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Even Moderate Alcohol Use Can Have an Impact on Athletic Performance

Current research indicates that the impact of even moderate alcohol use on athletic performance is much more significant than was originally known. Even moderate use (2-3 drinks) results in:

  • A loss of motor coordination for up to 12 to 18 hours after drinking
  • Depleted aerobic capacity and negative impact on endurance for up to 48 hours after the last drink has been consumed

Other effects of alcohol use which last for hours after the blood alcohol concentration has returned to zero include:

  • Impaired reaction time
  • Impaired balance and eye-hand coordination
  • Impaired fine motor and gross motor coordination
  • Decrease in strength
  • Increased fatigue - fatigue coming on more quickly
  • Difficulty in the body regulating its temperature resulting in an increased risk of heat prostration
  • Dehydration

Alcohol consumption has a significant impact on how the liver functions. The liver is the primary organ which metabolizes alcohol so that alcohol is broken down and eliminated from the body. The liver responds to alcohol as a toxin and when a toxin is present in the body, the liver temporarily "suspends" its other functions in order to rid the body of a toxic substance. One of the normal functions the liver suspends in order to process the alcohol is one of the liver's primary functions - the maintaining of adequate blood levels of glycogen. Glycogen is the basic fuel for the body and brain. When the liver suspends its function of producing adequate glycogen, the results are impaired cognitive function and rapid onset of muscle fatigue during strenuous exercise. Both of these result in impaired athletic performance. A secondary effect of an inadequate glycogen supply is that muscle tissue may lack the energy supply necessary for cell repair following strenuous exercise.

Alcohol's impact on the cardio-vascular system can be significant. Alcohol ingestion tends to raise blood pressure. A rise in blood pressure can result in the heart having to pump harder in order to move the blood in the body.

Alcohol use can cause abnormal heart rhythms in athletes. In some people even as little as 3 ounces of alcohol can cause a form of abnormal heart beat called ventricular tachycardia. Alcohol also increases the synthesis of cholesterol, which increases the risks of coronary heart disease.

Chronic alcohol abuse causes progressive weakening of the muscles, both cardiac and skeletal muscles.

Sleep patterns are affected by even moderate alcohol intake. As little as one ounce of alcohol consumed before going to bed can suppress deep sleep, cause fragmented sleep and thus interfere with truly restful and restorative sleep.

Another issue associated with alcohol use involves alcohol's tendency to slowly deplete vitamins already in the body and to interfere with the absorption and storage of new nutrients. Even one or two drinks per day can cut supplies of vitamins to below normal levels. Alcohol burns up supplies of B complex vitamins which regulate important enzyme and metabolic functions. The heart, liver, thyroid, and kidneys are affected by Vitamin B deficiencies. Vitamin A deficiency reduces the body's resistance to disease. Alcohol also can affect the levels of Vitamin C in the body which can contribute to anemia, reduced resistance to disease and over stimulation of the adrenal gland.

In addition, after alcohol is ingested the body excretes calcium at twice the normal rate. Calcium is necessary for strong bones and to heal fractures.

In regard to high levels of intoxication, the brain is affected in such a way that a person's cognitive processes remain impaired for up to 72 hours after alcohol has left the blood stream. So, if you party hard on a Saturday night, cognitively, you aren't back to normal until Tuesday.

It is important to remember that research indicates that for college students, the drinking patterns you establish during college will continue for 50% of you up to and beyond age 30 years old. In addition, one out of every 10 drinkers will develop the disease of alcoholism. If untreated, alcoholism is fatal.
 
 
 

Last Updated 1/25/07