Just to be clear, we love an alcoholic drink as much as the next guy. Whether it’s during a night out with friends, or during a nice and easy dinner on Friday. However, we’ll never combine it with an activity or sports. And we’ll explain why.
Dehydration
Let's start with dehydration. We all know that alcohol can be pretty dehydrating, but did you know that it can actually be worse than not drinking anything at all? That's right, when you drink alcohol, it inhibits the production of vasopressin, a hormone that helps your body retain water. Without vasopressin, your body can't hold on to water as well, and you end up losing more fluids than you take in. Additionally, alcohol is also a diuretic, which essentially means it makes you pee more often, so you lose even more fluids. All of this can be a real problem after exercise, when your body is already in need of hydration.
Focus
Now, let's talk about focus whether you're trying to crush your Strava record or finally beat your friend who always gets the lucky shot in padel, you need to be on top of your game. Unfortunately, alcohol can really throw you off your game. When you drink, your reaction time slows down, and your ability to focus is impaired. And let's face it, when you’re cycling and trying to navigate a winding road or avoid all the potholes (especially in Belgium), you need all the focus you can get!
Recovery
As Eddy Merckx says: “Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” To be follow his advice we need to talk about recovery. After a tough workout, your body needs to recharge. That means getting enough rest, eating nutritious food, and staying hydrated. But guess who loves to mess with all of those things? You guessed it - alcohol. When you drink after exercising, it can be harder to fall asleep and your sleep won't be as deep. Plus, let's face it, after every drinks, a pack of crispy fries looks more and more appealing. But as tasty as those fries might be, they're not exactly helping your body recover. Not only that, but alcohol can also interfere with protein synthesis, which is basically the process by which your muscles rebuild themselves after a tough workout. So, if you want to be a lean, mean sports machine, it might be best to put down the drink for a bit.
Of course, we're not saying you should never drink. Everyone handles alcohol differently, plus we all like to have fun sometimes, and that can definitely involve a drink or two. So, by all means, pour yourself a nice aperitif or head out to your local bar for a night out with friends. But just remember to watch out for the alcohol right after sports.
So there you have it. The next time you're tempted to reach for a beer after your workout, remember all the stuff it does to your body. And if you still want to enjoy that refreshing beer, without any of the negative effects of alcohol, give Thrive a try. Trust us, your body will thank you!
Cheers
