To drink or not to drink: that is the question!

The topic of alcohol often comes up in my work with clients, and I enjoy helping them make an informed decision about how, why, and when they include alcohol in their training diets, or if they choose to include it at all. 

It can feel natural to want to treat or reward yourself with something special after a tough workout. Some athletes reach for a special food, others shower and cue up their favorite Netflix series, while others find pleasure in including an adult beverage.

As an athlete, reaching for that rewarding beer or cocktail might leave you with more than just a buzz. If you care about performance, recovery, and staying injury-free, it’s worth understanding how alcohol affects your body after exercise.

I’m Angie, Registered Dietitian and sports nutrition expert. I help athletes like you find easy and delicious ways to eat well so that you can get the most out of your training and perform and recover your best. 

By the end of this blog post, you’ll gain a little more information on whether post-workout alcohol is the right choice for you. To help you make that decision, I will cover:

• The physiology of alcohol consumption post-workout
• Optimal timing of post-workout alcohol consumption
• Risks of post-workout alcohol consumption
• Alcohol’s effect on sleep 💤
• Smart Drinking Strategies

Cheers, let’s go!

The Physiology: What Alcohol Does to You After You Train

It’s probably no surprise to you, but what you eat and drink matters. A lot. 

So too does the timing of when you eat and drink. 

After exercise, refueling with the right mix of nutrients and adequately hydrating can help your body to repair muscle fibers, replenish glycogen, and re-establish fluid balance. 

Here’s the bad news: adding alcohol into the post-workout mix throws a monkey wrench into most of these metabolic processes – let’s take a look at how!

• Impaired Muscle Protein Synthesis: Alcohol can blunt muscle-building by reducing rates of protein synthesis, even when consumed with adequate post-workout protein (1). That results in poor recovery and less muscular adaptation. 
• Slowed Glycogen Replenishment: Alcohol competes with carbs for metabolism, potentially delaying your ability to top up muscle glycogen stores (1).
• Less Hydration: Alcohol is a diuretic. So while that alcoholic beverage may seem to be providing fluid, the diuretic effect can be problematic post-exercise (2).

Injury Risk and Impaired Judgement

It should come as no surprise that alcohol is a disinhibitor, meaning our judgment is not the sharpest when we are under the influence of a yummy cocktail or beer. Alcohol intake can affect our balance, coordination, and ability to get a good night’s rest…all of which can increase our risk of injury.

Most of us are balancing careers, family, and friends along with our training and working every day toward becoming the best athletes we can be. Don’t let a celebratory cocktail turn into a twisted ankle and forced time away from training. 

Sleep Disruption

Sleep quality has been gaining more attention as a major player in our body’s ability to recover and repair itself. If you wear a smartwatch, you may be monitoring your daily sleep score and notice a connection to how you feel based on your sleep quality. Does anyone else get super pumped when they get an 85 or higher on their sleep score? I sure do.

Even though you may feel you drift off to sleep more easily with a cocktail or two, studies have shown that alcohol interferes with that good quality REM sleep, deep sleep, and overall sleep quality (3). Don’t be surprised if your sleep score goes down on nights that you include some booze.

Timing Matters

Like so many things with sports nutrition, timing really matters. One or two alcoholic beverages consumed hours after a workout will have much less of an impact on your body’s ability to recover than if those alcoholic beverages are consumed immediately after exercise.  

A key strategy would be to use the post-workout period to prioritize delicious recovery food and non-alcoholic beverages. Check out my article on Delicious Recovery Foods for some fresh new ideas. 

Practice pearl: To be in your best shape for your next workout, save the alcohol for after you’ve had a chance to refuel, rest, and rehydrate. 

So Can Athletes Drink at All?

Moderation and timing are the two most important factors to consider. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind. 

• Occasional low to moderate alcohol consumption (1-2 alcoholic beverages) likely won’t derail all your hard training efforts as a recreational athlete, particularly if it is enjoyed a few hours outside of a hard training session. 
• Heavy or frequent drinking (more than 2 alcoholic beverages multiple times per week) will likely impair your body’s ability to repair and adapt to your training, keeping those elusive gains out of reach.
• If you are an elite athlete or trying to crush a PR, consider abstaining from alcohol entirely for key training blocks or before important races.

Smart Strategies around Alcohol

If you choose to include an alcoholic beverage or two, here are a few tips:

Tip 1: Hydrate before and after you consume alcohol (include hydration with electrolytes when sweat losses are high in training). Check out my article on The Best Electrolyte Supplements if you’d like recommendations.

Tip 2: Refuel first before drinking alcohol. Include a carbohydrate and protein-rich meal following training before consuming alcohol, with a delicious recovery meal like one of these. Avoid drinking immediately after a workout. Give yourself an hour or two to start the recovery process before introducing alcohol.

Tip 3: Give alcohol a break before the high-stakes events. Important race on the horizon? Skip the alcohol entirely and opt for other ways to celebrate and hydrate that support your training goals. 

You don’t have to miss out on fun beverages entirely. There are so many delicious and refreshing non-alcoholic sips out there to enjoy. Need ideas? Snag this free download with 14 Hydrating Summer Mocktails to enjoy anytime. 

Key Takeaways on Alcohol

You don’t have to cut out alcohol entirely to be a successful athlete, but understanding how it impacts your recovery can help you make smarter choices in terms of quantity and timing. Celebrate your training accomplishments, enjoy your social time, and take care of your body in the way that feels right for you.

Quick recap: 

• Even modest amounts of post-workout alcohol may impair your ability to repair muscle, replenish glycogen stores, and properly hydrate.
• With careful timing, there is room to include alcohol in moderation.
• Enjoying an alcoholic beverage after a complete recovery meal and rehydration will have less of a negative impact.
• Choosing a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage can sometimes be more beneficial to you, as an athlete.

Whether you include alcohol or take a pass, this is just one part of your optimal nutrition plan as an athlete. There are SO many things to figure out – and so much misinformation online to wade through. If you’d like support with customizing your best fueling and hydration plan, I’d love to help you. 

I am accepting new sports nutrition clients in both Pennsylvania and Maryland. Contact me to set up an appointment so we can work together toward your strongest, most nourished self this year.