Understanding The Effects That Alcohol Can Have on Athletic Performance
Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the world. Most individuals have tried abusing alcohol to relieve tension before a big game, dull the pain of an injury, or rejoice in the aftermath of a win. However, alcohol has a detrimental impact on one’s athletic performance and increases the likelihood of making mistakes during the game. In this blog, we shall look into the effects of alcohol on athletic performance and the risks associated with alcohol abuse.
Athletes should avoid abusing alcohol since they rely on their bodies and physical stamina. Given that alcohol alters motor abilities and recovery after training, its impact on athletic performance is dramatic. However, alcohol affects people differently. Different types of alcoholic drinks have different effects on different people.
Effects of Alcohol on The Human Body
There is a long list of negative physiological and psychological impacts of alcohol abuse. Both short-term and long-term alcohol abuse pose significant threats. The ethanol in alcohol is quickly absorbed from the intestines and blood to the brain when one drinks. The effects of alcohol abuse on the human body include:
- Reduced reflexes. Rising blood alcohol content delays the brain’s chemical messengers.
- Poor decision-making.
- Poor motor control.
- Lack of balance.
Effects of Alcohol on Athletic Performance
Just thinking about the long-term effects of alcohol abuse is enough to make you want to quit the habit. One may think that the calories in alcoholic drinks can give energy for physical exercise. However, the truth is that your body cannot convert them into energy, and they instead turn into fatty acids and fat tissues. While the effects of alcohol on athletic performance vary from person to person, the following are other examples of these effects.
- Depression of the central nervous system
- Derailing of muscle development
- Reducing endurance
- Reduction of testosterone levels, meaning you’ll lose muscle mass and have a harder time recovering from workouts.
- Alcohol abuse also reduces your overall immune system, increasing your chance of being ill and losing out on the season’s best moments; causes vitamin and mineral shortages by inhibiting their absorption; affects thermoregulation (overheating, for example) hence reducing your ability to adapt into your surroundings.
Although these theoretical and medical concepts may be beyond your understanding in your day-to-day athletic life, let’s return to basics to conclude how alcohol impairs performance.
Picture yourself playing baseball while drunk and constantly missing the ball because you can’t judge the distance between yourself and it. As a result, you won’t be able to make crucial split-second decisions on the pitch or inside the ring. The repercussions of this will be quite negative for both you and your team.
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