Can you drink alcohol and still maintain a high level of athletic performance?

Let’s be honest. For most Australians, we play sports from a very young age. Many of us continue to play competitive sports throughout our lives. Obviously, most athletes have a maximum age that they reach to compete, which in men is around thirty and in women around 33.

I am a professional athlete. I compete in mixed martial arts, one of the most physically demanding sports and, as most will agree, one of the most brutal sports out there. And let me tell you, there’s nothing worse than trying to get through a grappling or striking training session after an all-night party.

Another simple truth is that being Australians, we are very social people. And we like to drink. I can’t name anyone I know at home who doesn’t treat themselves to a drink on a Friday or Saturday night with his friends over a meal, including me! But my views on alcohol and training are simple; alcohol will affect all aspects of your training. It affects your ability to recover, it affects your ability to think and coordinate your mind and body, it affects your liver and digestive system, it affects your body’s ability to metabolize fat and protein, and for those like me who are involved in sports where the weight and weight loss are very important, it can affect your ability to lose weight.

Without needing to indulge in scientific evidence, the evidence against alcohol and sports performance far outweighs the benefits. Research indicates that drinking a glass or two of red wine every other night can help lower blood pressure, but for those of us who are competitive athletes, a strict diet is also important, so blood pressure (unless athlete has a pre-existing condition) ) should never be a problem.

For those who train for professional sports, one of the best ways to learn about this topic is to listen to people and gather those with experience. Here are some quotes from people who have been training and competing as professionals.

Rob Hill (Australia) Pro MMA Fighter – “Alcohol, like everything else, can be done in moderation. However, for those who are competing, regardless of any sport, it will slow down your fitness, progress and recovery. No there is nothing that can affect you as much as alcohol unless you are injured or ill, and nobody wants that, for at least a couple of months before an event, and enjoy one or two as a reward after a fight or event.” .

Robert Bondy (England) Professional boxer: “Don’t go, whatever. If you’re training for a fight camp, whether it’s a 6 or 8 week camp, it doesn’t matter, no alcohol for a boot camp. Most of people grow up being able to drink and being able to do it in between their camps and that’s acceptable as it’s important for a person to mentally recover and spend time with their friends and family and not be a burden but for a boot camp nothing of alcohol. It just affects too many things that can cost you a fight.”

Silviu Vulc (Romania) MMA Trainer, former member of Red Devil Fighting Team, former Romanian Boxing Trainer – “It’s not bad to have a glass of alcohol or a beer after training, as long as it’s with lunch or dinner, as it can help to relax the body after a training session. A glass of wine is best. But before an event, for 6 weeks, no alcohol.”

Rafael ‘Negao’ Lopes (Brazil) MMA Fighter, Muay Thai Fighter, BJJ Brown Belt and Trainer: “Man, you can’t drink. If I drink and train for a fight, I never feel like I recover. If I drink beer, it’s unlike vodka or liquor beer is still bad but i feel really bad if i drink vodka if i fight i dont drink for sure!

Boyd ‘Gypsy’ Clark (Australia) Muay Thai, Boxing: “If for some reason you had to, one alcoholic drink wouldn’t really affect training. If your fight camp was set up for six weeks, I’d like to think I wouldn’t drink any of it. alcohol, more than one drink if absolutely necessary. More than anything, it would hinder your recovery, so you would never be able to push yourself 100% in your training sessions.”

So there you have it, from active wrestlers and very experienced trainers. The common opinion is that the consumption of alcohol while preparing for any type of competition is going to hinder your performance, reducing your ability to recover, slowing down your nervous system and reducing your ability to train 100%, which is what every athlete want to do. the top of your sport wants!