Oh, Really? Study Concludes Alcohol Hinders Athletic Performance
Hey, has anyone out there drank alcohol before? Ha. Of course you have. (Apologies to our Mormon, Inuit and Amish readers.) Have you noticed that if you drink and drink a fair amount, that the morning after you may feel a bit dehydrated, a bit out of sorts? Yes, of course you have. It’s sort of like knowing the world is round or that you can save 15 percent on your car insurance by switching to Geico.
But, a professor in New Zealand took some time out of his schedule recently to study the affects of alcohol on athletes after a “strenuous training session,” and the results will not shock you. At all.
In tests sportsmen underwent a strenuous training session, followed by vodka and orange drinks – equivalent to about three pints of beer.
Their strength was measured after 36 and 60 hours and compared with those who were given just fruit juice. Those who drank alcohol showed a marked loss in recovery.
Study author Matt Barnes, of Massey University, New Zealand, said: “If you drink moderate levels of alcohol after you use your muscles strenuously you are impairing your ability to recover.”
[ ... ]
Steve Stannard, co-director of Sport and Exercise Science at Massey, said there had been little research into the effects of alcohol on recovery times despite the long-standing association between sports and drinking in New Zealand.
“Rugby is the most obvious. They go after training or the match to the pub or club to socialise or celebrate. In fact some coaches encourage that - I’ve even been told by a high profile coach that `the spirit of the team is at the bottom of the bottle’.”
OK, fine. If there hasn’t been much research into the obvious, than I guess this study was somewhat warranted. You know, it’s like if you don’t have an umbrella and you get wet when it rains, but no one has ever officially documented this phenomenon. So congratulation, Mr. Professor.
But, you know what? I think I’m reversing my stance here on the silliness of this study. It appears that in New Zealand, particularly among Rugby teams, that drinking is highly encouraged post-game, and they could care less about the effects of the alcohol dehydrating them further. Nor do they even seem to realize this drinking could hinder them. This is fantastic; it’s crazy, backwards logic.
I think I’m moving to New Zealand tomorrow.
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I must say you and all to visit once following blog:
http://alcoholrehabblog.blogspot.com/
Great alcohol rehab Blog.
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Bob, alcohol rehab counselor
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Aside from this, there's also a possibility of severe permenant health afflictions, that can hit a person, without any warning. You don't need to be drunk nor drink excessively either. Just a ongoing moderate drinker could/can be easily hit. Everything from Grand-Mal Seizures, near complete deafness and/or blindness, rotted liver & good old heart attacks, all of which there are no known cures.
Gee, and all because of the almighty drink !
Keep up the good work Ryan !!
My prayers are that this will be read by many !!!
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