Can you drink alcohol and still maintain a high level of athletic performance?

Let’s be honest. For most Australians, we have played sports from a very young age. Many of us continue to play competitive sports throughout our lives. Obviously, most athletes have a maximum age that they reach to compete, which in men is around thirty and in women around 33.

I myself am a professional athlete. I compete in Mixed Martial Arts, one of the most physically demanding sports and, as most will agree, brutal out there. And let me tell you, there is nothing worse than trying to complete a grip or punch training session after an all night spree!

Another simple truth is that, being Australians, we are very sociable people. And we like to drink. I can’t name a single person I know at home who doesn’t indulge in having a drink on a Friday or Saturday night with their friends over a meal, myself included! But my views on alcohol and training are simple; alcohol will affect all aspects of your training. It affects your ability to recover, it affects your ability to think and coordinate your mind and body, it affects your liver and digestive system, it affects your body’s ability to metabolize fat and protein, and for those like me who are involved. In sports where weight and weight loss are very important, it can affect your ability to lose weight.

Without indulging in scientific evidence, the evidence against alcohol and athletic performance far outweighs the benefits. Research indicates that drinking a glass or two or red wine every other night can help lower blood pressure, but for those of us who are competitive athletes, a strict diet is important too, so blood pressure (unless athlete has a pre-existing condition)) should never be a problem.

For those training for professional sports, one of the best ways to learn about this topic is to listen to people and meet those with experience. So here are some quotes from people who have been training and competing as professionals.

Rob Hill (Australia) Pro MMA Fighter – “Alcohol, like everything else, can be done in moderation. However, for those who compete, regardless of any sport, it will slow down their fitness, progress and recovery. There is no nothing that can affect you as much as alcohol unless you are injured or sick, and no one wants that. Alcohol also affects your immune and nervous systems, making it difficult to recover between sessions and means you can become more prone to getting sick. for at least a couple of months before an event, and enjoy one or two as a reward after a fight or an event. “

Robert Bondy (England) Pro Boxer: “Don’t go at all. If you’re training for a fight camp, be it a 6 or 8 week camp, it doesn’t matter, no alcohol for a training camp. Most of the People grow up being able to drink and being able to drink between their camps, and that is acceptable as it is important for a person to mentally recover and spend time with their friends and family and not to be a burden. But for a boot camp There is no alcohol. It just affects too many things that can cost him a fight. “

Silviu Vulc (Romania) MMA coach, former member of the Red Devil fighting team, former Romanian boxing coach: “It is not so bad to have a glass of alcohol or a beer after training, as long as it is with lunch or dinner as it can help to relax the body after a training session. A glass of wine is the best. But before an event, for 6 weeks, no alcohol. “

Rafael ‘Negao’ Lopes (Brazil) MMA Fighter, Muay Thai Fighter, Belt and Trainer of BJJ Brown – “Man, you can’t drink. If I drink and train for a fight, I never feel like I recover. If I drink beer it’s different to vodka or liquor, beer is still bad, but I feel really bad if I drink vodka. If I fight, I don’t drink for sure! “

Boyd ‘Gypsy’ Clark (Australia) Muay Thai, Boxing – “If for some reason you had to, an alcoholic drink wouldn’t really affect training. If your fight camp were set up for six weeks, I’d like to think that I wouldn’t drink any of it. alcohol, more than one drink if absolutely necessary. More than anything, it would make it difficult for him to recover, so he could never exert himself 100% in his training sessions. “

So you have it, from active fighters and highly experienced trainers. The common opinion is that drinking alcohol while preparing for any type of competition will hinder your performance, by reducing your recovery capacity, slowing down your nervous system and reducing your ability to train to 100%, which is what every athlete want to do. the top of your sport wants!