Alcohol and Recovery After Training (#51)

Party time! Or maybe not, we'll see!

In a previous article, we discussed various methods to optimize your recovery. In that article, we clearly showed that time is crucial. If you have limited time for recovery, you need to plan more, and vice versa. In Sweden, we have a certain alcohol culture in some sports; team sports are the worst, but even in running, a beer as a recovery drink is common. Beer is quite an okay recovery drink as long as it's non-alcoholic. Now we dive into the effects of alcohol on your recovery and try to figure out where that famous "okay dose" might be (if it exists).

Alcohol and recovery might not be the ideal combo if you're short on time. If you've got more than 24 hours, glycogen replenishment doesn't seem to be significantly affected, according to a study from Australia in 2003, which looked into this specific topic.

In the study, they tested a group of well-trained cyclists (VO2max ≈ 60 ml/kg body weight) who were accustomed to alcohol but classified as "light drinkers," consuming less than 20 g alcohol/day (equivalent to 1.5 glasses of wine (13%) or one 50 cl strong beer). So, they were used to alcohol, but not heavy drinkers.

During the experiment, they consumed 1.5 g alcohol/kg body weight in the form of a 6 cl shot of vodka every 30 minutes during the three hours following the cycling (a total of 6 shots with 6 cl 40% vodka each = 3.5 dl vodka).

A funny note right from the start is that there were initially 12 participants, but three dropped out due to vomiting from the alcohol, so only nine remained in the end. Do we need to mention that the study was conducted in Australia? 😉

Initially, 12 subjects were recruited for the first (24 h) trial; however, three subjects withdrew from the study because of side effects (vomiting) of excessive alcohol consumption.

The participants underwent three tests where they were given either:

1) Only food (four high-carbohydrate meals)

2) Food + alcohol

3) Only alcohol.

Below is the amount of glycogen stored in the muscles, 24 hours after the test was completed.

• Only food: 82 ± 5 mmol/kg
• Alcohol + food: 85 ± 9 mmol/kg = +3.5% compared to those who consumed only food
• Alcohol: 68 ± 5 mmol/kg = -17% compared to those who consumed only food

The control diet was composed exclusively of high glycemic index carbohydrate-rich foods. Carbohydrate intake = 7 g · kg-1· 24 h–1 divided equally into four meals (1.75 g/kg), providing approximately 77% of total energy intake.

The participants were given 7 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight, divided into four meals over the next 24 hours after the test.

The alcohol + CHO diet consisted of the 24-hour control diet + 1.5 g/kg of alcohol consumed as vodka (divided into 6 equal doses and consumed every 30 minutes during the first 3 hours of recovery). Total CHO intake = 7 g · kg–1 · 24 h–1, providing approximately 49% of total energy intake; alcohol = 18% of total energy intake.

The participants received the same 7 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight as in the control group, but the researchers added 1.5 g of alcohol per kg of body weight (six shots over three hours after the test).

The alcohol-displacement diet included 1.5 g/kg of alcohol, as in the alcohol + CHO diet. The energy equivalent of this alcohol was replaced in the control diet by removing an equal amount of CHO from each meal. Therefore, total CHO intake equaled 4.4 g · kg–1 · 24 h–1 (1.1 g · kg–1 · meal–1), supplying about 37% of total energy, with alcohol accounting for 22% of total energy intake.

Here, some of the carbohydrates were swapped for alcohol so that the total energy intake matched the control group, resulting in participants consuming fewer carbohydrates and opting for vodka instead.

The values below represent the amount of glycogen stored in the depleted muscles eight hours after completing the test. In the 24-hour study, participants consumed four standardized meals; here, the participants consumed two standardized meals (3.5 g carbohydrates/kg body weight).

• Food – 44.6 ± 6 mmol/kg
• Food + alcohol – 36.2 ± 8 mmol/kg = -19% compared to those who only consumed food
• Alcohol – 24.4 ± 7 mmol/kg = -45% compared to those who only consumed food

Those who consumed the high-carbohydrate meal post-finish had approximately 44.6 mmol/kg of glycogen in their muscles, whereas those who ate and drank had significantly less, and those who only consumed alcohol had even less.

The control diet consisted of two meals made up of high-glycemic-index, carbohydrate-rich foods, matching the first two meals in the 24-hour trial. Total carbohydrate intake = 3.5 g/kg (1.75 g · kg–1 · meal–1), with carbohydrates supplying 60% of the total energy intake.

The participants consumed 3.5 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight, spread over two meals in the eight hours following the test.

The alcohol + CHO diet included the control diet plus 1.5 g/kg of alcohol in the form of vodka (divided into 6 equal doses and consumed every 30 minutes during the first 3 hours of recovery). Total CHO intake was 1.75 g/kg/meal, accounting for approximately 41% of the total energy intake; while alcohol accounted for 31% of the total energy intake.

Participants consumed the same 3.5 g of carbohydrates/kg body weight as the control group (spread across two meals) but added 1.5 g of alcohol/kg body weight (six shots over three hours).

The alcohol-displacement diet included 1.5 g/kg of alcohol, similar to the alcohol + CHO diet. The energy equivalent of the alcohol was adjusted in the control diet by removing the same amount of CHO from each meal. Total CHO intake was 0.9 g/kg (0.45 g · kg–1 · meal–1), providing roughly 15% of total energy, while alcohol accounted for 45% of the total energy intake.

The setup here is the same as in the 24-hour study: participants received the same total energy but had significantly fewer carbohydrates, with alcohol taking its place.

As shown in the tables, it's actually possible to consume a considerable amount of alcohol and still maintain good glycogen storage compared to those who don't drink alcohol, at least after 24 hours. However, if you have only eight hours, alcohol has a significantly more negative impact.

In another study, the effect of alcohol on muscle protein synthesis was tested. This study was also conducted in Australia, where participants received either a protein shake, a protein shake + alcohol, or a carbohydrate shake + alcohol. The alcohol amount was the same as in the study above, i.e., 1.5 g of alcohol/kg body weight. In this study, they fully indulged in Screwdrivers: they drank a cocktail containing 6 cl of 40% vodka mixed in 2.4 dl of orange juice one hour after cycling and then every 30 minutes for three hours.

“The alcohol ingestion protocol (1.5 g·kg__−1__ BM; 12±2 standard drinks) began 1 h post-exercise and was consumed in 6 equal volumes of 1 part vodka (∼60 mL) to four parts orange juice (∼240 mL, 1.8 g CHO·kg__−1__ BM) during a 3 h period.”

The dosage in the study is tailored to correspond to a "celebration intake" after a sports performance in Australia. It's not surprising that the amount is roughly the same as, for example, Swedish football players (especially males) in their 20s who have just played and won a cup or an important match.

The results from the study indicated that protein synthesis was enhanced after the test in all groups. However, those who consumed only the protein shake experienced the largest increase at 109 percent. Mixing protein + alcohol decreased protein synthesis by 24 percent compared to those who only drank protein. If you took carbohydrates + alcohol alone, it was 37 percent lower compared to those who just drank a protein shake.

In summary: Training sends a strong signal for the body to build new muscles, almost regardless of what you slack off with after the session. But if you drink alcohol, the efficiency significantly decreases, with a slowing effect of up to 24 percent in muscle protein synthesis. You can definitely notice a difference over time—especially if you are in the age range of 20–30 years like the participants in these studies.

However, we want to emphasize that the amounts in these studies are quite high compared to what's typically consumed after a significant soccer tournament. Having a beer or a glass of wine after a workout, along with a meal, likely has very little effect.

On the flip side, even if there's an impact on your recovery, it's probably more negative than positive. Doses up to 0.5 g/kg body weight do not seem to significantly affect your recovery and can be considered a reasonable limit from time to time. 0.5 g/kg body weight equates to about 2–3 strong beers, a glass of wine, or around 100 ml of 40% vodka in the hours following a workout.

There has also been research on how consuming beer in the form of 2 small beers (600 ml) plus any amount of water after an hour of training in 35-degree heat affects rehydration compared to just water. The results showed that beer + water worked just as well as plain water.

Ultimately, it's entirely your choice to determine if consuming alcohol is worthwhile. If you're scheduled for a wedding or another festive occasion on a Saturday afternoon, following a fantastic long workout that morning, and you decide to enjoy a glass of red wine with your meal, it won't degrade your training effect by more than a few percent.

As an adult, it's entirely your responsibility to weigh the pros and cons of that glass of wine, using the information in this article.

If you're someone who enjoys a glass of wine and considers the social benefits of alcohol post-workout, ensure to enhance your recovery with proper nutrition. When alcohol reduces your consumption of carbohydrates and protein needed for recovery, its negative impact increases. For detailed plans, explore our article on Optimized Recovery.

We'll also soon release an article discussing the effects of alcohol on your athletic performance if consumed before training or competition.