The question of whether drinking alcohol affects running performance really depends on when the alcohol is consumed and how much. Many runners who are in serious training program for a big race will swear off alcohol until the race is over. But moderate alcohol consumption may not have the huge effect on performance that many runners assume.
It goes without saying that alcohol should be avoiding on the day before and day of a big race. There is no way that drinking a substance known to negatively affect motor skills will help you run fast when it is time to race. However, in the weeks before a big race, drinking a beer or two is not detrimental to training so long as the runner adheres to a few pointers:
- Don’t overdue it. Drinking too much can lead to a hangover the next day, which can make it very difficult to train to the best of your ability
- Drink water. Alcohol is a diuretic and will dehydrate your body quickly. Therefore, it is very important to drink plenty of water either with or after your glass of beer or wine. Dehydration is one of the real enemies to effective training.
- Get sleep. Drinking alcohol can sometimes coincide with a late night out on the town. Anything that prevents you from getting a full eight hours of sleep a night is a threat to your training as it can lead to injuries. If you decide to drink, make sure that you don’t stay out too late
- Be smart. Perhaps the biggest danger caused by drinking while following a training program is not the alcohol itself, but what the alcohol can make you do. There are many stories of people doing stupid things when they have had one drink too many and injure themselves. Alcohol lowers a person’s inhibitions and reasoning skills, which makes it more likely that a runner will put him or her self in a risky situation that could destroy months of hard training. And, of course, DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.
Therefore, while serious runners may decide to swear off all alcohol in favor of their training program, this really isn’t a mandatory requirement in order to run fast. So long as any drinking is done in moderation and intelligently, there is no reason while a runner in a training program can’t indulge in a cold one now and then.
