Acute effects of binge drinking following aerobic exercise on autonomic and hemodynamic recovery in young men: a randomized crossover trial

Impaired autonomic and hemodynamic recovery after acute aerobic exercise is linked to greater susceptibility to sudden cardiovascular events. Binge drinking can increase cardiovascular risk, partly through elevations in heart rate, blood pressure, and sympathetic activity, yet alcohol is commonly consumed after exercise. We tested whether binge drinking after acute aerobic exercise delays autonomic and hemodynamic recovery in young men.

In a randomized crossover design, 14 young men (mean age 25 years; body mass index 25.1 kg/m²) completed a 30-min treadmill run at 55-60% of heart rate reserve, followed immediately by water (360 mL) or alcohol (soju; 360 mL containing 60 g ethanol). Autonomic function was assessed using heart rate variability (HRV); hemodynamics included heart rate, brachial blood pressure, and rate-pressure product (RPP). Measurements were obtained at baseline and at 1 h and 2 h postexercise.

Breath alcohol concentration increased after alcohol ingestion at 1 h (0.08 ± 0.02) and 2 h (0.06 ± 0.02) postexercise (condition × time, p < 0.001). Compared with water, postexercise alcohol delayed autonomic recovery, with persistently reduced HRV and a sustained shift toward sympathetic predominance (higher SNS index, lower PNS index; condition × time, all p ≤ 0.002). Heart rate and rate-pressure product also remained elevated during recovery in the alcohol condition.

Binge drinking after aerobic exercise delays autonomic recovery and increases myocardial oxygen demand in young men, supporting avoidance of alcohol during the early postexercise period.