Everyone’s tolerance is different – your body size, how often you drink, even your diet determine how much alcohol affects your workout. But as a general rule, limit yourself to one or two drinks before or after your workout, says Stephens.
More importantly, pay attention to how you feel when you drink. “Knowing when you’re feeling lightheaded or dizzy and not going over that limit” is essential, says Stephens, “because that’s when your body tells you you’ve had enough.” The more you drink while drunk, the more likely you are to get sore during your workout later that day or even the next morning.
Drinking water too
Alcohol is a diuretic — it makes us pee more often — and as a result, it can dehydrate us, causing our bodies to deplete needed electrolytes, says Sacheck-Ward.
“When we have less fluid circulating in our blood, that increases our heart rate to deliver oxygen essentially to our working muscle cells,” she says. “It’s going to aggravate things.”
For every alcoholic beverage you consume, she recommends drinking a glass of water or perhaps an electrolyte drink to avoid dehydration. (This applies to taking before, during, and after exercise.) Stephens often tells her athletes to dissolve an electrolyte tablet or sachet in water and take it before bed if they’ve had it. drinking that night and planning to work out the next day.
Avoid sugary cocktails
While a high-sugar cocktail can give you a short burst of energy, it will also cause your blood sugar to spike, says Sacheck-Ward. After the spike is a crash, this will make you feel even more tired than if you drink alcohol continuously. Beer is the better choice – although non-alcoholic beer is ideal.
Don’t forget to eat
Alcohol is not a good source of fuel for exercise. “Alcohol does not provide calories that can be effectively used for energy production,” says Sacheck-Ward. So when you take in, “you’re displacing ‘healthy’ calories” which can boost your workouts and improve your endurance.
If you drink pre-workout and don’t eat enough before, you’ll likely tire quickly, she says, and you may not recover as much muscle tissue after your workout. Alcohol can also prevent the body from effectively using nutrients that support muscle performance and endurance.
She says, make sure to eat a balanced meal of carbohydrates and protein along with (or after) any alcoholic beverages you consume to ensure you have enough energy to sustain you throughout your workout. training. Also, while there is little evidence to support the popular belief that eating bread will “absorb” alcohol, having food in your stomach can slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream.
Eating is just as important after a workout, says Sacheck-Ward. The 30 minutes post-workout is crucial for the body’s recovery – during that time, the body needs to replenish lost fluids and fuel, and prepare the muscles to take on .
After the exercise but before the celebratory drink, give your body what it needs most: food and water. “Think about recovery first, then enjoy,” she says.
New York Times
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