We Love CrossFit. Our love for the sport of fitness is intense and sometimes immeasurable. We developed an insane attitude for fitness and “going hard” in workouts has become a way of life. Sometimes, that intense mindset doesn’t stay in the gym when we leave. We apply it to all aspects of our lives, which is very beneficial! For the most part…
Since CrossFit is a form of social fitness, we can easily translate the social atmosphere in the box to another great past time of the CrossFitter – Partying. Now, I’m not just referring to spring break style drinking binges. I’m talking about eating foods that may deplete your performance and consuming alcohol on a consistent basis. Many people believe that anything in moderation is okay and I also recommend that people not restrict themselves from the things they enjoy in life. However, over indulgence can reduce and even retard your physical growth and performance. Alcohol, in particular, has a sneaky way of robbing you of gains.
I am not a registered dietitian (I actually had a difficult time trying to spell it), I am not anti-drinking and I am definitely not the resident expert on what alcohol does to your body, so I wont go into detail about the physiological effects of consuming adult beverages. What I will elaborate on is what I’ve learned over years in the gym, in the classroom and at the bar.
First off, alcohol is not all bad. Actually, when consumed in moderation, it can make you feel good. The stress of our daily lives can sometimes be tamed by a glass of wine or a cold beer near the beach. If it helps you unwind, I call it a win. Once again, in moderation! When drinking, make an attempt to consume the fewest amount of carbs and calories, but still gain the relaxing effect.
If you choose to drink, consider this:
– Red wines, Whiskey, Brandy, Scotch, Cognac, and Vodka on the rocks is not so bad, but once again, in moderation.
– White wine and light beer is not as good as the drinks above because most people drink more of the light beer to reach the synergistic effects, but also get all the carbs that come along with it.
– Regular beer or any of the earlier liquors mixed with a juice, cola or even Red Bull is not good at all. These contain loads of sugar and carbs. The caffeine in some drinks adds to the alcohol, both of which are diuretics, which can increase your dehydration.
Once again, we are CrossFitters, so we party hard and train harder. We can try to plan for that bachelor party or New Years gig by taking a few steps.
- Eat before you drink! Get some grub in your system!
- Don’t mix and match. Pick your poison and stick with it.
- Alternate your alcohol with water.
- Stop drinking an hour before sleep and drink loads of water!
What do you do now that you’ve consumed beyond moderation? Recover.
- Take some Ibuprofen if you’re comfortable with it.
- Sleep and relax.
- Take a long, hot shower.
- Drink plenty of fluid to rehydrate.
- Use mom’s hangover remedy.
As I stated earlier, I’m not the drinking and recovery expert so don’t expect life-changing knowledge in this blog. However, you need to be aware of how you could be stifling your performance by drinking and overindulging.
You cannot expect to make gains Monday if you spent the weekend inebriated and tanked up on bad food and alcohol. No amount of supplements, pre-workout or burpees will get you on track right away. Matter of fact, you’ll probably spend 2-3 work out sessions to get back to the performance level you were in prior to your drinking event. Just be smart about what you’re doing outside the box that will impact your performance inside the box.
With all this talk about drinking, I’m stressed. First round on me…
Oh and don’t forget- “Your Abilities Are Limitless”