Beer is considered to be isotonic and is therefore the ideal drink for many after exercise. However, beer contains alcohol. Unfortunately, this doesn’t go well with training.
After a long bike ride or a soccer match with friends, a cool blond seems to be the ideal refreshment. Beer counts as an isotonic drink. Put simply, this means that the concentration and availability of energy and salts are geared to the physical needs after sport. Sports drinks marketed as isotonic are often relatively expensive; Fitness-conscious people might as well grab a beer. Or? What to consider when it comes to alcohol and sport.
Beer or other alcohol after exercise
First sweat a round, then quench your thirst with a delicious drink. Or just drop five on cheat day and sip your favorite alcoholic drink. Even the celebrities known for their tough training schedules do that. This is where Dwayne «The Rock» Johnson sips his signature tequila.
There, dancer Julianne Hough and her mega-fit actor friend Nina Dobrev enjoy a wine from their own brand.
That’s what experts say
An isotonic beer after exercise can’t be wrong. Or? If you believe the experts, the answer is: Unfortunately, post-workout beer is anything but useful. For example, the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) does not consider it a good idea to drink beer or other alcohol after exercising. Even small amounts of alcohol after training are said to impede the regeneration of muscle tissue.1
Also interesting: What are «isotonic» drinks?
Regeneration (= recovery) after sport is very important. Athletics trainer Timo Kirchenberger explained in an interview with FITBOOK that this prevents injuries such as muscle strains. And: no real training progress without regeneration.
Alcohol deprives the muscles of the water they need
According to the BZgA experts, alcohol removes water from the body. However, water is needed to supply the muscles with nutrients and minerals. The metabolic processes necessary for muscle building only take place to a limited extent due to alcohol consumption after sport. Alcohol has to be broken down as a poison – an additional task for the body that is already required by sport.
Also interesting: That’s what it takes to abstain from alcohol for a month
What about alcohol before exercise?
Going to training drunk is not a good idea. According to the BZgA, coordination and responsiveness decrease when you are under the influence of alcohol. This increases the risk of injury.
In addition, it is already having an effect glass of beer is unfavorable to glycogen stores. Fitness expert and biochemist Dr. Tanja Ballauff on FITBOOK. Glycogen is the storage form of glucose (sugar molecules and an important source of energy for humans). On the one hand, it is stored in the muscles and, on the other hand, it is released via the liver in order to maintain the blood sugar level.