Alcohol and running

[RunBrianRun]

If you like a drink or two (like me), do you abstain the day/night before a run? I love a glass or two of wine with my dinner, and have done so for years, but recently I’ve been cutting right back and abstaining the night before a run. Psychologically it makes a difference to me and, maybe physically too, as my times are improving but that could be attributed to a number of things of course. Just wondering who else is like me here and now abstains?

[Hidden]

Yes, I try not to run after a night out but they are few and far between anyway. Used to like a wee Friday night glass after a hard week, but have cut right back as part of the new healthy me.

So, yes this running lark really improves your decision-making for food and drink as well. Don't like over-eating either now, small lighter meals.

Don't worry, I haven't turned into an 😇 - my treats just now include more biccies and fizzy juice as I feel I've deserved them after a run!! 😊

[misswobble Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Alcohol is dehydrating. Cutting it out is a good plan 😃👍 Pre-run at least

[mrrun Graduate10]

I’m somewhere really hot at the mo and have reduced myself to evening runs given that anything after dawn is a killer, so no booze on the run day. Not even a half of local chilled lager. Water for me but I’ll will enjoy a cold glass of beer after the run. Alternatively, you dehydrate and the run becomes a labour.

[Ripcurlrana71 Graduate10]

I don’t drink during the week - so if I have a weekend social I generally stop after one drink. That hasn’t affected my run the next day. I do drink lots of water too though! 💦 🍷 💦 😊

[O505k Graduate10]

I must admit that I like a glass or two of wine at the weekend. My long run is on a Sunday. So for me it is all things in moderation.

[Sqkr]

I've admittedly run absolutely hanging after being out the night before thinking it might cure me and it doesn't, it just ruins my form 😓 Wouldn't recommend it. But I drank a good few wines yesterday and am off on a long run just now so I guess I am not abstaining. If you do run post alcohol I suppose you just need to lower your expectations a bit perhaps, and if warm and/or a long run make sure you've extra fluid.

[Hidden]

I don’t drink anymore (recovering alcoholic partner) but when I did, I would probably have found running a bit harder next day. Listen to you body, or ask a French runner! Actually I find running harder after the wrong food too. A cake is fine, a bag of donuts bogs me down, fruit and fresh veggies etc don’t. But then there are dire warnings about roughage when running too. Everybody is different and what energises them and what doesn’t varies from person to person. Do what feels comfortable to you.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

A bag of donuts!!! Hehe, what happened to moderation... 🤣

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I have none 😂 I’m an all or nothing person 🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩

[tony_a Graduate10]

Me too. I generally abstain the night before and I think it does make a difference.

[ChrisAllen1 Graduate10]

I ran my 18k yesterday after being out until 2am at an engagement party the night before, some of my best runs are hung over ones!!! 😂😂

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate10]

I rarely drink alcohol these days so it's not really an issue for me. It is known to be dehydrating and for me it makes me irritable so I'd rather be happy and smiley than have any of the perceived benefits.

Maybe try a few different ways... abstaining and not to see what works best for your body.

I agree with @FlickM3 too on food. Some foods just really make it hard.

This is another of those things that makes this hobby great...we learn to listen to our bodies and can decide how to respond 👍😁

[UpTheStanley Graduate10]

I certainly don't make a point of abstaining, though I try to have a couple of nights off a week I don't consciously schedule them before running days …. I haven't noticed it makes any difference. If I've been seriously bladdered and found myself properly hungover, I'll just bin the run, probably blaming the weather (too hot, too wet, too humid, too lovely)

[O505k Graduate10 in reply to UpTheStanley]

A good 5k is a wonderful cure for a moderate hangover.

[Tasha99 Graduate10]

I rarely drink, however I read somewhere yesterday how even one drink can mess with your sleep a fair bit and impact performance.

It was our staff night out the other Friday and I only had a couple of shandies as wanted to ParkRun in the morning! 😂

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

I’ve become very aware of the colour of my pee since seeing a chart in the loo of my running shop. It’s definitely darker after an evening on the wine. However, I’ve now also become more fanatical about drinking water so that is counteracting it a bit. I probably only have one glass the night before Parkrun but will make up for it on Saturday night. I don’t want to give up all my pleasures for running! 🏃‍♀️🍷🍹

[Sweatyfaced Graduate10]

I find two things have a massive impact on running - alcohol and giving blood. But I've given up neither. But I do go easy on myself after both.

As long as you're comfortable with the knock on pace and longevity then I think both are fine. I'm giving blood tomorrow so I know that I'll be running short runs for about two weeks to pay for it. And I'll be able to tolerate less alcohol too. I'm not a massive drinker so do tend to abstain the day before a run, but I plan my running round my drink, not my drink around my running! Priorities!!

[Hidden]

It wouldn’t occur to me not to have a glass of wine with a meal the night before a run. I should add that I’m virtually teetotal by UK standards (haven’t touched spirits for 30 years and couldn’t bring muself to try them on my WSET course) and that it does matter what quality wine you drink. Having decided that red wine “doesn’t agree with me” I stumbled on natural wines and found it’s all the chemical additives used in industrial wine that don’t agree with me. Salut! 🥂🍇🍷👍🏼

[Sadie-runs Graduate10]

I love running. I love wine. Not yet sure which I love more. 😂 I don’t abstain the night before a run, but I try not to over-do it. Two or three glasses the night before don’t seem to affect my performance at all. (I have run the day after no booze at all and cannot notice the difference). But, we are all different, and it’s trial and error to see what works or what doesn’t work for you!

[OlderThanDirt Graduate10]

I don’t drink night before , not through hydration/dehydration but because if I even have one ( and I regularly have more 🤦🏻‍♂️) I wake up at three in the morning 😴😴 I don’t really get hangovers but tiredness turns my legs to lead, no joke- 2k in a different know I’m in trouble so yeah , I abstain the night before, always

[Runninginsingapore]

I work Sunday’s so I always have a glass of wine (and sometimes it’s friends) Sunday night.... and Monday is my only day off to myself, so that’s when I do my long run.

Occasionally I consider how much better my running would be if I didn’t enjoy wine so much... but then I don’t have wine in the week. Swings and roundabouts!

[ju-ju- Graduate10]

If you can then dont, alcohol and running arent a great combo. Having said that I used to overindulge the night before parkrun and often got PB's. I would never recommend it tho....