Carbohydrate Replacement Therapy (CRT): The Adult Beverage and the Multisport Athlete
By Nathan Kark, CPT, USAT Level 1
Co-founder/Coach, T4 Endurance
What adult beverages are actually beneficial for endurance athletes? Research shows that in moderation, certain beverages do actually carry some health benefits (as long as you stay hydrated).
Enjoying your favorite cocktail at the end ...of the day can be a way to relax and help strike some life/training balance. While cooking a healthy recovery meal, drinking your favorite IPA, or other beverage, can be a great way to reward yourself and put a stamp of finality upon your days accomplishments. Having an adult beverage in the evening or before bed might even promote recovery by helping you fall asleep faster. Still, having your favorite beverage is not a total package when it comes to recovery (sorry).
There are definitely drinks and snacks better suited to promoting recovery. However, when you consider that the primary goals of recovery are to replace fluids, restore glycogen and assist in muscle repair, beer doesnt stack up too badly either. While alcohol can be dehydrating due to its diuretic effects, the truth is that a drink will not dehydrate you if it provides more fluids than the rate of diuresis. So for beer, particularly light beer, you are actually drinking more fluids than you will expel. This is not necessarily the case for wine or higher alcohol content beer; however, wine and dark beer still offer great benefits by packing a high level of antioxidants (just drink water on the side). The carbohydrate content of beer and wine also helps to replace depleted glycogen stores. The main drawback however, is the lack of protein in adult beverages to promote tissue repair after a hard workout. Where one or two finish-line beverages are just fine, over-indulgence will hinder recoveryby making you less likely to follow good recovery practices (stretching, eating well, getting a massage).
What about drinking the night before a big race? If enjoying a drink the night before your race will help you relax and get to sleep, go for it. Youll be in good company as a great deal of professional triathletes report taking advantage of this practice.
Remember, alcohol is relatively high in calories (7 calories per gram in pure alcohol). For the athlete looking to trim body fat, cutting out alcohol is perhaps the easiest way to achieve desired results on the scale. However, for the triathlete who trains well and eats well most of the time, the occasional glass wont detrimentally affect body weight.
Formal recommendations for consumption are one drink per day for women and two for men, but its important to remember that everyone metabolizes and tolerates alcohol differently.
Cheers!
Co-founder/Coach, T4 Endurance
What adult beverages are actually beneficial for endurance athletes? Research shows that in moderation, certain beverages do actually carry some health benefits (as long as you stay hydrated).
Enjoying your favorite cocktail at the end ...of the day can be a way to relax and help strike some life/training balance. While cooking a healthy recovery meal, drinking your favorite IPA, or other beverage, can be a great way to reward yourself and put a stamp of finality upon your days accomplishments. Having an adult beverage in the evening or before bed might even promote recovery by helping you fall asleep faster. Still, having your favorite beverage is not a total package when it comes to recovery (sorry).
There are definitely drinks and snacks better suited to promoting recovery. However, when you consider that the primary goals of recovery are to replace fluids, restore glycogen and assist in muscle repair, beer doesnt stack up too badly either. While alcohol can be dehydrating due to its diuretic effects, the truth is that a drink will not dehydrate you if it provides more fluids than the rate of diuresis. So for beer, particularly light beer, you are actually drinking more fluids than you will expel. This is not necessarily the case for wine or higher alcohol content beer; however, wine and dark beer still offer great benefits by packing a high level of antioxidants (just drink water on the side). The carbohydrate content of beer and wine also helps to replace depleted glycogen stores. The main drawback however, is the lack of protein in adult beverages to promote tissue repair after a hard workout. Where one or two finish-line beverages are just fine, over-indulgence will hinder recoveryby making you less likely to follow good recovery practices (stretching, eating well, getting a massage).
What about drinking the night before a big race? If enjoying a drink the night before your race will help you relax and get to sleep, go for it. Youll be in good company as a great deal of professional triathletes report taking advantage of this practice.
Remember, alcohol is relatively high in calories (7 calories per gram in pure alcohol). For the athlete looking to trim body fat, cutting out alcohol is perhaps the easiest way to achieve desired results on the scale. However, for the triathlete who trains well and eats well most of the time, the occasional glass wont detrimentally affect body weight.
Formal recommendations for consumption are one drink per day for women and two for men, but its important to remember that everyone metabolizes and tolerates alcohol differently.
Cheers!