Did you know that a beer after work can prolong your life?
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If you regularly play competitive sports or you have a specific fitness goal in mind – like an upcoming marathon or even a cycling holiday – it’s worth weighing up the pros and cons of drinking alcohol around your physical activities. While the occasional beer isn’t a disaster, regular alcohol consumption could really set you back if it causes hangover-induced sluggishness or even weight gain. Believe it or not, there are many non-alcoholic drinks that can mark the end of the day. It can be something simple like sparkling water or even just soda.
There are a few other things to be mindful of in terms of your consumption of alcohol and its effects on your exercise performance. It probably comes as no surprise that the amount of alcohol you consume after a workout plays a significant role in how much that post-workout drink will affect your body and impede your gains. There’s also some evidence to suggest that drinking after work drinking alcohol immediately after endurance exercise can impair glycogen resynthesis. L., who asked that I not use her last name and whose first name is too unique to be anonymous, barely drank in college. Our session beers, brewed below 2.8% ABV, are both refreshing and hydrating, which crucially means you can drink it without feeling hungover the next day.
Find Alternatives to Alcohol
For the best results — especially when it comes to muscle growth — avoid alcohol and refuel with plenty of protein and carbs. In other words, you think you slept, but it’s more likely you woke up repeatedly throughout the night without knowing it. This pattern leaves you tired and sluggish, which increases your odds of craving carbs and caffeine for an energy boost and decreases your odds of wanting to exercise or move. Eventually, you drift into an interrupted sleep, and here we go round the mulberry bush. Other alcohol experts agree regular, moderate drinking is probably safe.
- For some people, hangover-induced anxiety can be as taxing emotionally as some of the physical symptoms of a hangover.
- Drinking after work is not the best way to relieve stress after a stressful workday.
- UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Employees who force themselves to smile and be happy in front of customers — or who try to hide feelings of annoyance — may be at risk for heavier drinking after work, according to researchers.
- If someone is retiring or leaving the workplace, a “sobetsukai” (送別会（そうべつかい）) will be held.
- With all of that being constant, your best bet is to take a look at the ritual—or tool—you’re using to mark that daily transition and blow off steam.
Nowadays, nomikai are held anytime and anywhere, including online or at someone’s home. A typical nomikai venue, however, is an izakaya (Japanese-style pub). In Japanese, “nomu” (飲（の）む) means “to drink.” Drinking parties and gatherings where alcohol is consumed are known broadly as “nomikai” (飲（の）み会（かい）).
Drinking After Work: The Problem With Stress Drinking
Another study—this one from New Zealand—concluded that an adult beverage could also limit you muscles’ ability to take up and utilize glucose. Since your muscles rely on glucose for energy, your performance on endurance-related tasks would almost certainly take a hit, the study suggests. You’d also likely burn fewer calories during exercise and between gym visits.
- Plus, studies also show that alcohol may decrease levels of human growth hormone (HGH), which helps the body build muscle.
- Another option is to get a bit mischievous and dabble in CBD sparkling waters that are free of psychoactive ingredients or indulge in a wide variety of sophisticated non-alcoholic liquors like alternative whiskey, rum or gin.
- “It definitely affected my work performance, I was hungover all the time.
- If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your physician or dial 911.
She also says it’s important to take a day or two off from drinking each week—a habit linked to improved brain health and a lower risk for liver cirrhosis—and to avoid binge drinking. “Following these patterns will have the biggest benefits for your health in the short and long term,” she says. One recent study—like others before it—linked moderate drinking to a lower risk for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. There are several stages to overcoming alcoholism and alcohol abuse.
The downsides of drinking beer after a workout
Finally, although having a couple of drinks occasionally after a workout is probably not going to have a significant impact on your fitness improvements, try not to make it an everyday habit. If you are going to drink alcohol after working out, make sure you are just adding it to your post-workout fueling rather than using it as a substitute for something more nutritious. As mentioned, alcohol is very dehydrating, so a good rule of thumb is to pair each alcoholic drink with 8 to 12 ounces of water to offset the diuretic effects of the alcohol.
From today I won’t feel guilty for having a beer after work anymore. In this way, you can enjoy your favorite drink without regrets because you already know that it has a lot of benefits for you. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.