After a night of drinking, some people turn to exercise to regenerate – even if they have a hangover. You can find out here what this really means and what you should pay attention to.
Exercising with a hangover can be doubly challenging: In addition to the physical exertion, you can also experience the usual symptoms of a night of drinking, such as headaches, nausea and a general feeling of weakness. Does exercise even make sense in this state? Some claim that sport can even get rid of a slight hangover, others advocate relaxation with a hangover.
What does science say about exercising with a hangover?
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Alcohol used to be considered a performance-enhancing factor, but today we know that alcohol reduces athletic performance. Scientists from the American College of Sports Medicine discovered back in 1982 that drinking alcohol before exercise impairs strength and endurance as well as speed.
Abstinent people are more productive
According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the aerobic capacity (i.e. endurance) of people who exercise with a hangover decreases by around 11 percent. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine in 2020 compared two groups: people who drank alcohol the night before exercise and those who remained abstinent. The researchers were able to determine that the hungover test subjects got tired more quickly during a workout and performed less well.
According to the AOK, alcohol before or after exercise has the following effects on your body:
- Your muscles regenerate more poorly.
- Alcohol removes water from the body, which reduces the necessary supply of nutrients and minerals to the muscles.
- Alcohol slows down fat loss.
How much alcohol is generally safe? You can read the new recommendation from the German Center for Addiction Questions here: New alcohol recommendation: How much is really harmful? – Spoiler: Every sip.
What you should pay attention to when exercising with a hangover
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Exercising when you have a hangover is not a miracle cure for the hangover symptoms: you cannot “sweat out” or get rid of a hangover through exercise. However, it has been proven that light endurance exercise boosts your metabolism. This helps the body break down alcohol. However, if you’re looking for an efficient workout, you shouldn’t exercise while hungover.
For many people, sport not only balances them out physically, but also mentally. Exercise releases dopamine, which studies have shown can help combat depression. So if you don’t want to miss out on exercise, even with a hangover, we have a few tips for you:
- Your body is weak during a hangover, so don’t push it to peak performance. A short jog, swimming or training with light weights are ideal. A study from the University of Colorado Boulder has found that aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging or cycling, can actually prevent brain damage caused by heavy alcohol consumption.
- The Federal Center for Health Education warns against combining alcohol and sport because, among other things, the risk of injury can increase. It’s best to move your workout to the evening hours of the day after you’ve consumed alcohol. This way you can ensure that enough alcohol has been broken down.
- Alcohol deprives the body of water and minerals. Make sure you drink enough water or sports drinks while exercising. Tip: Isotonic drinks: effect and how useful they really are.
Read more on Techzle\.com:
- Workout at home: ideas for sport in your own four walls
- “Provides initial warnings” about when you are drinking too much alcohol
- 10,000 steps daily: Doesn’t make sense at all?
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