Raise the degree. Can sports and alcohol be combined?

Andrei Semeshov, an expert of “Championship” wellness coach, talks about how to combine alcohol and sports, whether alcohol can be useful and at which races participants are poured wine and beer.

Are alcohol and sport compatible?

If we are talking about professional sports, the answer is obvious and categorical: no, incompatible. Alcohol has a predominantly negative effect on the body, slows down recovery processes and worsens physical condition. At the professional level it is at least unwise to give your opponents such a head start.

Another thing, if by sports we mean amateur activities of any kind of physical activity, whether it is swimming, playing tennis on weekends or morning jogging. Here the situation is not so categorical. Of course, the feast and physical activity should be separated in time, at least for a day or two. Before forcing the body to work intensively, it makes sense to give it time to recover and neutralize the effects of libations.

A participant in a beer marathon in Belgium

What is alcohol harmful?

Alcohol depresses the nervous system and negatively affects the emotional state and behavior of a person. A drunk person’s reaction time slows down noticeably, coordination and brain function deteriorate.

Also, alcohol can provoke dehydration, since ethanol has a diuretic effect, and physical activity increases sweating. These two factors together can lead to a critical lack of water in the body.

Alcohol consumption puts additional strain on internal organs. especially the heart and liver. Exercise also puts a strain on the cardiovascular system, so it is not recommended to combine alcohol and sports to avoid overloading the body.

Is it true that alcohol interferes with weight loss?

A separate topic is alcohol and weight loss. To be honest, there is no direct prohibition. Yes, you can drink and lose weight. To understand the process, you need to understand how the body rates alcohol in terms of calories. In 100 grams of 96% alcohol contains 710 kcal. At the same time, unlike fats or carbohydrates, alcohol cannot be deposited in the cells of our body. It immediately begins to break down. And all the other calories that come with regular food are stored until better times.

If you take into account the calories from alcohol within the daily norm and “fit” them into the diet, the process of weight loss will not stop. This is confirmed both by numerous studies and practice. But you should always remember that alcohol weakens our willpower and after a glass of whiskey or a glass of wine it is much more difficult to hold back and not steal a sandwich or a small pastry from the plate.

Is there any benefit from alcohol?

Everyone realizes that drinking is harmful, but as always in our lives, the situation is not so unambiguous. Moderate doses of alcohol have a positive effect on the psyche. And beer or wine, in addition, contain useful microelements and vitamins. For example, beer is one of the most accessible natural sources of silicon, which is responsible for bone strength, fights the appearance of wrinkles and reduces blood pressure. In addition to silicon, beer is rich in other trace elements – zinc, iron, copper, selenium, chromium, magnesium, and B vitamins – thiamine, biotin, folic acid, riboflavin and others.

There are also benefits in other alcoholic beverages, if they are not abused. For example, antioxidants in wine reduce the level of bad cholesterol and simultaneously increase the level of good cholesterol, fight cancer cells, the possibility of diabetes and depression. A shot of cognac or brandy has the same antioxidant effect as a daily dose of vitamin C, and tequila helps lower blood sugar levels.

However, doctors remind us that all these micronutrients are also found in other, less harmful substances. Assessing the pros and cons, we have to admit that the latter still outweigh.

There is a persistent myth that there are “recommended norms of alcohol consumption” established by the World Health Organization or the Ministry of Health. Alas, there are not. Medical professionals recoil from any attempt to force a “norm” or “safe level of consumption”. Therefore, all the infographics on the Internet with the amount of “allowed” norm per week per adult person – by and large profanation and someone’s fantasies. If only because there are men and women weighing 60 kg, and there are – 160 kg. The work of enzymes that utilize alcohol, everyone has an individual setting. Therefore, when studying all these “authorized doses of alcohol” (as a rule, 10 grams of pure alcohol is taken for one dose), rely on common sense and logic.

Who combines sports and alcohol?

In fact, many athletes are not squeamish about alcohol and are not ashamed of it. For example, after celebrating victories, they drink from cups or admit in interviews that they allow themselves to relax. So in one of the interviews Ilya Kovalchuk said that after the game he can drink beer to restore the body and does not see this as a problem. For this the famous hockey player was criticized by MMA fighter Alexander Shlemenko.

Alcohol marathons are gaining popularity among runners. Several wine marathons are held in France, in the famous wine places of Bordeaux and Beaujolais. Beer marathons are also practiced by running enthusiasts. One of the most popular ones is held in Belgium. Participants of such starts drink not only after the finish line, but also before the start, and some during the race, and do not see anything wrong with it.

The main thing is not to abuse it!