alchohol - how it effects your fitness level
- Thread starter spudgun
- Start date
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I wasn't arguing
In the sense of making an argument, not of having a row...
Okay matey - that's cool
Would you care to expand on that please? When does the body want alcohol? And I'm not meaning addiction.
I'm talking about desire.
threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
I was reading an interview with Henry Blofeld (Blowers) on the weekend, he said 'I drink 2 bottles of red wine every day and have done most of my life and I'm 72'. Top man, don't know if he's much of a cyclist though 
ttcycle
Cycling Excusiast
Fundamentally, when you cut down or cut out alcohol, it will give you a bench mark to measure your own fitness from. As we're all individuals in what we cycle for and our fitness levels etc then we can only talk from a certain viewpoint.
I used to drink a fair amount, I found when I was training a few years ago that I became quite sensitive to alcohol, I'd have one drink and it would make my mood nosedive, affected my sleep and generally I felt a bit more sluggish on the bike. I also found that I really disliked junk food, carbonated drinks with loads of sugar and chips as they had the same effect on making me more sluggish. I haven't been much of a drinker since then, I will very occasionally have a drink but don't feel the need to much.
The thing is when you're training for a sport, your life can sometimes become just about training and getting optimal results. You eat loads of the right things, sleep well and work towards that goal. There's a slight obsession/dedication there.
Enjoy it whether you choose to drink or not!
I used to drink a fair amount, I found when I was training a few years ago that I became quite sensitive to alcohol, I'd have one drink and it would make my mood nosedive, affected my sleep and generally I felt a bit more sluggish on the bike. I also found that I really disliked junk food, carbonated drinks with loads of sugar and chips as they had the same effect on making me more sluggish. I haven't been much of a drinker since then, I will very occasionally have a drink but don't feel the need to much.
The thing is when you're training for a sport, your life can sometimes become just about training and getting optimal results. You eat loads of the right things, sleep well and work towards that goal. There's a slight obsession/dedication there.
Enjoy it whether you choose to drink or not!
Depends how big your glass of wine is, I have seen some glasses that easily take half a bottle of wine or vodka
.The problem with the weekly average is most people consume their weekly average on Friday and/or Saturday night. Drinking more than 4 units in one session would make you a binge drinker, a can of special brew is 4.5 units.
Personally not buying alcohol during the summer makes it easier to justify buying more bike gear with my better half
.I think the key benefits to reducing alcohol intake are the improved quality of sleep and also the effect booze has on your hydration levels. In winter a quite like the odd night with a few pints but in summer when the cycling is much more serious I really cut down, although a glass of wine/ a beer the night before makes little difference. It's just stopping there that can be difficult. With training rides on a Sunday morning through the winter and races on Sundays in summer I find I hardly touch a drop on Saturday night these days. And as I get older I have to be careful on firday night too - those hangovers seem to drag on forever these days!
I've always had a fairly high tolerance to alcohol and drank a lot. As I got older I tended to still drink quite a lot at a time, but do it much less frequently - maybe one blowout every 2 months. Over the last year I've lost a lot of weight, started cycling seriously, and I'm probably fitter than I've ever been.
I've been really surprised how much alcohol affects me now as a result, and the effects really feel quite unpleasant. I get drunk faster, recover slower, and notice the impact on my body more than ever. I notice all sorts of effects, including a resting heart rate that goes up about 5 beats the next day and a training session feels rubbish. It has reached a point that I tend to avoid it altogether or if I do go out I will alternate an alcoholic drink and a soft drink to reduce my intake. I'm also one of the first people to want to go home, where before I was almost always the last, so I guess I'm pretty much opting out of drinking.
There has been a huge increase in drinking in this country over the last 40-50 years and it is really taking its toll in health terms. Cirrhosis, mental health problems and alcohol related cancers are all increasing, as are days lost to sickness, family breakdowns, alcohol related violence, financial problems etc. All-in-all it's not a pretty picture, but many people don't want to hear it.
I've been really surprised how much alcohol affects me now as a result, and the effects really feel quite unpleasant. I get drunk faster, recover slower, and notice the impact on my body more than ever. I notice all sorts of effects, including a resting heart rate that goes up about 5 beats the next day and a training session feels rubbish. It has reached a point that I tend to avoid it altogether or if I do go out I will alternate an alcoholic drink and a soft drink to reduce my intake. I'm also one of the first people to want to go home, where before I was almost always the last, so I guess I'm pretty much opting out of drinking.
There has been a huge increase in drinking in this country over the last 40-50 years and it is really taking its toll in health terms. Cirrhosis, mental health problems and alcohol related cancers are all increasing, as are days lost to sickness, family breakdowns, alcohol related violence, financial problems etc. All-in-all it's not a pretty picture, but many people don't want to hear it.
Banjo
Fuelled with Jelly Babies
- Location
- South Wales
A quick 35 miler tonight lkeft me a bit wired so winding down with a bottle of Merlot at the moment. Probably wont drink it all but might if the mood takes me.
Almost anything drunk smoked or eaten to excess is unhealthy.The facts and stattistics are widely known/available.
Each adult needs to make their own compromises in life. This really is lovely Merlot by the way .
Almost anything drunk smoked or eaten to excess is unhealthy.The facts and stattistics are widely known/available.
Each adult needs to make their own compromises in life. This really is lovely Merlot by the way .
Holy Warrior
Active Member
- Location
- West Yorkshire
Wierdly these past three weeks where i've dusted down my bike again has seen me completely abstain. As a student this is quite an achievement! It's not because I think that I should if i want to be healthier, I just don't feel like having one. Whether that is down to being more active and feeling healthier, and my body knows that if I drink i'll feel crappy again I don't know. The body is a powerful tool with a mind of its own, listen to it
There is no such thing as a safe level of alcohol consumption, says Prof David Nutt in The Guardian
I liked that article, as I like people to make informed decisions. Know thine enemy sort of thing. Nobody is saying don't do it, more know what you do and the consequences of it.
I shall not be stopping my occasional single malt but I'm under no illusions as to the damage that alcohol could do.
Rather surprised by some of the comments in reply to the article though. I thought there'd be a better level of understanding and engagement with the article than some there demonstrated. It's me that's the fool, believing some kind of pre-conceived notion of Guardian readers!
I liked that article, as I like people to make informed decisions. Know thine enemy sort of thing. Nobody is saying don't do it, more know what you do and the consequences of it.
I shall not be stopping my occasional single malt but I'm under no illusions as to the damage that alcohol could do.
Rather surprised by some of the comments in reply to the article though. I thought there'd be a better level of understanding and engagement with the article than some there demonstrated. It's me that's the fool, believing some kind of pre-conceived notion of Guardian readers!
I'm sure there's no such thing as a "safe level" of urban nanoparticles either, but that's not going to stop me cycling in traffic. When you do the risk/reward assessment there are other things than just "increased length of life" to account for under the second heading.
