Training & Nutrition - dangers of drunk riding

what sort of harm can be done by riding after a few drinks? i'm not talking about the dangers of falling off the bike or running into a parked car or anything. i'm hoping someone can give me some insight as to what effects alcohol has on the body while riding moderately hard.

p.s. i'm asking because we've had company the last week, and i've been drinking several beers and glasses of wine almost everynight because of this. i'm wondering if it's a good idea to be training while all this drinking is going on...

"Alcohol. Alcohol blocks the release of acetylcholine, resulting in decreased serotonin turnover and increased noradrenergic activity. The result of these neurotransmitter alterations is euphoria followed by depression (8). Alcohol has long been used as a prerace stimulant (sometimes laced with strychnine), and its prominence in sports promotion and marketing is obvious. College athletes express more negative attitudes about alcohol use than nonathletes do, but this may reflect only socially acceptable responses on questionnaires, since they show the same drinking behaviors, particularly binge drinking, as nonathletes (13).

Controlled studies of alcohol's effect on athletic performance are difficult to blind because of the easily recognizable taste of alcoholic beverages (7). To blind participants to the presence of alcohol, most researchers use vodka, at an insignificant concentration but sufficient for taste, or noseclips and anesthetic throat lozenges. Limited evidence suggests increased isometric muscle strength at low doses of alcohol because of CNS disinhibition of neuromuscular impulses. Other significant effects include impaired gluconeogenesis, lowered resting muscle glycogen levels, poor temperature regulation, diuresis, and direct cardiotoxicity, all of which impair athletic performance. For unclear reasons, alcohol produces an increase in VO2 at submaximal exercise intensity but has no effect on VO2 max, resulting in decreased exercise time to exhaustion and decreased performance in middle-distance running events (7,14).

Athletes engaged in activities that require precise fine motor control, such as archery and shooting, have a perception of reduced tension and increased relaxation as a result of alcohol, but the actual effect is decreased hand-eye coordination and impaired judgment and tracking; this results in a less smooth release in archery, increased reaction time, and confusion. Alcohol is banned by the NCAA for riflery and by the international federations that govern the modern pentathlon, fencing, and shooting."

Also read here: http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/healthy_living/lifestyle/exercise/diet_exercise/athalc.html

I would guess that's a no-no, especially in the city. Last thing I want to see is headlines on the post reading, "DRUNK CYCLIST PLOWS INTO CROWD, MUMBLING ABOUT BAD BIKEFORUMS ADVICE".

thanks - that's good info. i normally don't drink so much, it's just all the entertaining i've been doing lately for our guest. i hate to say this, but it's really cramping my biking routein.

I seem to be <twitch> fine.

Remember, the old adage is 1 hour per drink to burn off. Unless you are going riding right at last call, you probably have metabolized a lot of it. Mornings after, I do 5 mi./drink. Seems to be keeping the belly down. I like beer a lot.

As for taking the cruiser out for a whirl after a few... pick a safe area where you won't hurt yourself or others... and it is kind of fun. Super endos on the mtn bike are great until you find the stuff you broke in the morning...

and direct cardiotoxicity

What the heck is that referring to?

my uncle always says 1 hour from bottle to throttle.

I know from experience that it impairs performance. I'll go on long rides with friends and then sitting around afterwards the first thing they want to do is crack open a nice cold one. I guess they do that because the TV said so. I just laugh and drink tons of water. I've been suckered into doing it before and is feels like it goes straight to my legs and makes em dog tired and burning. Timhhan I would suggest you just don't drink and if some people find that strange, which some people always do, then just tell them your in training. Maby it works different with different people and don't get me wrong I enjoy a nite out drinking w/ friends but if I have a race on the weekend I don't drink for at least 5 days prior or I swear I can feel it when the goin gets tough...

I know from experience that it impairs performance. I'll go on long rides with friends and then sitting around afterwards the first thing they want to do is crack open a nice cold one. I guess they do that because the TV said so. I just laugh and drink tons of water. I've been suckered into doing it before and is feels like it goes straight to my legs and makes em dog tired and burning. Timhhan I would suggest you just don't drink and if some people find that strange, which some people always do, then just tell them your in training. Maby it works different with different people and don't get me wrong I enjoy a nite out drinking w/ friends but if I have a race on the weekend I don't drink for at least 5 days prior or I swear I can feel it when the goin gets tough...

i actually have my first race in 9 days, that's why i was concerned about this. i wasn't sure if it was just in my head or not, but i do feel slightly slower than normal on my rides lately.