How much alchol is too much alchol?

Struang · March 2016

So we all (mostly) like a drink now and then, so as I stand propping up my local bar, I find my self wondering

How much is to much?
When does drinking and training nulify each other?
When should we concede we've been drinking too much and fatally undermined our training efforts?

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Struang · March 2016

Ok well I've clearly answered my first question given my inability to spell alcohol or figure out how to edit a subject line!

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KenElPescadoPelado · March 2016

I sort of wish you had asked this before our team camp a few weeks ago. Or, maybe I wish you hadn't asked it ever... Either way, I wonder if @Adrienne Taren has tested this on some hamsters...or humans?

A_drizzle · March 2016

I'm not sure hamsters have a high enough alcohol tolerance for this experiment.

There was interesting research (mostly small exercise studies & only acute effects) on humans a few years back, but haven't looked for more recent stuff in a while...what I mostly remember is that there were significant gender differences in running performance - women affected less than men. If I had to speculate, would say the biggest effect would be on recovery. Future article topic?

But my mix of semi-serious, semi-snarky, semi-speculative answers to @Struang's questions:
1. When you're in anion gap metabolic acidosis.
2. Training should be producing chronic positive adaptations. So I think the tipping point would be when you hit the level of drinking where you're producing more than acute effects on your physiology.
3. When you sell your bike for beer money.

Aaron Webstey · March 2016

Future article please @Adrienne Taren !

KenElPescadoPelado · March 2016

Thanks @Adrienne Taren!

Did a little experiment on myself in Feb, took the month off from drinking. Felt better rested, that was pretty much it. No weight loss. So, I went back to my regularly-scheduled program. Which, at camp, included a cold Heineken during our brick break. Because beer mile is always a thing.

Robert Rankin · March 2016

I've done that same experiment @KenElPescadoPelado. Obviously everyone is different, and consumes different amounts, but I did lose weight. Then drank again and gained it back. Maybe a month wasn't enough time to tell?

FWIW I drank all through marathon season and had my fastest times.

Andrew Miller · March 2016

Seems to me that booze is like a hard workout, you can recover from it with adequate rest.

Ben_jammin · March 2016

great topic.
my inputs:
structure your (drinking) plan so that your long drinking day is the same day as your long training day (but afterward), and that your rest day is after that.
long training day --> party night --> rest day.
repeat as tolerable.
also experiment with phasing beer into trainer workouts 5, 10, 15 minutes from the end (during cooldown).
conclusions: WTF do i know...

ellsworth53t · March 2016

Adrienne Taren said:

3. When you sell your bike for beer money.

I think it speaks volumes about this team that @Adrienne Taren ,"the smart one", says you're drinking too much only after you've sold your bike for booze.

Martin · March 2016

I vote against any study on this topic whatsoever. I don't want to know.

Tad_M · March 2016

I can't wait until the moment when @Adrienne Taren slaps a beer out of the hands of one of us knuckleheads at a post race celebration and says....

"What are you doing fool, you're clearly in anion gap metabolic acidosis"

That's going to be the coolest, funniest thing ever to watch the reactions of those poor souls who don't follow this forum. I'm going to be the first one to get up off my lazy ass and get Adrienne a fresh cold beer!