UC
San Diego Athletic Performance Nutrition Bulletin
Alcohol and Athletic
Performance
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It has been estimated that the average American college student drinks
more than 34 gallons of alcohol every year.
Alcohol may provide as much as 20 percent of calories in the diet of
some drinkers. On the surface, alcohol
consumption seems harmless and a normal part of the college experience.
However, research overwhelmingly suggests that alcohol use and athleticism do
not go hand in hand. Although it may not be realistic to eliminate the use of
alcohol altogether, intensive efforts should be made in this direction because
of the detrimental side effects listed below.
Alcohol
is a powerful diuretic that can cause severe dehydration and staggering
electrolyte imbalances. Severe dehydration can require several days to a week
for full recovery. While dehydrated, an athlete is at greater risk for
musculoskeletal injuries including: cramps, muscle pulls, and muscle strains.
Also, dehydration can lead to severe brain impairment and even death when
coupled with extreme temperatures and intense practices (most notable during
two-a-days). Dehydration leads to decreased appetite and muscle wasting (you
lose muscle mass). A loss of muscle mass results in a decrease in strength and
performance. Decreased food consumption associated with appetite loss will
result in fatigue and over training, which may further heighten injury risk.
Alcohol,
when consumed in amounts typical with binge drinkers (most common among college
athletes), can dramatically decrease serum testosterone levels. Decreases in
testosterone are associated with decreases in aggression, lean muscle mass,
muscle recovery and overall athletic performance. This can also cause
testicular shrinkage, breast enlargement, and decreased sperm development in
males. In females, this may cause an
increase in the production of estradial, (a form of
estrogen) which may increase the risk of breast cancer.
Alcohol
will also impair reaction time and mental acuity for up to several days after
consumption. The delayed reaction time and reduced mental acuity is of severe
consequence to the athlete. Performance will be reduced and injury risk
increased. Alcohol consumption will cause a decrease in
hand-eye coordination and will impair judgment.
Alcohol also interferes with lactic acid breakdown and can result in
increased soreness after exercise.
Alcohol can also cause nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness for days after
consumption.
Alcohol
has seven calories per gram. Fat has nine calories per gram. Alcohol is stored
much like fat in the body. Also, alcohol deaminates
(destroys) amino acids and stores them as fat. Alcohol consumption, therefore,
increases fat storage and adversely effects body composition (increase % body
fat). Powerful energy pathways (like glycolysis) are
impaired and large amounts of lactic acid are produced, this
results in decreased energy, decreased muscle recovery, and increased
muscle soreness. Also, alcohol is
usually consumed in addition to the person’s normal food intake. Since alcohol has seven calories per gram
these extra calories can add up really fast increasing the persons bodyweight
and percent body fat..
From
the standpoint of bodily health, alcohol can have deleterious effects on the
body. Fatty liver, fibrosis, cirrhosis (irreversible liver damage) and gout are
common side effects of chronic binge drinking. Alcohol over stimulates cells in
the lining of the stomach that produce acid. Increases in acid production are
associated with heartburn and ulcer development. Intestinal cells fail to
absorb micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), which can lead to electrolyte
imbalances and vitamin deficiencies.
Alcohol consumption impairs the body’s mechanisms that control blood
glucose and may result in hypoglycemia.
This may cause serious injury even if it doesn’t last long because it
causes the brain and other body tissues to be deprived of glucose needed for
energy and normal function. Hypoglycemia is a common cause of low energy on the
field and in the classroom.
Alcohol
acts as a central nervous system depressant and can impair judgment leading to
injuries (both to other people and oneself). Alcohol use has been associated
with numerous homicides, suicides, fatal auto accidents, and fights resulting
in incarceration. Decreased impairment of judgment and decreased inhibition
(ability to say, “NO”) has resulted in numerous cases of date rape and other
gender related crimes.
Long-term alcohol use may lead to weakened heart muscle,
impotency, altered brain and nerve functions, elevated triglycerides, fat
deposits in the liver, abnormalities in blood-clotting, pancreatitis,
liver failure, vitamin deficiencies, skin abnormalities, and even DEATH!!!!!
As you can
see, alcohol prevents athletes from reaching their ultimate playing
potential. If one or more players on a
team were to be in this condition during the game, this can have negative
effects on the team as a whole. Every
member of the team needs to play at his best at all times in order to have a
team of champions. Don’t let alcohol
abuse be the reason you don’t play at your best!
Sleep
Alcohol has a detrimental
effect on both the quality of sleep and on daytime attention. Sleep problems
are common in alcoholics and also in some people who have completely stopped
drinking. The effects of alcohol on sleep and attention are complicated to
define and have considerable variability in individuals.
Alcohol seems to accelerate falling asleep, at
least in subjects who do not tend to fall asleep immediately. The negative
effects arise later and affect the quality and duration of sleep. Sleep is a
complex phenomenon in which there are alternating phases of deep sleep, called
paradoxical or REM sleep during which the subject dreams,
and slow wave sleep. Undisturbed progression of these two phases of sleep is
essential for an individual's well being. Alcohol disturbs or interrupts the
sequence of paradoxical sleep and light sleep. Thus alcoholics and some people
who have stopped drinking complain about disturbed and fragmented sleep,
frightening dreams and insomnia.
The disruptive effects of alcohol last well into
the night, even when alcohol has been eliminated. This is not a phenomenon
specific to alcohol, it is seen with other sedative
products. Snoring is abnormally frequent after taking alcoholic drinks in the
evening before going to bed. This is due to the relaxing effects of alcohol on
the pharyngeal muscles.
Daytime repercussions of alcohol's effects on sleep
Disturbed sleep or sleep deprivation exacerbate the
sedative effects of alcohol during the day. Alcohol consumed late in the evening
will noticeably reduce the performance of a subject (attention, dexterity,...) during the following morning. By producing an
accumulation of nights of poor sleep, alcohol can disrupt the normal sleep/wake
cycle, which is also essential for health and well being. Hence the negative
effects of alcohol can have repercussions on daytime performance.
Alcohol and attention
The sedative action of alcohol has variable degrees
of effect on attention, reducing it and producing diminished performance. This
action is particularly noticeable in subjects who lack sleep or who tend to be
lethargic. Alcohol seems to reduce the ability of an individual to waken, even
if consumed in moderate amounts, to the point where driving ability is
affected, not just in the hours after consumption, but sometimes for days
afterwards.
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Supplied by UC San Diego
Intercollegiate Athletics