Introduction
Alcohol is popular among people engaged in all kinds of activities and careers in the world including athletes. Despite the popularity of alcohol in our culture, it is often reported in the media as a controlled substance, especially for professional athletes hired by major sporting companies. Despite these bans, athletes continue to consume
alcohol and are often in the media engaging in violence and other shameful activities because of intoxication. The effects of alcohol on the human bodily processes are acknowledged; alcohol influences neural transmissions, metabolism, thermoregulation, skeletal muscles myopathy, and cardiovascular functionality. The resulting effects of alcohol on athlete are clear; an athlete cannot be sharp, quick, and drunk at the same time. This review provides insight on how alcohol affects an athletes exercise, performance, and how it prolongs recovery time by retarding cellular activity.
Athletes and Alcohol
Alcohol is legal in most of the world and is one of the most popular depressant. The drug acts to diminish Central Nervous System (CNS) alertness and analytical activity. This is clear from the slowed encephalographic rhythm observed in laboratory experiments on subjects who have consumed alcohol. Functionally alcohol impairs motor balance, reduces response time, inhibit visual exploration, identification, and limit memory, and exactness of fine movements, which is very important for athletes. The instability caused by alcohol in neurological activities negatively affect sleep quality and quantity by reducing the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and an increasing sleep at phase 1 (Vella & Smith 782).
Alcohol affects the neurological functions in innumerable ways. The effects of alcohol on glucose metabolism affect mental functioning, which manifest in the observable results of intoxication. The body responds to excess intake of alcohol by instructing the liver to it break it down to less reactive compounds. One bi product of alcohol metabolism is of acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is a major contributing factor in the development of aversive neurological symptoms, which is common in people who misuse alcohol. Another method through which alcohol consumption reduces CNS activity is the presence of congeners in the alcohol (Vella & Smith 783). Congeners are a group of materials produced during the fermentation process. Some congener materials that have captured the interest of scientist and nutritional professions include histamine, methanol, and polyphenols. Alcohol also interferes with serotonin production, which an important hormone memory and learning.
Alcohol affects skeletal muscles in multiple detrimental ways. Immediately after the intake of alcohol, it inhibits the absorption of calcium ions into the myocyte by interfering with the sarcolemmal channel actions. This impairs muscle coupling and reduces strength output. By compromising the sarcolemmal channel integrity, alcohol induces a rise in the intracellular enzyme creatine kinase (CK). This is evident in athletes who consume alcohol before exercising. It is also common for athletes who drink alcohol before exercising to experience muscle pain, cramps, and loss of proprioception. In order for an athlete to build bigger and stronger muscles, the body needs to sleep after a workout (Vella & Smith 785). Taking alcohol before exercising not only reduces the ability of the muscle to perform during the exercise, but also reduce the rate of healing later when the athlete goes to sleep. Alcohol robs the body the HGH (Human Growth Hormone), which an integral part of the repair and healing process of the muscles. Alcohol reduces HGH in the body by as much as 70%. Congeners also interfere with testosterone production, which is important in the development of muscles (Janzen 2).
Alcohol also affects thermoregulation and hydration. Alcohol interferes with the production of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), which is essential in the regulation of body water content. Alcohol also acts as a peripheral vasodilator. It interferes with the bodys thermoregulation by causing unwarranted responses that stimulate high temperatures. This increases blood flow rate to the skin to loss heat and loss of water through sweat glands. This further exacerbates the dehydration already present because the water is losing water through the kidney as it tries to remove alcohol metabolites. The loss of both water and heat reduces the body core temperatures. Low-core body temperatures decrease muscle tolerance and interfere with training of performance of an athlete. This is consistent in both high and low environmental temperatures (Weatherwax 6).
Alcohol also greatly interferes with the metabolism process. Alcohol is a readily accessible source of energy, which has several implications for the human physiology when consumed in large quantities. Alcohol interferes with glucose output in the body by disrupting the hepatic gluconeogenesis. This it does by disrupting the uptake of lactate and glycerol, which are gluconeogenic precursors. Alcohol also interferes with the absorption of glucose by the muscles, limiting the storage of the glucose and increasing concentrations in the blood (Janzen 3). This induces hypoglycemia, which is characterized by an excess secretion of insulin, which limits serum glucose. Acute consumption of alcohol increases results in increased serum glucose and fatty acids after a workout, which has serious ramifications for the athletes muscles and the recovery process. Readily available glucose is important for an athlete in performance and endurance. Readily available glucose is important after workout because it provides the body with the energy needs for it to focus of healing of the muscles (Weatherwax 7).
Considering the high number and complexity of how alcohol interferes with the human physiology, it is clear that the consumption of alcohol impairs and athletes performance. Consumption of alcohol affects sub-maximal endurance and is detrimental to aerobic performance. This is especially a real problem for those athletes who engage in activities that require sprint. It is important to note that the effects of alcohol on the body are slow unless for those athletes who drink alcohol shortly before exercising. Consumption of alcohol few hours before an exercise may not necessarily reduce the performance of an athlete evidently, however, the prolonged consumption of alcohol over a prolonged period will manifest in the performance of the athlete (Weatherwax 7).
The short and long term effects of alcohol ingestion serious affect recovery and exercise performance. In light of this, it would seem appropriate to recommend zero intake of alcohol because it seems to do more harm than good. However, there are those that are determined to drink. It is clear from laboratory and real life experiments that moderate drinking does not affect muscle performance. Those who are determined to drink should only take a maximum of two bottles of beer per pay. The drinks should not exceed 5% alcohol. Alcohol has twice as many calories and less nutritional value as other protein and starch options. Athletes who opt to consume alcohol must also put more effort in workout to ensure the body burns the excess calories. Alcohol increases the risk of dehydration, therefore, for every bottle of alcohol consumed, an athlete should make sure he, or she consumes a glass of water (Vella & Smith 785). When it comes to alcohol the best choice is to abstain. However, a reminder of why sports are important is in order to reduce the chances of being carried away.
It is evident for the many studies that alcohol and performance do not mix, however, when just saying no is not an option it is important that an athletes have several; things in mind if they are going to engage in drinking. It is always advisable to avoid excessive drinking even for those who are not athletes. Before starting to drink whether with friends or family it is advisable that one sets a limit as to how many drinks for the sitting. Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach is detrimental. Before drinking one should ensure they have eaten a well-balanced meal. In choosing a drink, it is wise to choose low alcohol content drinks, preferably below 5% alcoholic content. After drinking alcoholic beverages, continue drinking non-alcoholic beverages, such as juice or water. Social drinking is inappropriate at least 72 hours before an event (Firtjh & Manzo 3).
It is never advisable to drink alcohol immediately after practice. Immediately after practice, drink fluids followed by food with low amounts of protein and a relatively higher amount of starch, such as yogurt. This should be followed by a well-balanced meal in about two hours. When experiencing pain or soreness it is advisable not to drink and instead focus on rest. This is particularly important because alcohol does not mix with anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen. Consumption of alcohol places an individual at the risk of gaining weight and losing the agility edge, which is very important for athletes. Keeping a record of body fat to muscle mass ratio enables one to track changes and remedy them when need arises (Firtjh & Manzo 4). This is paramount because when one consumes alcohol, the body prefers to use the alcohol as a source of energy and stores other foods consumed. Consuming alcohol also increases appetite and the intake of extra calories.
Conclusion
Alcohol impairs the normal functioning of the human body. Factors that determine the performance of an athlete are known, however, they are multi-factorial and exceptionally complicated. Available literature suggest that although alcohol has an effect on the physiology, there is a threshold that if not exceeding minimizes the risk of suffering these adverse effects. Despite the green light, athletes should be warily of consuming alcohol after a workout and should limit the consumption of alcohol to those drinks that have low alcohol content. Intake of alcohol should accompany ingest of other non-alcoholic drinks to ensure the athlete remains hydrated. The athletes must also not negate dietary strategies that enhance muscle development and recovery.
Works Cited
Firtjh Gina and Manzo Luis G. For the athlete: Alcohol and Athletic Performance. Norte Dame: University of Notre Dame, 2004. Print
Janzen, Jorie. Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Athletic Performance. Energy Edge Nutrition 1 (2008): 1-3
Vella Luke D. and Smith David C. Alcohol Athletic Performance and Recovery. Nutrients 2 (2010): 781-789
Weatherwax, Dawn. Nutrition: Alcohol Consumption and Its Effects on Performance. NSCAs Performance Training Journal 4.6 (2013): 6-7
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