Being disciplined in one’s training is very hard work. One has to stay consistent and keep the intensity going to keep seeing changes. It is also a challenge to keep the body in a condition where performance is optimal.
With the strain of this discipline comes a need to relax and have a day off or even a night out. And at times, things can get a little over done (and over consumed) when it comes to the alcohol consumption side of things. In the moment, everything seems ok. It is the morning that tells a different story. You are supposed to be up and hit the gym to train but there is a problem;
You’re hungover.
The great debate has been does one go to the gym and “sweat it out” or does it do more harm than good to try to force yourself through a training session?
One needs to understand what is going on in the body in the first place to get hungover and why you feel like crap.
The reason why being hungover sucks is because the body is dehydrated from all the alcohol consumption. The headaches, sweating, body aches, and even nausea, yeah that is from a key component in alcohol called ethanol. Ethanol acts as a diuretic in the body, which forces fluid out. When the blood in the body lacks water, it becomes thicker and causes the cardiovascular system to work harder. This throws the body in a huge tail spin that you end up feeling the next morning when you can barely move.
Now one can assume that training is a bad idea if you are already dehydrated. This is partially true. The brain is slowed down when drinking alcohol, but exercise does the exact opposite. The key here is making sure you do not over do it. Simply going into the gym and trying to “sweat it out” will actually make you feel worse because your body is already dehydrated. Try doing a light workout where you are simply moving around and getting your heart rate up a little. Even a brisk walk would do. You are not going to “crush it” in the gym by any means, so remove that thought from your head.
Another option would be not to drink so much next time, or make sure you have food in your stomach to keep the effects of the drinking to a minimum. Studies have shown that lots of alcohol consumption can disrupt protein synthesis in the body which means your gains can be affected. Also drink water while you are drinking alcohol. Remember, being hydrated or not will be the key to waking up the next day feeling like garbage or not.
Stop the alcohol consumption about an hour before bed, drinking water before bed and when you wake up.
