training is a full-time job and though you have found a time in which to grant yourself permission to enjoy a night out it’s important to not derail your hard work.

In truth I have found that I need a little more balance and structure in my overall life when it comes to work, training, and play, and as I get started with my Ironman workout schedule in 2018 am already figuring out where to institute change. Abstaining from alcohol all together is always an option (and most certainly the best option for most). The words above are not about promoting drinking in any way, just laying out the tried and true facts (well just a few) of what alcohol does to one’s body while at the same time offering up options for those that may still want to have their cake and eat it too (in this case wine). In any case, be safe, be happy, be healthy, be you.

-Tiffany

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