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The effect of alcohol on athletic performance
Susan M Shirreffs1, Ronald J Maughan
1School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UK. s.shirreffs@lboro.ac.uk
Current Sports Medicine Reports
|July 11, 2006
Summary
Alcohol consumption can impact athletic performance by affecting energy, the central nervous system, and motor skills. Performance decrements vary based on alcohol dose, habituation, and exercise conditions, with effects potentially lasting hours.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Human Performance
Background:
- Alcohol (ethanol) consumption is frequently linked with sports participation.
- Ethanol possesses metabolic, cardiovascular, thermoregulatory, and neuromuscular effects relevant to exercise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the multifaceted effects of alcohol on athletic performance.
- To identify factors influencing performance impairments following alcohol intake.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on alcohol's physiological and neurological impacts.
- Analysis of how varying doses and conditions modulate performance outcomes.
Main Results:
- Strength performance is minimally affected by alcohol.
- Significant impairments in cognitive function, motor skills, and behavior occur at higher doses.
- Performance decrements are contingent upon alcohol dosage, individual habituation, exercise duration, and environmental factors.
Conclusions:
- Alcohol consumption can negatively affect exercise performance, particularly cognitive and motor aspects.
- The extent of impairment is dose-dependent and influenced by various individual and environmental factors.
- Adverse effects on performance may persist for several hours post-intoxication.