I've noticed something unexpected. I've fairly recently started a pretty modest triathlon training regimen (~10 hours/week), and I find that my body is really not keen on any alcohol at all any more. I've never been a heavy drinker, but have always been a fan of good wine and cocktails in rather modest doses. But now, I find that even drinking a glass, or less, of wine, I can tell my body isn't keen, and even a glass seems to slightly but noticeably affect the next morning's workout. I'm not sure whether working out more seriously is actually increasing the effects of alcohol or is just making me more aware of them. But I do find it a little sad, because I like being a moderate social drinker, in fact I've tried to cultivate a bit more of a drinking habit in recent years (yeah, I know, most people don't have to cultivate drinking habits :). Do others have similar experiences?
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Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
Could be a myriad of things I would assume. If your water intake/electrolyte/solutes for liquids is off you could be dehydrated and a glass or two of wine could exacerbate that. If you're not a big drinker, being a tad bit dehydrated plus the alcohol could cause you to be a bit "off" when you wake up especially if you're not a "seasoned drinker."
I can safely say that if I get a decent workout in, say 2.5-3 hours of cycling in for the day, i can drink 2-3 bottles of water post ride, eat a decent lunch, and if I have a high gravity beer or two at night, in the morning I will feel worse than if I were in the off season where I downed a few slices of pizza and 4 beers.
Might just have to drink on days where the next day you don't have any training scheduled, or nothing of importance?
I can safely say that if I get a decent workout in, say 2.5-3 hours of cycling in for the day, i can drink 2-3 bottles of water post ride, eat a decent lunch, and if I have a high gravity beer or two at night, in the morning I will feel worse than if I were in the off season where I downed a few slices of pizza and 4 beers.
Might just have to drink on days where the next day you don't have any training scheduled, or nothing of importance?
Last edited by:
PatrickOfSteele: Sep 24, 15 17:03
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [PatrickOfSteele]
[ In reply to ]
PatrickOfSteele wrote:
Could be a myriad of things I would assume. If your water intake/electrolyte/solutes for liquids is off you could be dehydrated and a glass or two of wine could exacerbate that. If you're not a big drinker, being a tad bit dehydrated plus the alcohol could cause you to be a bit "off" when you wake up especially if you're not a "seasoned drinker." I can safely say that if I get a decent workout in, say 2.5-3 hours of cycling in for the day, i can drink 2-3 bottles of water post race, eat a decent lunch, and if I have a high gravity beer or two at night, in the morning I will feel worse than if I were in the off season where I downed a few slices of pizza and 4 beers.
Might just have to drink on days where the next day you don't have any training scheduled, or nothing of importance?
Nope, seems to be independent of hydration--I'm in general well hydrated, and make an effort to hydrate even more after having a drink.
I've never had a high alcohol tolerance. Also, even when I've had, say, four or five drinks in a row, at that point my body cuts me off, i.e. it feels nauseating to take additional sips, and I just don't. So in roughly two decades of drinking I've never puked or blacked out from alcohol. It's not that I'm virtuous, it's that my body rejects it. What's been interesting recently is that while that used to happen after a few drinks (which itself didn't happen very often), now it feels like it happens (albeit much more mildly) after a few sips.
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
Sounds like you need to cut back on your training. :-)
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [cerveloguy]
[ In reply to ]
cerveloguy wrote:
Sounds like you need to cut back on your training. :-)I'd put it differently: he just needs to add alcohol-tolerance-training to his program. (you *can* train that!)
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
I've been training for decades and I'm always looking forward to that beer after a tough workout. I'm serious. :)
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
I am the same way. At one point in my life I lived off Jim beam and now as a triathlete I can't drink anything. I force myself every now and then but I wake up groggy and have no energy. I don't ever crave alcohol, just water, juice or milk. I am okay with it though.
http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com
http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
Watching my 44 year old alcoholic little brother die of liver failure made me averse to alcohol. I used to like a beer or occasionally wine with dinner but I can't stomach either now.
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
niccolo wrote:
I've noticed something unexpected. I've fairly recently started a pretty modest triathlon training regimen (~10 hours/week), and I find that my body is really not keen on any alcohol at all any more. I've never been a heavy drinker, but have always been a fan of good wine and cocktails in rather modest doses. But now, I find that even drinking a glass, or less, of wine, I can tell my body isn't keen, and even a glass seems to slightly but noticeably affect the next morning's workout. I'm not sure whether working out more seriously is actually increasing the effects of alcohol or is just making me more aware of them. But I do find it a little sad, because I like being a moderate social drinker, in fact I've tried to cultivate a bit more of a drinking habit in recent years (yeah, I know, most people don't have to cultivate drinking habits :). Do others have similar experiences?Even at 6 - 8 hours of training a week, I feel like crap the next morning if I had even 1 to 2 beers the night before. I've been working on kicking alcohol anyway but lately have been extra motivated to do so. It seems that my body is telling me I can either tri and lift or I can drink alcohol but not both.
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [nstearns]
[ In reply to ]
Weird!
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
Not sure if it's what your experiencing, but I have a similar situation. When I drink even a small glass of wine or a beer, I get very congested & sneezy, like being allergic to it. It doesn't happen all the time, but only when I'm in a heavy training block. It's like my body can't handle all the stress at once. Not sure if it's an allergy to alcohol, or the alcohol depressing my immune system to the point that other stuff gets to me. I do notice that a recover beer "light lager" does better than wine or hard liquor. My IM is 2 weeks away, so I've been abstaining; I'll let you know if it persists post-race.
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
Generally the same here. Since getting into triathlon, my body is very not interested in alcohol, and I am very much aware of how one glass of wine affects my next day training and energy levels. It is a dehydration feeling no mater how much water I drink that day. Oddly, beer seems to have less of an effect (perhaps because it has more water to it). The real issue is how the aversion to alcohol compounds my already lack luster social life due to the training volume and need for rest/sleep.
Friend: "Want to go to a bar?"
Me: "Ugh, alcohol. Okay, I can have a ginger ale or Sprite."
Friend: "Cool! See you at 11pm!"
Me: "I will have been asleep for 2 hours. Have fun!"
From Chicago to Sydney . . . soooo Sydney_Grant
Friend: "Want to go to a bar?"
Me: "Ugh, alcohol. Okay, I can have a ginger ale or Sprite."
Friend: "Cool! See you at 11pm!"
Me: "I will have been asleep for 2 hours. Have fun!"
From Chicago to Sydney . . . soooo Sydney_Grant
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [Chicago_Grant]
[ In reply to ]
I'm actually happy someone is experiencing the same as I am (however weird that sounds). During the season I try to limit alcohol as much as I can. But whenever I just want to kick back and relax with that earned-o-so-hard beer or glass of wine I realise I'll feel it the next day.
I used to be a very social guy, hanging around in bars all the time. Since getting into triathlon this has changed, because of training purposes and lack of interest in late (drunk) nights out but mainly because my body just says F* you the next morning.
Still trying to figure out how to not seem boring whenever I order a still water when everyone else is having a drink or actually getting bored out whenever everyone else is being stonedrunk around me.
I used to be a very social guy, hanging around in bars all the time. Since getting into triathlon this has changed, because of training purposes and lack of interest in late (drunk) nights out but mainly because my body just says F* you the next morning.
Still trying to figure out how to not seem boring whenever I order a still water when everyone else is having a drink or actually getting bored out whenever everyone else is being stonedrunk around me.
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [Fusion]
[ In reply to ]
Ok I'm field testing this right now... Two beers down and I can certainly tell I've had a drink. I'm in the middle of a heavy running phase at the moment and did 5k this morning in 19 mins exactly which is quick for me. I agree with the OP, this could get messy! (By the way I'm not sitting in a bar checking slowtwitch, I'm at home watching the rugby World Cup)
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
I find the exact opposite, though my teammates are the ultimate enablers as most of our rides begin and end at a brewery. I ran 20 miles today for the first time and a tasty beer was one of my first "recovery" drinks!
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [Toefuzz]
[ In reply to ]
Stick to it (in moderate doses of course) and you can drink regularly and train hard. I train a lot (600+ hours last year) and have a couple drinks almost every night with no problems the next morning. I used to think similar things about alcohol and training but experience leads me to believe it was all in my head. Drink if you want to, or don't, but try not to rationalize endurance training as reason for not doing so.
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
Drinking alcohol, even modestly, makes me averse to trainimg.
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
Beer! The great recovery drink ;-)
Trust me I’m a doctor!
Well, I have a PhD :-)
Trust me I’m a doctor!
Well, I have a PhD :-)
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [PhilipShambrook]
[ In reply to ]
I haven't had a drink in almost 2 years. It may have something to do with a lot of training, but my body just doesn't like alcohol any more. I feel it in the morning, even after just one. So you're not alone in this.
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
That's been my experience as well. I remember when drinking was fun in my teens before I started training heavily. Now even a single drink makes me tired and foggy, hurts my sleep quality and slows me down the next morning.
As a result, I can pretty much count on one hand the number of drinks I've had this year. Though two were last week, the day after 70.3 Cozumel, on the beach, before noon ;)
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ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications
As a result, I can pretty much count on one hand the number of drinks I've had this year. Though two were last week, the day after 70.3 Cozumel, on the beach, before noon ;)
CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
I try to tell a difference, but if I have 0, 1, or 2 drinks - No difference to me the next morning. With 2 beers I am a little dehydrated the next morning, so I would wait maybe an extra hour before I run... but meh.
On the other hand, there was a time where I drank 0 for 6 months during training, and 1 beer would make me sick. But being as beer is the 4th sport of triathlon, I worked my tolerance back up, and am fine with a little bit now. It would help me race weight a little to not drink, not sure anything else. 1 beer does not liver failure make.
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
I have had the exact same experience. When I am training I cannot really tolerate alcohol at all. Sorry I have no words of wisdom :)
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [ironspice]
[ In reply to ]
I thought I was just being a p*ssy!
In college in a fraternity and I could easily kill a bottle of whiskey and a case of beer during some day drinking/football game days then wake up the next morning at 7 am and feel fit as a fiddle.
I am 26 now and have been training quite a lot the last 2 years and if I drink 2 or 3 drinks over the course of a night out - I wake up with a HUGE headache and feel like shit.
I have no desire to drink. I have not had a desire to drink in 2+ years. Granted - I have sucked it up and gone out a few times but I have certainly regretted every bit of it the next few days.
I just want water and for some reason orange juice now. That is all.
In college in a fraternity and I could easily kill a bottle of whiskey and a case of beer during some day drinking/football game days then wake up the next morning at 7 am and feel fit as a fiddle.
I am 26 now and have been training quite a lot the last 2 years and if I drink 2 or 3 drinks over the course of a night out - I wake up with a HUGE headache and feel like shit.
I have no desire to drink. I have not had a desire to drink in 2+ years. Granted - I have sucked it up and gone out a few times but I have certainly regretted every bit of it the next few days.
I just want water and for some reason orange juice now. That is all.
Re: training even modestly makes me averse to alcohol [niccolo]
[ In reply to ]
I get the same way when I train hard. These days I have A beer and thats it, just water after. I somewhat attribute it to how much water I have in my body, when I train hard I will drop 5-7 pounds, down below 148 which I think it pretty lean for 5'11".
I also love whiskey, but I certainly have to stay away from that during race season.
I also love whiskey, but I certainly have to stay away from that during race season.
I'm the camp where heavy training reduces my desire for alcohol. My wife and I usually have a glass or two of wine with dinner, but that's about all I have the desire for anymore.
I've always tried to avoid alcohol whenever I'm thirsty or dehydrated. The exception might be a cold beer on a hot day, but that's not very often.
Another incentive for me is that avoiding excessive alcohol (and other sugar intake) has helped me to control my triglyceride levels without having to go on meds.
Mark
I've always tried to avoid alcohol whenever I'm thirsty or dehydrated. The exception might be a cold beer on a hot day, but that's not very often.
Another incentive for me is that avoiding excessive alcohol (and other sugar intake) has helped me to control my triglyceride levels without having to go on meds.
Mark