The Post Workout Beer: Better Than You Think?

October means Oktoberfest, so I thought I'd investigate something I've heard for years.

Is a cold beer after exercise really as bad an idea as we're led to believe?

Because let's be realistic. You are far more likely to see someone finish 18 holes of golf or a game of padel and order a beer than reach enthusiastically for a protein shake, especially in this hot weather .

And, perhaps surprisingly, the beer isn't all bad news.

Beer is mostly water and also contains carbohydrates, minerals and polyphenols.

One study compared water, a sports drink and beers containing 0%, 2% and 5% alcohol after exercise. Five hours later, fluid retention was remarkably similar for water, alcohol free beer and 2% beer: 34%, 36% and 36%. The 5% beer came in lower at 21%.

In other words, beer can contribute to replacing the fluid you've lost. It's when the alcohol content increases that it becomes less useful for rehydration.

Alcohol free beer has another interesting story. Researchers gave 277 Munich Marathon runners either alcohol free wheat beer or a placebo for three weeks before and two weeks after the race. The beer group showed lower post race inflammatory markers and reported fewer upper respiratory illnesses.

But don't think that means you can drink all the beers, there is obviously a limit !  Alcohol has a diuretic effect, so as the amount of alcohol increases, you produce more urine and retain less of the fluid you've drunk.

One beer after exercise can contribute to your overall fluid intake; several beers with alcohol are a very different story and could leave you more dehydrated rather than better hydrated. Larger amounts of alcohol after training also reduces muscle protein synthesis, the process that helps us repair and build muscle.

So where does that leave our post golf/ padel / workout beer?

If you've spent four hours walking around a golf course, or been running around a padel court and fancy sitting down afterwards with a cold beer, enjoy it. It contains fluid and it will contribute towards your overall fluid intake. 

Health and fitness aren't about doing everything perfectly, its about finding balance and ensuring that what you do after exercise doesn't undermine your recovery. So enjoy that cold beer, but after the first keep it low or zero alcohol ! 

Prost!