Beer After Exercise Is That a Good Idea?

Experts and fitness enthusiasts alike are on the fence about whether having a beer after you finish exercise workout is a good idea or not. During a vigorous workout, the body tends to lose a lot of fluids and electrolytes. We also burn our carbohydrate stores and tear down our muscle proteins.

A beer after finish exercise workout, why not?

The problem that experts have with beer after working out exercise is that alcohol dehydrates the body, which then impairs or slows down protein synthesis. Now, this is probably a big deal if you’re an elite athlete who’s competing on the world stage. Everything that you do, including the things that you eat and drink, will be strictly monitored to give you the best performance.

But, if you’re just a simply fitness enthusiast who isn’t training for some important event, an occasional drinking a beer or two after exercise wouldn’t be so bad. In this case, there’s no reason why you cant have a for performance or recovery-enhancing drink, since you are just having it for inspiration and enjoyment.

How Long Do You Have to Wait Before Drinking?

Research shows that chugging beer right after your workout exercise session can be counterproductive for all that effort you just out in. Thus, it’s best to save it after an hour or two.

This period after your workout is critical in your body’s recovery, so you’re better off replenishing with water, electrolytes, and some healthy post-workout snacks, like yogurt or bananas with peanut butter.

How to Enjoy and be Inspired by Your Post-Workout Beer

Beer doesn’t have to mess up your fitness exercise routine in any way. Just remember that it’s for fun and not for anything else! Here are some ways to get the most out of your post-workout beer-drinking sessions:

1. Drink with Friends

If you’re part of a sports or fitness group, or you have a few workout buddies whom you exercise with, scheduling occasional night outs at the bar can definitely be a good way to socialize. You may choose to talk more about your shared passion for fitness, or you can also talk about other aspects of your lives. It can also be a means of celebrating your workout exercise milestones with a couple beer for all of you.

2. Use Beer Mugs that Match Your Hobbies and Interests

Drinking beer can be enjoyable and inspiring when you’re drinking from a mugs it can bring out your personality. For example, if you’re into anything that is Viking-related, drinking from a beer horn can certainly make it a lot of fun, especially when you’ve just finished doing a hard workout exercise. It could also be a topic of interest among your friends.

3. Try Out New Beers

Maybe there are craft beers around town that you’ve been wanting to try after some hard core exercise at the gym. Or maybe you’ve discovered some beer recipes that you want to try making. Tasting new types of beer every now and again can help you unwind, especially when you’re having a tough day. It’s also a great way of bonding with your friends.

Additionally, fit beers are also on the rise these days. These are beers with modified ingredients that aim to provide better kinds of calories for athlete. The alcohol content is usually lowered to minimize its dehydrating properties.

4. Chug it While Listening to Podcasts

There may be times when you just want to have a beer at home, all by yourself. When you get that urge try listening to a podcasts instead. Or if there’s a book that you’ve been wanting to read, you can also go find the audiobook version. You never know what kinds of ideas might come up during these times.

5. See it as a Well-Deserved Reward

You may not be an elite athlete who exercise everyday and just need to have a beer, because you’ve been training for your own big event for a few months. You’ve felt how physically demanding the past few months had been. Most events will feature a post-race or post-event drink for everyone who joined. That’s definitely a great way to wrap up with all the other athletes who worked hard just like you.

Conclusion: Drink Moderately!

So if you are still wondering should you have a beer after finish exercise, this study recommends that you drink no more than 0.5g of beer per kg of body weight after you exercise. To illustrate, the quota is two 12oz. beers for a person who weighs approximately 150 lbs. Always make sure that you drink water and eat food while drinking your celebratory mug of booze. As with all things, moderation is key to keeping things balanced.