Are you doing Dry January?
How is it going?
Two weeks in and I am sure temptation is strong. So I thought I would offer you some motivation.
This week a client identified how different they had performed on the exact same run on two different occasions.
Run 1 – 49 mins, ave HR 169 – felt really really hard.
Run 2 – 50 mins, ave HR 145 – felt steady.
The difference? Run 1 was during a period of regular drinking. Run 2 – no drink for 2 weeks.
What could be the cause of this?
Alcohol affects;
Sleep quality. Sleep is when the body repairs and recovers from the day and any training. If an athlete does not get optimal sleep, then they will not be able to recover efficiently from training sessions and there will be an accumulative effect. There will also be a decrease in lower body power output post drinking which will contribute to the above result.
Energy. Alcohol consumption can negatively affect energy supply due to a decrease in the skeletal muscle use of carbohydrate and protein.
Immune System. There is evidence to suggest that alcohol can reduce the immune system. Any negative effect on health can prevent attendance at training sessions or minimise the training benefit of participating.
So, just a few reasons why you should stick with your ‘Dry January’ challenge. You can do it!!!
