Your body is affected, both positively and negatively, by everything you eat and drink. When you drink alcohol, the chemicals in the drink affect your muscles, organs including your heart, liver and kidneys, hand-eye coordination and endurance. While the immediate effects of alcohol can impair your ability to perform at your peak, moderate amounts of alcohol may offer physiological benefits.
General Effects of Alcohol
Your mouth, stomach and small intestines absorb the alcohol you consume and pass it into your bloodstream. The alcohol then infiltrates all your body's organs, including your heart, lungs, brain, liver, kidneys and pancreas, and affects all your body's systems including your circulatory, endocrine and central nervous system. While your liver can metabolize small amounts of alcohol before you feel its effects, continued consumption results in a greater concentration in your bloodstream. The greater the concentration of alcohol in your bloodstream, the more your organs are affected.
Exercising While Under the Influence
Alcohol affects your judgment and your ability to regulate your actions. If you exercise while drinking, you may throw caution to the wind and may push yourself to exercise beyond your capacity or take risks you wouldn't take without the alcohol. Because alcohol is a depressant, after a few drinks, your heart and lung function begin to slow and you may feel tired. Alcohol affects your balance and your ability to perceive distance. Because your liver has to work extra hard to eliminate the toxic substance, it does not produce the glucose your muscles require for exercise, which can make you feel heavy and lethargic.
Exercising the Morning After
The headache, nausea and fatigue that ensue after drinking too much can impede your motivation to exercise. You may experience rapid heartbeat, mental sluggishness and physical weakness. You may be more tired because alcohol interrupts your normal sleep cycle and can cause insomnia. Because of alcohol's diuretic effect, you may be dehydrated after a night of drinking, which can prevent you from performing your best the next day.
Effects of Chronic Alcohol Use
Heavy alcohol consumption can negatively impact exercise and athletic performance due to the secondary effects alcohol has on your overall health. Chronic alcohol use can lead to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hormonal disruption, muscle damage, mental disorders and nutritional deficiencies.
Benefits of Alcohol Consumption on Exercise
According to a 2008 article published on CNN.com, moderate drinking -- less than 14 drinks per week for men and seven for women -- combined with moderate exercise can have a beneficial effect on your heart. Because small amounts of alcohol can help lower LDL cholesterol the same way exercise does, combining the two can help people ages 45 and older prevent some types of heart disease better than exercise alone.
References
- National Cancer Institute; New Insights into the Mechanism of Action of Antioxidants; JA Milner;
- American College of Sports Medicine; Alcohol and Athletic Performance; L Perry Koziris
- OregonCounseling.org; Biological Effects of Alcohol Use; Michael P Dunlap
- "UC San Diego Athletic Performance Nutrition Bulletin": Alcohol and Athletic Performance
- CNN.com; Trading Exercise for Alcohol?; A. Chris Gajilan; January 2008
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Sleep Hygiene: Helpful Hints to Help You Sleep; August 2010
