Can alcohol affect sports performance and fitness levels?

Whether you enjoy casual exercise, are in the gym every day, or compete in regular matches or events, it’s good to understand the effects alcohol can have on sports performance and fitness.

Effects of alcohol on sport performance

Alcohol is detrimental to sports performance because of how it affects the body physically during exercise and its adverse effects on the brain's functions - including judgment - that will impair sports performance.

Exercise makes us sweat as our body temperature rises. So, combined, sweating and the diuretic effect of alcohol make dehydration much more likely.^2,3

We need to be hydrated when we exercise to maintain normal flow of blood through our bodies, which is essential for oxygen and nutrients to reach our muscles and all the body's organs.

Alcohol is also a diuretic and drinking can lead to dehydration because the alcohol reduces the amount of urine our kidneys absorb.¹

Alcohol interferes with the body's metabolism. Alcohol consumption causes an increase in insulin secretion, which leads to low blood sugar (otherwise known as hypoglycaemia). Exercise requires normal levels of sugar in the blood to give us energy. So, after alcohol, blood sugar levels will fall, and our sports performance won't be as good as usual.⁴

Alcohol compromises our motor skills, balance, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time, which negatively affect our performance and increases the risk of injury.⁵

It is important that we drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, to replace water lost through physical activity and, if we drink any alcohol after exercise, drinking additional water is essential to prevent dehydration.

Exercising the day after drinking

A hangover will affect your exercise performance. Even mild hangover symptoms, such as a headache and hypersensitivity to outside stimuli, such as light and sound,⁶ can have an impact on our ability to perform at our best.⁷

And because alcohol interferes with sleep, exercising the day after drinking alcohol can lead to an all-round lower quality training session or sporting performance.⁸

Drinking also increases the risk of abnormal, sometimes dangerous heart rhythms. This is a risk which significantly increases during exercise up to two days after heavy alcohol consumption.⁹

To get the most from your exercise session and avoid risks to your health and performance, it’s best to pass on alcohol for at least one day and night before.

How to avoid your drinking triggers

Alcohol and weight gain

Alcoholic drinks contain lots of calories. So it's worth remembering that alcohol contributes to weight gain, and the simplest way to avoid weight gain due to alcohol is to cut down on alcohol consumption, and definitely not to rely on 'burning off' excess calories from alcohol through exercise.

How many calories are in your drink?

Cutting back

The UK Chief Medical Officers advise it is safest not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week on a regular basis. And if you do drink this much, spread it evenly over three or more days, with at least three drink-free days every week.

Regularly drinking more than the low risk drinking guidelines will put your health at risk. By cutting down how much you drink you’re likely to see a range of positive effects and better sports performance could be one of them.

A great way to cut down is by keeping track of how much you drink using our Drinkaware app.