Athletic performance

[okoren1]

:new:I am brand new and looking for good reasons to stop drinking. I am a competitve athlete (cyclist), and have always wondered what effects booze has on top performance. Nothing I could find on the internet dealt with people like me. Any jocks (or jock-ettes) out there?

[greeneyes]

Athletic performance

Hi okoren and welcome! I used to compete in triathalons. We were a drinking bunch of friends. I quit racing for other reasons right after I moved into the pro range when I realized I could win money not just trophys and such. As a competive cyclist, you should already know what it does to your hydration level, sapping nutrients, disruption of sleep patterns. If you are serious about competing, by all means give it up. But you don't say where you are with your drinking. Looking for a reason? Read some posts here about how we got to where we had to dig ourselves out of a dark scary pit. It sneaks up on you, that AL does. And it'll try to beat you to the finish line!

[okoren1]

Athletic performance

Hi Green I have been a daily drinker for my adult life, however it was a beer after a workout, now it it a couple of mixed drinks and a half a bottle of wine with dinner. Way over the top. The final straw was my daughter called me from college the other night. I couldnt even remember the call, or anything we discussed! She told me she knew I was drunk. I dont get a chance to talk with her that often, so that was it!!! The drinking has got to go. Also, thanks for your comments about bike racing. I can only imagine what my training would have been like without all the things you mentioned- sleep pattern disruption, hydration problems, etc. Great observations.

[JackieClaire]

Athletic performance

:welcome:
okerron1,

There's another newbie/athlete joined the forum today and I hope you don't mind but I mentioned your name to him.(He's called ultrarunner ) Hopefully you 2 can buddy up and share the journey together.

Good safe place you've found. Stay close and let us know how you're getting along.

All the luck in the world.

Jackie xxx

:l

[Miss October]

Athletic performance

okoren1;725307 wrote: :new:I am brand new and looking for good reasons to stop drinking. I am a competitve athlete (cyclist), and have always wondered what effects booze has on top performance. Nothing I could find on the internet dealt with people like me. Any jocks (or jock-ettes) out there?

Hi okoren1 and :welcome:

There are many good reasons to stop drinking. That's why we are all here. As to athletic performance, I can vow to the fact that it does indeed hinder your performance. As it was mentioned, alcohol does dehydrate you, and zaps your energy. You do need to be well hydrated for great performance. When I have quite a few AF days, my runs are longer and faster. My weight workouts get stronger, and I can even cycle faster.

So to sum it all up in my own terms, alcohol is a toxin to all our internal organs. So if you want to be a top performer, cut back or abstain from the "poison". That is why my goal is to stop my nightly wine consumption, so I can get back into "training mode" :jumpin:

Good luck to you, and stick around

[AAthlete]

Athletic performance

The irony of it was that I was still winning cycling races and being competitive in those that I didn't.. Alcohol's insidious little way of telling me I didn't have a problem so that I wouldn't stop, I guess, but my body was so adapted to the booze that I couldn't tell how it was hindering me.

Remember that heavy drinking tends to be progressive, so that over time it gets worse and worse. Using your training and family can be a great motivator but at the end of the day you need to do this for you. I'd also say that as much as it affects athletes physically, it also affects them mentally just as much. Think about how many pro athletes that you have heard about that have gone into treatment for substance abuse - they could obviously perform physically at a very high level but the life around them started spinning out of control.

Anyway, glad you are hear and recognize you want to change. Spend some time reading and feel free to ask lots of questions. BTW - was out in Keystone in July and did my first big climb up and down the mountain on a mountain bike (I'm a roadie). What a blast - and I am officially envious of the terrain you have.

[okoren1]

Athletic performance

AAthlete- congrats on your sobriety date of June 15,2007. I noted you joined in Jan, 2007, what did you do in that 6 mos or so that caused you to go to full sobriety?

Also, I have seen the term "AF" used frequently- what does it mean?

Finally, I agree about the terrain here. Although I live in Denver, I too am a roadie and spend virtually all my training time in the mountains. Really very high quality training. I always have my bike in the back of my car.

[AAthlete]

Athletic performance

AF stands for alcohol-free.

The first six months were big in that it helped realize that I did have a problem with alcohol and gave me a forum to communicate with other people who had the same issues as me. But it took the very real possibility of losing my family to finally push me to the point where I was committed to stopping drinking. To be honest, I used AA in combination with My Way Out (MWO) to get and stay sober, and although life still has its ups and downs things are 110% better then they used to be. Just be open and honest with yourself about where you are at and you'll be off to a great start.