Think Before You Drink

Even bodybuilders like to partake of alcoholic beverages every so often, but many have mistaken notions about it. Here are some facts from an article by Melanie Mannarino in the July/August ’11 Health to keep in mind when you’re throwing down a few.

1) Bodyweight matters. The amount of water in your body determines how hard alcohol hits you. So the more you weigh, the more water you have, which more easily dilutes alcohol; however, most women have a higher fat-to-water ratio than most men, so a 150-pound man can tolerate more alcohol than a 150-pound woman because he contains more water.

2) Alcohol percentages vary—a lot. One standard drink is five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of liquor; however, some beers and wines have higher alcohol measures than others. A typical beer is about 5 percent alcohol, but it can range from 3.5 for some lights to almost 7 for some ales. Dark beers, like Samuel Adams Triple Bock, have 18 percent. Wine also varies—from 9 to 15 percent.

3) Drinking after a workout can get you drunker faster. Not because your blood vessels are dilated, but because exercise decreases appetite, so you may not have eaten much before you start drinking. The less food you have in your stomach, the faster alcohol will hit you.

4) Being tired means you’ll get a buzz quicker. Drowsiness will amplify your loss of coordination, alertness and focus. You’ll be more accident-prone, and your speech will become slurred sooner.