Beer as a Post Workout Drink

I have no doubt that many people will rejoice at this news. Well it's better to drink beer than consuming that fizzy flavored sugar loaded fake sport drink. But while beer may quench thirst more efficiently, I doubt that I can tolerate the taste of beer when I am very thirsty. I'll choose water anytime. But if you want to buy me a beer few hours afterward, I won't say no.

I can just see the head lines! : "College football teams around the nation stock up on post game kegs"..."Water boy replaced by Brewsky boy?"

lol staci
They do that already, now it's legitimate reason for it.

actually the way we understand diuretic beverages is changing thanks to a british study on, of course, tea (but could beer be far behind)--it seems that some drinks that we consider diuretic will eventually help to keep a water balance, so it will only be a diuretic if we have an excess of water.

it'd be nice to learn that beer is the same way.

also, though, ethnic background seems to also have an effect on whether a beverage is diuretic or not. they did a study on alcoholism a long while ago and it seems some ethnic groups will become quickly dehydrated while others will not. (This was a hypothesis as to why one person will keep drinking to excess while others will stop. Theory was some get dehydrated the more they drink so they keep ordering drinks.)

The latter type was found in warmer climates.

Having never used beer as post-workout hydration, I can't speak from experience. However, I think if I was working hard enough to need something to drink, beer would make me extremely nauseous. Even the aftertaste of unsweetened peppermint tea in my water bottle bothered me some this morning. But all three sure are tasty. Just not together.

There was a running club in my hometown called the "Beer Runners" and they would go for 10 or 12 mile runs along the lakeshore and afterwards, they'd hit a different bar each week and drink pints of beer. I wasn't a member, but a friend of mine was. He swore that it was the best post-running drink ever. I personally don't like drinking beer right after running because usually my stomach's pretty empty and the beer goes straight to my blood.

Drinking alcohol after a workout will F**K you up fast.

Be careful about this, especially if you are seriously dehydrated after a vigorous workout. I re-hydrated (re-brewated?) with beer after a six mile run and was almost immediately slammed by the alcohol hitting my kidneys. I felt like I'd been karate chopped in the side. It was painful for days afterwards. So my advice: rehydrate before rebrewating.

well most people are trying to get rid of the calories by working out, etc:) and in the end you are more dehydrated anyhow, since alcohol dehydrates you even you if might feel more hydrated

Eewwwwwwwwwwwww

Ya, not so much my choice of liquids, especially after a hard workout...Ill stick to my protein shake and water!

When I was in my twenties, me and my squash trainer used to play (hard) for 2 hours solid and then go and drink 5-6 pints of beer in the club bar. Twice a week! I always felt great in those days - now I'm in my 40s I can't stand the pace like that. I don't play squash anymore.....

In Buenos Aires, they rehydrate with Quilmes beer while dancing all night till the break of dawn.

hah very nice I will try that out next time.

I always remember my grandpa telling me that after he played baseball games the only thing that would quench his thirst was beer so he can attest to that.

Glad I don't go to that university. That's the most absurd study I've heard of in a while. Beer is a horrible post-workout drink. It makes you go to the bathroom even more, so you'll be even more dehydrated. Plus, the carb content in beer isn't nearly as good as some other drinks. Not to mention the amount of essential electrolytes in not very high. Check out ACE's (American Council on Exercise) explanation.

Copy & paste the link:

http://www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitnessqa_display.aspx?itemid=367&Category=Nutrition

I like to joke about beer being good for you since I like to drink it but we all should know the facts. Beer slows your metabolism, is very good for helping you lose weight, and is somewhat like poison to your heart and cardio system.

But yes I still do like it.

I like the fact that they use the exact words of "slightly better". That really tells us a lot LOL. For all we know it could be 0.000000000001% better.

Nothing wrong with experiments that test out the benefits of beer though :)

Reminds me of a bunch of folks I ran into one day, they called themselves "Hash House Harriers". They referred to themselves as a drinking club with a running problem. Kinda cute? I'm not a beer fan, and try to minimize alcohol, because it's fattening, but other than that, sounds like fun.

Come on, now, how is beer "like poison to your heart and cardio system"

If you look it up alcohol in moderate amounts is very GOOD for your heart.

The Puritans have left a dark, dark stain on the American soul.

Beer is bad for you? Talk about poisonous...

:)

the puritans actually preferred beer over water...beer usually makes me feel DEhydrated. while it's nice on a hot day or at night with friends (or, as a college student like me, as a semi-cheap and filling breakfast)i can't imagine working my ass off at the gym and then negating the whole workout with a beer. sounds yummy, but probably isn't the best unless you're trying to maintain/gain weight.

aop said:
Drinking alcohol after a workout will F**K you up fast.[...]

Rubbish! Beer - good after exercise? Beer literally sucks! Makes you pee all the times. Tastes like yack! If you drink a lot, it gives you hangover the next day and makes you hungry all the times and increases acidity!

Body needs water after exercise not a dehygrating agent!

This looks to me as a rediculous and lousy attempt to mislead people!

I'm a guy who just got out of the marines, i used to be stationed in southern california and well i think everyone knows that we drank the college kids to shame while running 6 to 10 miles each day at least in my old platoon, most of us would quit drinking right at revely and start again as soon as the run was over, but we conditioned for that kind of thing. in the end i've never had a negative effect from it, running with the hangover used to encourage me to run faster and get done with running so i could drink a nice cold beer while taking a PT shower

Beer is away better after a long hot run than chemical laden sugar water (sports drinks turn toxic when the ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate sit together in light). The trick is choosing the right beer - a good hefeweizen like UFO (harpoon brewery) with a slice of lemon is perfect. Hefeweizen (wheat) style beers are great because they are unfiltered (hence the cloudiness), and the yeast in them are loaded in B-vitamins. The hops in them also contain ellagic acid, a potent anti-inflammatory & anti-oxidant. Pair this up with some spicy indian food and you have the ultamite post run meal.

This study never says that beer is the best form of rehydration. It states that after exercise 1 pint of beer is more beneficial towards the body's hydration effect than the same volume of water. It doesn't recommend that you drink more than a pint because not drinking in moderation would make it more of a diurtic. The study also recommends that men drink 500 milliliters a day and women drink 250 milliliters a day. Drinking in moderation can help lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and Parkinson's disease. The key word here is moderation. And lastly the study admits that while a pint of beer may be "slightly better" than water it is blown away in comparison to a sports drink.

you should be hydrating during the workout if possible , and a post workout protein shake is necessary if you cant get adequate food in you within 45 mins or so after the workout

Briliant! iv just finished a 8mile run and googled the effect of beer after a run (i promised my self i would only drink on the weekend....its a monday, i was craving a cold pint!) to find this artical (regardless of its truth) has made me feel less guilty : )

I wonder what this study would find as a better long term hydration drink. Considering you do get more dehydrated from beer than water in the long term.