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WillBrink
12-03-10, 10:11
Does booze negatively impact your fitness? Does it prevent you from losing weight? What are the facts with alcohol and your fitness goals, or bodybuilding, or weight loss, or performance? I cover the topic :cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGYtCqYjg3g

Hammer27
12-09-10, 16:41
According to the director of fitness at NSWC even after 24-48 hours just 2 beers can severly affect your performance. Perception of increased exertion, reduction of VO2 max, weakend immune system, increased lactic acid, and poor processing of glycogen often occur. Alcohol also will limit the muscle's ability to gain mass.
If you can stand it I'd cut it out all together.

WillBrink
12-09-10, 16:55
According to the director of fitness at NSWC even after 24-48 hours just 2 beers can severly affect your performance. Perception of increased exertion, reduction of VO2 max, weakend immune system, increased lactic acid, and poor processing of glycogen often occur. Alcohol also will limit the muscle's ability to gain mass.
If you can stand it I'd cut it out all together.

I'd have to see the data he's referring to there, but people and orgs tend to have a very biased view on the topic and therefor tend to look at one side, vs weighing the risk/benefits of the issue minus the emotional connections and or agenda's of the org in question.

Bottom line is, if you don't drink, probably not worth starting due to the studies finding possible benefits of moderate drinking (although I do know some docs who advise people to add 1-2 glasses of red wine per day to raise HDL...) but if you do drink moderately already, does not look like any compelling reasons to stop per se, and quite a bit of data that suggest some potential health benefits.

From a real world perspective, I have known ship load of high level/pro athletes and or mil who didn't seem to suffer any performance issues from moderate drink. Getting sh&% faced regularly, is another issue. :cool:

panzerr
12-09-10, 19:52
According to the director of fitness at NSWC even after 24-48 hours just 2 beers can severly affect your performance. Perception of increased exertion, reduction of VO2 max, weakend immune system, increased lactic acid, and poor processing of glycogen often occur. Alcohol also will limit the muscle's ability to gain mass.
If you can stand it I'd cut it out all together.

I've never looked into the subject myself, but I've been told from multiple Docs that alcohol does a great job of damaging every organ in your body.

m4fun
12-09-10, 21:46
Thats a major buzz-kill.

wesprt
12-09-10, 23:14
I know some alcoholics that are about as fit as fit can be. I know some teetotalers that couldn't run down the driveway.

I don't think one will neccesarily preclude the other although it might could be said that being an alcoholic might keep you from being as fit as you can possibly be.

panzerr
12-10-10, 07:27
I know some alcoholics that are about as fit as fit can be. I know some teetotalers that couldn't run down the driveway.

I don't think one will neccesarily preclude the other although it might could be said that being an alcoholic might keep you from being as fit as you can possibly be.


Being physically fit and being healthy don't always go together. You could be extremely physically fit and have a huge abdominal aneurysm or kidneys close to failure and not know it until you end up in the hospital.

300WM
12-11-10, 07:55
When I started drinking beer, you had to be 18 to buy it. It was that same year (me at 18) that I entered my first hare scrambles ( iron man off road motorcycle racing, I like to call it). My first two seasons only saw mediocre results at the finish line. After getting sick of my racing partner tell me that I need to give up the beer, I decided to race alcohol free. I had not had any beer for about three months before the first race of my third season. I placed fourth out of 42 riders in that event. That season saw five more trophies added to my display with two first place. I believe I could have gotten more trophies if it wasn't for flat tires and broken chains, plus, a broken head gasket cost me a 32 sec. lead on the last lap of a 43 miler on a track that was nothing but palmettos and sand.

Mileage varies with alcohol and fitness. Some people can get away with it and some can't. I could not. Even though I was a training freak during the first two seasons, It could not compare to how I trained for the third. Many good athletes have a beer or wine now and then. But when you look at the truly great ones, alcohol was not on their menu.

WillBrink
12-11-10, 11:06
When I started drinking beer, you had to be 18 to buy it. It was that same year (me at 18) that I entered my first hare scrambles ( iron man off road motorcycle racing, I like to call it). My first two seasons only saw mediocre results at the finish line. After getting sick of my racing partner tell me that I need to give up the beer, I decided to race alcohol free. I had not had any beer for about three months before the first race of my third season. I placed fourth out of 42 riders in that event. That season saw five more trophies added to my display with two first place. I believe I could have gotten more trophies if it wasn't for flat tires and broken chains, plus, a broken head gasket cost me a 32 sec. lead on the last lap of a 43 miler on a track that was nothing but palmettos and sand.

Mileage varies with alcohol and fitness. Some people can get away with it and some can't. I could not. Even though I was a training freak during the first two seasons, It could not compare to how I trained for the third. Many good athletes have a beer or wine now and then. But when you look at the truly great ones, alcohol was not on their menu.

If your priority is performance, minimal/no alcohol is probably best. My discussion is more regarding overall health/well being/fitness.

Having said that, I can't agree with your final statement. Some of the most famous athletes were flat out drunks. I have known #1 ranked track and field athletes, power lifters, MMA athletes, top ranked NFL players, O lifters,Strong Men, etc, etc who like to get their drink on when it's appropriate for them.

East block athletes, especially those in the strength oriented sports, consider beer as food and laugh at the western athletes non drinking counterparts, and they kicked are butts for decades.

I was at the SWAT Challenge years ago. Many of the nations top teams were there (LA, Dallas, etc). A group from the GSG9 showed up, and won by a wide margin. 8am, in front of the hotel, they drank beer and smoked cigs. No, I DON'T recommend anyone do that, but, it was an eye opener I must say.

I think your prior statement "Mileage varies with alcohol and fitness. Some people can get away with it and some can't. I could not."

Is the more accurate to the over generalized statement you ended with.:cool:

Hammer27
12-11-10, 20:26
If your priority is performance, minimal/no alcohol is probably best. My discussion is more regarding overall health/well being/fitness.

Having said that, I can't agree with your final statement. Some of the most famous athletes were flat out drunks. I have known #1 ranked track and field athletes, power lifters, MMA athletes, top ranked NFL players, O lifters,Strong Men, etc, etc who like to get their drink on when it's appropriate for them.

I was at the SWAT Challenge years ago. Many of the nations top teams were there (LA, Dallas, etc). A group from the GSG9 showed up, and won by a wide margin. 8am, in front of the hotel, they drank beer and smoked cigs. No, I DON'T recommend anyone do that, but, it was an eye opener I must say.


I believe, from what I've gathered and experienced, that those athletes mentioned above could have been better sans alcohol, but we'll never really know.

It's also important to note that GSG9 is a federal entity and tends to be more selective and better trained than city SWAT units as such. The point here is that their victory may or may not have been a product of training over fitness. Of course, we cannot say for certain and I don't know what the events are.

300WM
12-13-10, 21:06
I know of a lot of famous athletes that drank a little or a lot. A lot of them ended up being famous because they did drink. I do not know many of them that stayed in the game and stayed great very long while using alcohol. I do not know many truly great athletes that used much or any alcohol while in their sports profession.

To me, it is hardly worth arguing about. Some say it is ok or good to have a little, some say not. I believe at best, it is an excuse to drink. If you are going to drink, then drink. If you want to be the best you can be, don't. Taurus is a hated weapon on this forum. I would rather have a Taurus and no alcohol in me than a Glock and a beer or two. My two cents on the subject are spent.

NewMexican
01-04-11, 16:47
Hi Guys,

You all have some good points, I actually have an MS in exercise science.

The answers will vary across the board. will a few beers hurt you??? probably not, will getting shit faced once in awhile hurt you??? nope...If you take some time to read about some of the great athletes out there, you might notice that many of them enjoy their beer and wine IE: Lance Armstrong, Steve Scott (more sub 4 minute miles than anybody), Steve Prefontaine was a big drinker too and booze killed him (driving drunk).

As for me, I was always able to handle it, I competed in Ironman Triathlons for a number of years and managed to qualify for Kona 4 times with a pr of 9:26 in hawaii. During those years, I would say I was a fairly heavy drinker, I probably drank 2-5 beers 3-4 nights a week. One year, I didnt drink at all and I went slower....go figure.

Like anything, some people can handle it, some cant. I had a girlfriend that would eat candy like it was going out of style, she finished Ironman Canada in just under 11 hours which is pretty good.

Alcohol can affect your breathing and strength. My theory is all things in moderation are ok (except smoking and hard drugs....and steroids).:big_boss:

Low Drag
01-04-11, 20:39
Heck I really enjoy a full bodied ale after a long bike ride. It goes down really well after a century. I’m not breaking any records, but it’s not bad for a guy that’s 48 with crappy blood.

I figure it’s great glycogen replacement. I have a theory on food. If it tastes better than normal after a work out your body really needs it.

tgace
01-04-11, 20:56
Well heck. It's like almost everything else in life. How much? How often? Life is hazardous to our health and will kill us all in the end. If someone is training for "peak performance" for a specific event (I laugh at all the people who strive for "peak performance" as an everyday health status).

If I totally gave up everything that the "experts" claim will degrade my fitness (coffee, beer, red meat, etc) I would probably live longer but would hate every second of it.

Dos Cylindros
01-05-11, 10:25
Well heck. It's like almost everything else in life. How much? How often? Life is hazardous to our health and will kill us all in the end. If someone is training for "peak performance" for a specific event (I laugh at all the people who strive for "peak performance" as an everyday health status).

If I totally gave up everything that the "experts" claim will degrade my fitness (coffee, beer, red meat, etc) I would probably live longer but would hate every second of it.


I think this is a really good outlook to have. I was really hardcore for a while, now I have settled down and enjoy some of the finer things in life while still maintaining the same overall fintess level.

Watrdawg
01-05-11, 11:16
This will probably have everyone going bonkers but 6-7 years ago I swear that I read in one of the bodybuilding magazines where the diet of one of the top body builders at that time included a heavy dark beer in his post workout recovery supplementation. His reasoning was that the liquid carbs entered his system faster and help to facilitate recovery after his work outs. At least that is how I remembered the article.

Dos Cylindros
01-06-11, 10:16
This will probably have everyone going bonkers but 6-7 years ago I swear that I read in one of the bodybuilding magazines where the diet of one of the top body builders at that time included a heavy dark beer in his post workout recovery supplementation. His reasoning was that the liquid carbs entered his system faster and help to facilitate recovery after his work outs. At least that is how I remembered the article.

I have heard the same thing about the Tour De France riders after each day's stage. The calorie consumption or burn for those guys every day is astronimical, and I doubt a few drinks would have much if any effect on them.

120mm
01-06-11, 11:11
I'm a non-alcoholic regular drinker, when I am not deployed. I find beer to be a good recovery drink.

The problem with the phrase "maximize performance" is that when you are 47, have multiple multiples of physical problems, sometimes carbs and alcohol-based relaxation helps in relaxation and dulls some low-grade aches and pains.

Stating that alcohol damages just about every organ is panty-wetting of the first order, imo. Yes, it does, and so does living. No one can really measure the so-called damage that one beer a night does to the human body.

Doc Safari
01-06-11, 11:24
Stating that alcohol damages just about every organ is panty-wetting of the first order, imo. Yes, it does, and so does living. No one can really measure the so-called damage that one beer a night does to the human body.

I agree with this post.

Something is eventually going to kill you and probably you will be sick first.

My grandmother never touched a drop of alcohol in her life and yet died of cirrhossis of the liver. I'm not making it up.

She was a Mormon and they do not drink.

On the other hand I had an uncle that smoked tobacco and drank whiskey and lived to be a blind wheelchair bound little old man.

So, you can live to 90 something like Jack La Lane and eat nothing but leaves and twigs.

Or you can enjoy life and accept the fact that you will eventually die.

Just don't overdo anything. Enjoy life and don't wring your hands in worry over whether this beer or that McDonald's hamburger is going to kill you.

Dos Cylindros
01-06-11, 16:07
I'm a non-alcoholic regular drinker, when I am not deployed. I find beer to be a good recovery drink.

The problem with the phrase "maximize performance" is that when you are 47, have multiple multiples of physical problems, sometimes carbs and alcohol-based relaxation helps in relaxation and dulls some low-grade aches and pains.

Stating that alcohol damages just about every organ is panty-wetting of the first order, imo. Yes, it does, and so does living. No one can really measure the so-called damage that one beer a night does to the human body.

My hat is off to you, as this is also my view. Life is FAR too short to live an extremely spartan lifestyle and deprive yourself of some of the joys. We might as well stop F*&%ing because we might get an STD. As long as you are not drinking to the level where it effects your every day performance in fitness or work I really don't think one could be considered an alcohol abuser.

Derek_Connor
01-13-11, 20:22
If you are worried about the "health content" of your daily adult beverage, it'd be advisable to stick to the whiskey/scotch, dry red wines, rums, and tequila.

Lower risk of GI inflammation, lower carbs, less calories, easier/faster to get drunk on.

rob_s
01-14-11, 04:24
If you are worried about the "health content" of your daily adult beverage, it'd be advisable to stick to the whiskey/scotch, dry red wines, rums, and tequila.

Lower risk of GI inflammation, lower carbs, less calories, easier/faster to get drunk on.

I was beginning to wonder what happened to you...

Derek_Connor
01-14-11, 06:57
I was beginning to wonder what happened to you...

Bored at the airport.

Semizal0311
01-21-11, 10:35
If you are worried about the "health content" of your daily adult beverage, it'd be advisable to stick to the whiskey/scotch, dry red wines, rums, and tequila.

Lower risk of GI inflammation, lower carbs, less calories, easier/faster to get drunk on.


Remeber, Jamison is your friend.

Dos Cylindros
01-21-11, 11:27
Remeber, Jamison is your friend.

That is good, god fearing Irish whisky:dance3:

chimmy
01-22-11, 11:07
If you are worried about the "health content" of your daily adult beverage, it'd be advisable to stick to the whiskey/scotch, dry red wines, rums, and tequila.

Lower risk of GI inflammation, lower carbs, less calories, easier/faster to get drunk on.

You would be better off drinking clear liquor like Vodka. the darker the beverage the more impurities the worse the hangover.

I think one of the major issues with drinking is the lack of motivation to hit the gym the next day. Also being dehydrated will do nothing good for your work out.

fz1boxer
01-22-11, 11:56
dont drink alcohol,never have.
i did work in a liquor store while in college.
i witnessed varying degree's of slide.
saw bright students go to creatures of habit in less than 2 years.
opening up the store in the am was like watching dawn of the dead always about 8-10 people outside pacing back and forth waiting...........

Low Drag
01-23-11, 08:26
Gents they key to alcohol is moderation, just like protein drinks or gels. If you have a couple of drinks a few days a week you’re good to go. The health benefits of moderate drinking have been show, no need for me to repost them here. I’m not sure if it’s the actual alcohol that removed build up in the arteries or if it’s simply the reduction in stress but there have been lots of studies that show it works.
Like I posted earlier, a nice carb rich ale goes down great after 50 plus mile of biking on a hot day. As I said ‘A’ as in one, not a gallon or case.

120mm
01-23-11, 08:58
You would be better off drinking clear liquor like Vodka. the darker the beverage the more impurities the worse the hangover.

I think one of the major issues with drinking is the lack of motivation to hit the gym the next day. Also being dehydrated will do nothing good for your work out.

God, I love a good hangover workout. The idea of waging war on my own weakness just gets me fired up.

I have my best workouts ever post night of drinking (which are few and far between).

Derek_Connor
01-23-11, 13:10
That is good, god fearing Irish whisky:dance3:

You have sinned, both of you.

The nectar of the gods that you refer to is spelled JAMESON'S Irish Whiskey.

Repent, and be saved.