To Your Health!!
Alcohol and the active lifestyle
taken from Your Health and Fitness by Barbara A. Brehm, Ed.D.

The end of the semester, and especially graduation, is party time, and for many people that may mean popping the cork on a bottle of champagne, breaking into a case of beer, or doctoring the punch. Is it possible to make it through these celebrations without letting your exercise program fall into a shambles, undone by excessive eating and drinking?

I thought science has proven that a little alcohol is good for your health.
Some studies have found an association between a moderate intake of alcohol (one or two drinks a day) and a lower risk of heart disease. Despite the headlines, the evidence presented in these studies is still tentative at this point in time, and cannot yet be construed as "proof," for several reasons. First of all, many of the studies have been done on men, so the effect on women is not as clear. Second, ex-problem drinkers who have become teetotalers fall into the nondrinker category, and may dilute that group's health statistics with lingering problems from previous over-consumption.

And third, a statistical association does not necessarily imply causation. In one study, men who drank beer had fewer visits to the doctor. Were they sick less? Or did they simply avoid seeing a doctor for minor illnesses? An association with moderate alcohol consumption and less heart disease may be due to the alcohol itself, or to some other factor. Maybe people who have a drink at the end of the day have less heart disease because they sit down and talk with their friends, not because they drink alcohol.
At one time it was thought that alcohol might be good for your health because it increases HDL cholesterol, which is associated with a lower risk of artery disease. However, further research revealed that there are two main types of HDLs, and while exercise increases the beneficial kind, alcohol raises the other one, which is not associated with an improved risk profile.

There is thus no justification at this time to recommend that nondrinkers start drinking, or that occasional drinkers drink more, especially when we face the sobering statistics of alcohol abuse. When consumed in a responsible fashion, a drink or two a day does not appear to be too harmful. But at its best, alcohol is still empty calories, and a drug with potentially fatal side effects.

Empty calories? I thought that beer at least had some nutrients in it. And isn't it good for carbohydrate loading?
Beer has a small amount of vitamin B2, but to get the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for this nutrient you would have to drink 11 beers a day! Beer contains a relatively small amount of carbohydrate: 14 gm in a 12 oz. can. Compare this to a 12-oz. glass of fruit juice, which has 40 gm. Two-thirds of the calories in a can of beer are supplied by alcohol. While carbohydrates and protein have only 4 calories per gram, alcohol has 7 calories per gram.

What about fluid replacement? Isn't it good to drink a lot after you exercise?
Alcohol inhibits the anti-diuretic hormone, so it's a paradox that the more you drink, the more dehydrated you become. Besides, alcohol beverages consumed immediately after exercise are usually drunk on an empty stomach and quickly absorbed into the bloodstream where they affect the brain. The best fluid to drink after exercise is water. Wait until you are having a meal if you wish to enjoy a drink.

My son used to drink a lot, but then he got involved in sports and stopped drinking altogether. Obviously, drinking right before an event is stupid, but what about a day or two before? Does alcohol really affect athletic performance that much?

Although often portrayed as a rowdy, beer-drinking crew, many athletes avoid alcohol, especially 24 hours preceding an event. Since many athletes train daily, almost every day is an 'event.' They find that even moderate amounts of alcohol can make them become dehydrated more quickly. Alcohol can also cause hypoglycemia, low blood sugar, since it decreases liver glucose output, which is essential during endurance activity. Athletes who are watching their weight often decide that calories are better spent on nutritious, high-carbohydrate foods than on alcoholic beverages.