Can You Drink Alcohol While Training for a Marathon? Personally since I am not going to qualify for the Olympics anytime soon, or win any race, big or small, I do have an occasional glass of wine while marathon training.
I have to admit though, about a month before a goal race, I will avoid even one glass of wine. However, it’s been a few years since the time on the clock really mattered. Would I like to run Boston again? Not sure? For now, I am enjoying running for fun.
If you really want to get dive into a this deeper, check out Patrick’s article! It’s super good and may answer all your questions.
Have you ever wondered if it was okay to have an occasional drink, like at a friend’s wedding? You could be wondering if it’s okay to do so while you’re training for a big upcoming marathon and have been working so hard. Or, you might wonder if you should have one glass of wine to unwind after a long day on the job.
Consuming alcohol may — or may not — affect your running and other areas of your life. Some of the answers may be surprising.
First, let’s take a look at the obvious.
Risks of alcohol
Of course, we already know that consuming large quantities of alcohol is not a good idea while training, or at any time, for that matter. The adverse effects of excessive drinking, heavy drinking, or binge drinking can have both short-term and long-term health risks. It could be harmful to your well-being and health.
There are many undesirable repercussions associated with the excessive use of alcohol. Often, they include tragic outcomes or injuries that could occur due to car crashes, falls, burns, drownings, assaults, and other preventable outcomes.
Long-term health risks associated with the excessive use of alcohol include high blood pressure, difficulties with memory, depression or anxiety, and even some types of cancer. The risks are well-documented.
Clearly, by refraining from consuming too much alcohol you can lessen the negative impact associated with short-term and long-term health risks. The good news is, there are many intensive outpatient alcohol treatment options as well as inpatient treatment to help those who are not able to control the amount they drink.
Moderate drinking
But what if people limit their drinking? Is there an amount considered moderate?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a moderate intake of alcohol is described as up to one (1) drink a day for women and up to two (2) drinks a day for men.
The Mayo Clinic gives the following examples to break down even further what one drink might include:
- 12 fluid ounces of beer (355 milliliters)
- A 5-ounce glass of wine (148 milliliters)
- 1.5 fluid ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits (44 milliliters)
Alcohol and athletic performance
A study published in the journal Nutrients found that people who engaged in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) twice a week and drank moderate amounts of alcohol did not have any adverse effects on their body composition while training. They actually experienced a decrease in body fat and an increase in lean muscle.
On the other hand, a different study published in Nutrients showed that consuming alcohol can produce negative effects on endurance performance.
Sports Medicine cites another study that examined the effect of alcohol on sports performance and recovery in male athletes. It studied the amount of alcohol athletes consumed.
When the study’s participants consumed alcohol, it was postexercise. The amount of alcohol used in the study was 0.23 grams per pound of body weight. The findings showed that this level of alcohol consumption did indeed hinder the recovery rate of the athletes in the study.
How alcohol affects people
Consuming alcohol can also have a negative impact on the normal functioning of the immune system. It also can negatively affect protein synthesis and blood flow. Immune system functioning, protein synthesis, and blood flow are all important for recovery.
Some individuals should not consume alcohol at all. For example, anyone who has been diagnosed with alcohol addiction (alcoholism) should avoid the substance. People with a family history of alcoholism should also consider avoiding it.
You should also not consume alcohol if you’ve had a stroke, experienced heart failure, or are pregnant. Some medicines interact with alcohol, so be careful if you’re taking something. If you have questions, check with your doctor about how consuming alcohol could affect your health.
Trading drinking for running
People looking to quit drinking might want to consider running instead of drinking. A study at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) found that dopamine produces a phenomenon that is known as a runner’s high. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that stimulates motivation during exercise.
Scott Waldrop, Rusty Smith, and Paul Maley used to be addicted to alcohol, and have happily trained to become marathoners.
Ultramarathon runner Scott Waldrop tells his story of swapping out alcohol addiction for running. A self-confessed “closet alcoholic,” Waldrop reveals he managed to stay employed and married and avoided getting arrested, but his life still spiraled downward.
Waldrop found he was drinking cheap beer out of a coffee cup as he drove home from work. He was blacking out at home nightly. Now sober, Waldrop trains on the stairways in a downtown parking garage. He has run in the Leadville 100 in Colorado and the Boston Marathon.
Rusty Smith, once a member of Canada’s armed forces, recounts his journey of overcoming his alcoholism and becoming a marathoner. When he quit drinking, he says he “didn’t have any friends left.”
But Captain John Hackett, a Canadian forces pilot and marathoner, helped Smith turn his “negative alcoholic addiction into the positive addiction” that he found in running. Smith credits running for his recovery from alcohol addiction.
Journalist Paul Maley at one time mingled drinking with running. But his drinking became heavier. Maley felt he had to make a choice. He chose running over alcohol. He has gone on to ultramarathons such as the Blackall 100 and the 250km Big Red Run in Australia.
What are intensive outpatient programs (IOPs)?
There are other options for addressing problems with alcohol. For example, substance abuse intensive outpatient programs and inpatient options may help.
According to researchers, intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) are important in the continuing care of both alcohol and drug use disorders. Intensive outpatient treatment for substance abuse may be just as effective as inpatient treatment options.
Alcohol can affect people, but effective treatment can stop the effects.
Sources
cdc.gov – Alcohol Use and Your Health
mayoclinic.org – Alcohol Use: Weighing Risks and Benefits
mdpi.com – Beer or Ethanol Effects on the Body Composition Response to High-Intensity Interval Training. The BEER-HIT Study
mdpi.com – Alcohol, Athletic Performance, and Recovery
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – Alcohol: Impact on Sports Performance and Recovery in Male Athletes
sciencedaily.com – Why Does Running Make Us Happy?
chicagotribune.com – Once a “Self-Absorbed … Closet Alcoholic,” He’ll Run 100 Miles in the Rockies
runningmagazine.ca – Thirty Years Ago, One Man Convinced Me to Trade My Alcohol Addiction for Running. This Is How It Happened
theguardian.com – Runner’s High: The Well-Trodden Road of Swapping Drugs and Alcohol for Exercisencbi.nlm.nih.gov – Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Programs: Assessing the Evidence
What are your thoughts? Yes to alcohol while training? No?
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