Is Alcohol Ruining Your Training?

YDS is supported by ⁠⁠Microcosm Coaching. ⁠Is alcohol ruining your training? From post-race beers to wine with dinner, drinking is woven into athletic culture—but what does the research actually say about how alcohol affects performance, recovery, and long-term health?In this episode, Kylee and Zoë break down the science: how alcohol impacts sleep, hydration, muscle protein synthesis, and hormonal recovery. We explore why athletes drink (spoiler: it's complicated), what "moderate" actually means, and how to make informed decisions without moralizing your choices.Whether you're wondering if that celebratory beer is sabotaging your gains or just want to understand the trade-offs, this episode gives you the facts without the judgment.References:Slingerland, E. (2022). Drunk: How we sipped, danced, and stumbled our way to civilization. Little, Brown Spark.Popovic, Dejana; Damjanovic, Svetozar S.; Plecas-Solarovic, Bosiljka; Pešić, Vesna; Stojiljkovic, Stanimir; Banovic, Marko; Ristic, Arsen; Mantegazza, Valentina; Agostoni, Piergiuseppe. Exercise capacity is not impaired after acute alcohol ingestion: a pilot study. Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine 17(12):p 896-901, December 2016. | DOI: 10.2459/JCM.0000000000000151 The prohibited list. World Anti Doping Agency. (2024, January 1). https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list The scientific history of why Humans love drinking booze. (n.d.-a). https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a47449/alcohol-science-history-vice-evans/ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Major depression. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression  Prentice, C., Stannard, S. R., & Barnes, M. J. (2015). Effects of heavy episodic drinking on physical performance in club level rugby union players. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 18(3), 268–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2014.04.009 Castaldo L, Narváez A, Izzo L, Graziani G, Gaspari A, Minno GD, Ritieni A. Red Wine Consumption and Cardiovascular Health. Molecules. 2019 Oct 8;24(19):3626. doi: 10.3390/molecules24193626. PMID: 31597344; PMCID: PMC6804046.Ragland G. (1990). Electrolyte abnormalities in the alcoholic patient. Emergency medicine clinics of North America, 8(4), 761–773. https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-2/101-109.htm Nam, Y. S., Lee, G., Yun, J. M., & Cho, B. (2018). Testosterone Replacement, Muscle Strength, and Physical Function. The world journal of men's health, 36(2), 110–122. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.182001Judelson, D. A., Maresh, C. M., Anderson, J. M., Armstrong, L. E., Casa, D. J., Kraemer, W. J., & Volek, J. S. (2007). Hydration and muscular performance: does fluid balance affect strength, power and high-intensity endurance?. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 37(10), 907–921. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200737100-00006 Sullivan, E. V., Harris, R. A., & Pfefferbaum, A. (2010). Alcohol's effects on brain and behavior. Alcohol research & health : the journal of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 33(1-2), 127–143. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2022). Alcohol and the Brain: an Overview | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Www.niaaa.nih.gov. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/alcohol-and-brain-overview Stein, M. D., & Friedmann, P. D. (2005). Disturbed sleep and its relationship to alcohol use. Substance abuse, 26(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1300/j465v26n01_01Shirreffs, S. M., & Maughan, R. J. (2006). The effect of alcohol on athletic performance. Current sports medicine reports, 5(4), 192–196. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.csmr.0000306506.55858.e5Onate J. (2019). Depression in Ultra-endurance Athletes, A Review and Recommendations. Sports medicine and arthroscopy review, 27(1), 31–34. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSA.0000000000000233