Alcohol- Preparation and Recovery
In years gone by many coaches and players amongst the footy environment believed that the “spirit of the team is at the bottom of the bottle!” There have been many examples where team bonding sessions that include a good old binge after a match or on a Sunday create great camaraderie amongst a group. This may be worthwhile as a once off when a team has an extended break but should not become a regular occurrence. Here’s why:
Preparation
Preparing for next week’s game should begin immediately once you are back in the change rooms amongst your teammates. It is important to rehydrate after a match or training session with appropriate sports drinks and water. Quenching your thirst with a non-alcoholic drink will eliminate your chances of consuming your first beer quickly when you are thirsty.
Most country football clubs would have team selection on a Thursday night after training and invite the players to stay around and enjoy a meal amongst each other. This would be the perfect time to begin your fluid intake in preparation for Saturdays match. Alcohol is known to slow down one’s ability to react to an opponent or object 72 hours (or 3 days) following intake so drinking on a Thursday night amongst team mates isn’t the smartest option. Even after returning to 0.0% blood alcohol concentration (BAC), still many hours after, hand-eye coordination, judgement, the ability to process information, stamina, strength, power and speed are all negatively affected which are key elements to performing at your peak during a football match.
Recovery
I am sure that the majority of players and officials that read this article can relate to coming off the ground with a ‘cork’ or ‘ankle sprain’ over their playing days. When lying in the rooms listening to the coach pleading that you stay professional and recover as well as you can for the next week, in the other ear is your mate saying “tonight is going to be a great function, a few beers won’t hurt you”. Well, I’m sorry but that mate is wrong!
During the recovery process alcohol masks pain, shutting down the bodies’ protection mechanisms required for tissue repair. Here is where you can make the right decision and stay off your legs, which will decrease the neural fatigue instead of hitting up the dance floor intoxicated under the illusion that there is nothing wrong with that swollen ankle. Consuming alcohol while injured causes vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) which increases the bleeding and swelling to the soft tissues or injured area prolonging the recovery process. Soft tissue injury management requires reducing blood flow to the area in order to contain the injury.
R- Rest- reduces further damage and neural fatigue.
I-Ice- 20mins every 2 hours (First 48-72 hours)
C-Compression- apply compression to reducing bleeding and swelling.
E-Elevation- above the heart to stop bleeding and swelling.
R-Referral- to a qualified professional such as a doctor or physio for precise diagnosis.
When consuming alcohol your sleep patterns will also be disrupted. Recent sports science evidence indicates that sleep is one of the most important forms of recovery. After drinking, you don’t go into the delta stage of sleep (deep sleep) with decreases growth hormone release by up to 70%.
Then there is the Sunday Hangover. After a heavy night of alcohol, a hangover can decrease fluid and food intake, therefore delaying the recovery process and increasing body fat stores as alcohol encourages you to eat fatty greasy foods. Being hung-over will immediately effect your preparation for the next week when you decide to stay in bed and miss the team’s recovery session.
Putting it simply, for an athlete or footballer to recover 100% alcohol must NOT be consumed but here are a few suggestions to minimise the effects of alcohol on performance when spending a night out with team mates:
Eat before or while you are drinking- replenish muscle fuel stores by eating carbohydrate rich foods following a match. This will also aid in slowing the rate in which alcohol can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Drink slowly- take small sips and avoid sculling. Place your glass down in between sips.
Keep yourself busy- stay occupied which will slow your rate of drinking down- play some pool or have a dance.
Make sure you rehydrate before you go to bed- a great way to prevent a hangover is to drink water in between alcoholic drinks and also before you go to sleep.
Will McGregor
VCFL FootyMart Sales Consultant
B App Sci. (Human Movement)
Will has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) and is a Level 1 Strength & Conditioning Coach. Previous to Will being at the VCFL, he worked in the Fitness Department at the Hawthorn Football Club.
Last Modified on 31/05/2011 16:01
