|   Beer & training. | MPH
Feb 21, 2002 11:46 AM | | I'm a one beer per day guy. I always figured that with as much as I train, and as active as I am, one per day isn't going to be detrimental in the least. I'm 52, and my body fat was recently tested to be 8%, so as happy as I am about where I stand now fitness-wise, I know there's always room for improvement.
Just this week I read two publications (MBA mag. & Endurance News by Hammer Nutrition) touting the benifits of abstaining from all alchohal while training.
Anybody seen improvements that can be attributed to abstaining? And what improvements were they? |
| well, in theory... | up_hiller
Feb 21, 2002 1:01 PM | | I can't speak from personal experience here, but the numbers do favor leaving the alcohol out of your training regimen.
1 beer = 100-175 calories depending on what kind.
30 days/month * 130 calories for an "average" beer = 3900 calories per month in the form of beer.
so if your present diet allows you to just maintain your weight with no measurable gain/loss, cutting the beer out would require your body to get 3900 calories from some other source in place of the beer to keep itself going for a month. so by not drinking beer (provided you don't replace the beer by eating an extra 130 calories/day) you force your body to get that extra energy by burning fat. 3900 calories equates to roughly 1.1 pounds of fat.
not a huge difference, but if you really wanna try it out, give it a shot for a month. personally, i'd stick with the beer and you could lose that pound by just riding for an extra five minutes a day.
happy trails! matt
oh - at 52 years and 8% body fat, what the hell are you concerned about anyway? sounds like you're doing just swell to me. :) |
| re: Beer & training. | John
Feb 21, 2002 1:26 PM | | I'm 37 and have 14% bodyfat I been battling for 5 years now and your 52 with 8% I should go Kick your A$$ |
| re: Beer & training. | WarrGuru
Feb 21, 2002 3:05 PM | | Beer is empty calories. In addition, it will dehydrate you....yes, even one beer. So if you drink one beer a day, you slightly dehydrate yourself....and add a bunch of calories without much nutritional value.
Having said that, unless you're racing, fugedaboudit.
If you're racing, drop the daily beer and have some AFTER the race. I notice the difference.
Good Luck. |
| Life without beer? | free-agent
Feb 21, 2002 3:55 PM | | Why live? You might as well give up riding in the city (inhaling carcinogens), eating ANY empty calories, etc. etc. There's always going to be things you can change to improve training, but then what fun would life be?
Maybe if you are racing at the international pro level it would make a difference.
If you are worried about dehydration from one beer, drink an extra 8 oz. of water to make up for it. |
| Guys-thanks for the advice. | MPH
Feb 21, 2002 9:39 PM | | I didn't want to put too much into the original post and make it into a "rant". But I want to tell you it wasn't about the calories, or possible dehydration. It's all about beating that guy that was always finishing 2 or 3 minutes ahead of me in every race!
I've trained pretty hard, made other changes in my diet, and shaved 3 lbs off my bike over the winter. I'm just looking for that extra edge.
And as much as I like my beer, I'm willing to give that up IF I see results that'll make it worth it to me.
The guy I ride with (and every ride with him is a race), is a recovering alchohalic, so that sort of inspires me becuase he tells me he HAD to give up drinking, or he was going to die. So I kind of figure it's an easy thing for me to do, especially since I DONT have to do it.
But anyway - thanks again for the advice. |
| exactly dude....good answer !!nm | Matrix
Feb 22, 2002 7:37 AM | | nm |
| {{Free-agent's answer}} !!!!! | Matrix
Feb 22, 2002 7:39 AM | | nm |
| Beer | Kleinadian
Feb 22, 2002 5:16 AM | | Look at things this way: Use the beer as a reward for a good workout. I call it carb loading ; ). Drink an extra glass of water after the beer. |
| re: Beer & training. | triPete
Feb 22, 2002 6:56 AM | | I have heard that the body treats alcohol as a toxin that it must remove, similar to being sick. The process of removing the alcohol therefor puts additional stress on your system similar to fighting off illness or recovering from training. The effect of only one beer, however, who knows? If it helps to relieve other stresses in your life, its probably a wash. BTW, there was a great article on the affects of alcohol in one of the triathlete mags about a year ago - maybe search some tri sites. |
| re: Beer & training. | wtm
Feb 24, 2002 12:43 PM | | I think free-agent had some good things to say. I am a college student who races bikes and also races in nordic skiing so Í've always wondered. Some guys on our team drink, some do not. I do drink beer, usually Fri and Sat nites during pre-season and post season. I usually drink within my limits and have like 3. I chug a little extra water before going to bed and have never had a problem with workouts the next day. On a few occassions I've gotten maybe a little "wasted" (for me like 6- 7 drinks), nearly throwing up, but trying to drink as much water throughout the nite as possible too. Usually on workouts the next day I'll wake up and might be able to still taste some rum in mouth or feel a little sick to my stomach and a little light-headed but usually those workouts its easier to get in a zone and they have been just as good as regular workouts. Some guys on our team go out, get trashed and have their best races the next day. Others cant and dont drink at all. It's very subjective I think. I would say try eliminating the beer for a season or so and see how it affects your training and racing. I think its so variable. I would say its not inhibiting you at all, but you might as well give it a try. Hope this helps. The only thing I might say is that if you're sick, drinking prolongs recovery time.....
-wtm |
| re: Beer & training. | Cloxxki
Feb 25, 2002 1:08 PM | | Hmm, so what I've experienced was carb-loading? :-)
I did some pretty amazing race, early morning after beer. For me, 4 is average on a night out. I feel like crap when I get the alarmclock way to soon, but when the starting gun blows, I'm doin great.
This was some years ago, I don't do it anymore. should I decide to go out before a race, I just go on water and cola all night.
My idea is that beer and racing is something for youngsters.
In my days (at 18 or so), when I ran 10km almost every night, I one decided to go for a run aftre drinking a 7% alc. bottle of beer. I was ok for about 7km, but had to walk the last 3, in pretty chilly weather.
I guess beer can work out ok, but will not be a real advantage, at least fysically. |
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