Let’s face it. For most Australians, we’ve played sport from a very young age. Many of us continue to play competitive sports for our entire lives. Obviously most athletes have a peak age they reach for competition, which in males is about thirty, and in females about 33.

I myself am a professional athlete. I compete in Mixed Martial Arts, one of the most physically taxing and as most will agree, brutal sports there are. And let me tell you, there is nothing worse than trying to even complete a training session of grappling or striking after an all-night bender!

Another simple truth is that being Australian, we are very social people. And we like to drink. I cannot name any person that I know at home that will not indulge in a drink on a Friday or Saturday night with their friends over a meal, me included! But my opinions on alcohol and training are simple; alcohol will affect every aspect of your training. It affects your ability to recover, it affects your ability to think and coordinate your mind and body, it affects your liver and your digestive systems, it affects the ability of your body to metabolise fats and proteins, and for those like myself who are involved in sports where weight and weight loss are very important, it can affect your ability to lose weight.

Without needing to indulge into scientific evidence, the evidence against alcohol and athletic performance well outweighs the benefits. Research indicates that drinking a glass or two or red wine every couple of nights can help reduce blood pressure, but for those of us who are competitive athletes, strict dieting is also important, so blood pressure (unless the athlete has a pre-existing condition) should never be an issue.

For those training for professional sports, one of the best ways to learn about this subject is to listen to people and gather from those with experience. So here are a few quotes from people who have been training and competing as professionals.

Rob Hill (Australia) Pro MMA Fighter -”Alcohol, like everything else can be done in moderation. However, for those who are competing, regardless of any sport, it will slow your fitness, your progress and your recovery. There is nothing that can affect you as badly as alcohol unless you are injured or sick, and nobody wants that. Alcohol also affects your immune and nervous system, which makes it harder to recover between sessions, and means you can become more prone to becoming sick. Steer clear for at least a couple of months before and event, and enjoy one or two for a reward after a fight or an event.”

Robert Bondy (England) Pro Boxer – ” No go, whatsoever. If you are training for a fight camp, whether it is a 6 or 8 week camp, doesn’t matter, no alcohol for a training camp. Most people grow up being able to drink and being able to in between their camps, and that is acceptable as it is important for a person to mentally recover and spend time with their friends and family and for it not be a burden. But for a training camp, no alcohol. It just affects too many things that can cost you a fight.”

Silviu Vulc (Romania) MMA coach, former Red Devil fight team member, former Romanian boxing coach – ” It is not too bad to have a glass of alcohol or a beer after training, as long as it is with food or dinner, as it can help relax the body after a training session. A glass of wine is best. But before an event, for 6 weeks, no alcohol.”

Rafael ‘Negao’ Lopes (Brazil) MMA Fighter, Muay Thai Fighter, BJJ Brown belt and coach – “Man, you cannot drink. If I drink and train for a fight, I never feel like I recover. If I drink beer it is different to vodka or spirit, beer is still bad, but I feel very bad if I drink vodka. If I fight, I don’t drink, for sure!”

Boyd ‘Gypsy’ Clark (Australia) Muay Thai, Boxing – “If for some reason you had to, one alcoholic drink wouldn’t really affect training. If your fight camp was set out for six weeks, I would like to think that you would not drink any alcohol, more than one drink if you absolutely had to. More than anything, it would hinder your recovery, so you would never be able to push yourself to 100% in your training sessions.”

So their you have it, from active fighters and coaches with a lot of experience. Common opinion is that alcohol consumption while preparing for any kind of competition is going to hinder your performance, by reducing your ability to recover, slowing your nervous system down and reducing your ability to train at 100%, which is what every athlete wanting to make the top of their sport wants!

Steve Shaw is concerned with many aspects of health, alcohol and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. He writes about the responsible service of alcohol and responsible drinking on his website “My RSA Course”. For anyone wanting to learn more about this topic they should consider getting their RSA Certificate by undertaking an RSA Course. By doing so you can learn about the many effects that alcohol can have on the human body and different ways to minimise the harmful effects of alcohol.

If you personally make the choice that you are going to drink alcohol, whether on a regular basis or occasionally, you need to be sure that you always drink responsibly. There are a variety of different habits that you need to get into if you are going to drink in a responsible manner. Remember that you will be held responsible for your actions, whether you were drinking or not, so it is important that you only drink in a responsible manner. The following are a few tips that can help you with responsible drinking habits.

1. Only Drink When YOU Want To

It may be easy for you to be pressured into drinking alcohol by friends, but you should only drink whenever you feel like you want to. If you are not comfortable drinking in a certain environment, or you are just not in the mood to drink, stick to how you feel and do not let others dictate when and where you drink.

2. Know When To Stop

If you decide to drink alcohol, you need to be responsible enough to know when you need to stop drinking. If you want to test your limits, make sure you do it at home with someone you trust so you can get an idea of when you should stop before you become out of control and unaware. Many people find that drinking any more than one drink in an hour can cause problems.

3. Drink Slowly

If you are going to drink responsibly you need to be sure that you drink slowly. People get drunk quickly when they gulp down drinks and do not realize how much they are consuming. Take the time to enjoy what you are drinking and focus on the wonderful flavors instead of drinking a large quantity quickly.

4. Double Fist Your Drinks

If you are drinking an alcoholic beverage it is a great idea to have a glass of water there as well and drink the two together. Drinking the water in between sips of your alcohol can help to keep the concentration of the alcohol down in your blood stream. You are also less likely to have a hangover the next day if you keep hydrated as well.

5. Designate a Driver

If you are going out and plan on drinking, always make sure that someone is designated to drive and that they have no alcohol whatsoever. If there is no designated driver, you should be the responsible one and abstain from drinking. Remember that driving under the influence, no matter how little, can kill.

Having responsible drinking habits is very important if you are planning to consume alcohol. Being responsible while drinking can keep you healthy, keep you out of embarrassing situations, and most important of all – it can save your life.

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