Beer and Fitness... Can It Be?

In my opinion this is the ONLY way you should ever drink a light beer!

Recently, I ran a short 10K for something to do since none of the local tracks were open for riding. After the race, we headed to the beer tent for some liquid refreshment. As we were sitting there enjoying our brews and talking about how great we did in the race, I was asked by one of my clients if drinking beer was just washing away all of the hard work we had just put in. After all, the beer-belly is one of the most recognized stereotypes ever. Why would a bunch of athletes (the beer tent was full) drink something that was going to hinder their performance and give them a beer-gut? In this article, I answer one of the most important questions for beer lovers throughout the World: can beer and fitness exist in harmony and if so, how? 

First...the Facts
I have already confessed my love for the liquid spirit, so before you think I am a beer guzzling frat boy, let me define just how much I do drink on a weekly basis. Monday through Friday I am alcohol free except for the occasional glass of wine with a nice dinner. Weekends are a bit different and are usually reserved for my love of the aforementioned dark beer. My normal consumption is 2 to 3, 12 ounce glasses per weekend: sometimes more; sometimes less. Usually more when college football is on but who is counting. So, while I am no Saint I certainly do not consider my beer and wine consumption excessive. Some would even say its way less than the norm!

The good news is that I am in good company. More than milk, coffee, or even bottled water, beer is the drink of choice for thirsty Americans of age. Yes, we Americans grease the wheels of human emotion with this social lubricant like no other. Some 200 million barrels a year go down our collective hatches. And even better news says that drinking moderately has been proven by many doctors, as well as the New England Journal of Medicine, to be a healthy component of longevity. In fact, some studies have shown that moderate consumption of alcohol -- wine, beer, or spirits -- has been shown to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems by 25% - 40%. "The key word here is moderate," cautions Kim Wathen, registered Dietician and regular contributor to Virtual Trainer. "Moderate alcohol consumption appears to raise HDL and act as an anticoagulant while antioxidants in red wine may block oxidation of LDL, keep platelets from clotting, and help keep blood vessels relaxed.  All of these factors may lower the risk of heart disease but not necessarily reduce the effects of high cholesterol and heart disease." And to clarify, moderate drinking is considered 2 drinks per day for men, and 1 for women. (Sorry ladies, I don't make the rules.) One drink is defined as; 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits. And NO, you cannot save up through the week and catch up on the weekend drinking 10-12 beers in an evening. That is NOT moderation.

Only China has the U.S. beat when it comes to drinking beer!

Drink Beer, it's Good for You!
Well, sort-of. Beer, like red wine, does provide some health benefits. The malt and hops used to make dark beers contain flavonoids, the same heart-healthy compounds in vegetables and wine that counter cell damage, thus reducing your risk of heart disease and cancer. Beer also contains B vitamins and chromium, which aid in converting carbohydrates to energy. But because beer is less potent than liquor, it may be too easy for some people to overlook its five percent alcohol content. Besides causing embarrassing lapses of judgment (can you say Beer-Goggles?), too much beer can dehydrate you and slow recovery. The key, as with any indulgence, is moderation. "There's no reason for athletes to feel like beer can never cross their lips," says Leslie Bonci, R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "You just need to drink it at the right time."

But be careful, along with the good comes the bad. Any more than the 1 to 2 glass limit and your risks go up again, since excessive alcohol intake can lead to liver damage, high blood pressure, and many kinds of cancer -- not to mention the risks of alcohol abuse. If you've been a teetotaler all your life, don't start drinking for health reasons. The benefits are modest, and drinking increases other risks. If you don't drink and want to improve your health, just do an extra 15 minutes on the treadmill.

Beer and Athletic Performance
If you are a runner or cyclist you have certainly heard of people who order a beer the night before a big race and joke about carb-loading. Alas, it's not so. "The idea that beer provides a significant amount of carbs is a misconception," says Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D. who specializes in nutrition for exercise and health. "A 12 ounce bottle contains 12 grams of carbohydrates, which is equivalent to about half a slice of bread." What's more, because of the way alcohol is metabolized, most of these excess carbs are stored as fat. "So you're actually fat-loading," says Bonci. And if you're drinking a lot, you may be exercising to burn off beer calories rather than combusting body fat. You can also look at a can of beer this way. The average 12 ounce can of beer has over 100 calories. Drinking one beer is equivalent to eating a chocolate chip cookie. Drinking four is equal to eating a Big Mac Hamburger. Putting it that way really sucks.

Sorry ladies, but I don't think those are 12 ounce glasses!

Alcohol is also a diuretic, which means drinking too much the night before a run or race could leave you dehydrated in the morning. To avoid the effects of poor hydration, drink  water before and after your beer. (That's right, one beer. Unless you're a large guy who drinks beer regularly, in which case, a second should do no harm.) Some runners can't imagine not having a pint the night before a race, because it helps calm their nerves. "If you usually have a beer, it's probably okay, but have it with dinner, which helps absorb the alcohol," says Bonci. If you don't usually drink, though, now is not the time to start; some studies suggest that as little as 12 - ounces can disrupt the most beneficial kind of sleep.

Beer as a Recovery Drink?

So you've had a great day at the race track or just finished a hard training session and now all you want is a nice refreshing beer. Will this interrupt or hinder the recovery process? While drinking alcohol after training is not recommended you can get away with it on occasion if you drink something else first since alcohol can interfere with refueling, which delays recovery. Have eight to sixteen ounces of water or other fluids (like a real recovery drink) and about 200 carb-and-protein calories before you start raising your beer mug.

If you've suffered an injury, however, it's best to wait. "Alcohol can delay the body's ability to heal," says Bonci. "It seems to limit the production of natural anti-inflammatories." After 36 hours, however, the inflammation should have subsided, at which point you're free to head to your favorite pub.

The Buzz on Beer, Wine and Spirits

Non-Alcoholic Beer It's tops because, duh, there's no alcohol. Any buzz will have to come from savoring your own remarkable willpower. 70 calories; 13 grams carbs per 12-ounce serving. Light Beer Better than regular if you don't let the lower calories trick you into drinking more than usual. 95-110 calories; 6 grams carbs per 12-ounce serving. Low-Carb Beer It contains carbs but the same amount of alcohol as regular. "It's pure alcohol and carbonation," says Bonci. 95 calories; 2.5 grams carbs per 12-ounce serving. Regular Beer While a 12-ounce bottle has a lot of calories, one the night before or after a race won't hurt. But have a water chaser. 150 calories; 12 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving. High-Alcohol Beer Be especially wary of some Belgian and other brews that have more than eight percent alcohol per 12 ounces (check the label). 200 calories; 13 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving. Wine (All types) When grapes are made into wine, most of the fruit sugars (carbs) convert to alcohol, but a few carbs remain. Some people say erroneously that red wines are better for dieters because they are "less sweet". This usually has nothing to do with sugar content! It has to do with the fact that red wines are red because they are made with *contact of the skin* during the winemaking process - which gives them their rich, red color and their thicker, more tannic flavor. It's the grape skin that does most of these things. The "Sweetness" in white wines is the lack of those tannins, and the fruity flavors. It's not actual sugar! 105 calories for a merlot to 125 calories for a cabernet sauvignon (The average was 118 calories); 0.8 grams for chardonnay to 5.0 grams for cabernet sauvignon per 5-ounce serving 80 Proof Distilled Spirits (Hard Liquor) Adding mixers to an alcoholic beverage can contribute significant calories in addition to the calories from the alcohol itself. 86 calories for spiced rum to 120 calories for gin. The average (not including mixers) was 98 calories; 0 Carbs per 1.5-ounce serving.

So there you have it! There is no reason why you cannot have a beer a day and still meet your goals as an athlete or weekend warrior. Once again, excessive beer drinking is not recommended by anyone in the health industry. If you simply enjoy drinking beer or wine and are serious about your health, moderation in drinking alcohol, eating foods low in fat and calories, combined with habitual daily exercise is your ticket to reaching your goals. So next time you see me at the beer tent at Loretta's, just assume I am on my first beer and feel free to plunk down a few bucks and buy me my second!

By Tim Crytser

Reprint from racerxvt.com

Tim Crytser's work can be found at RacerX