bccycleguy

Something I've noticed that since I got more serious about cycling and my physical condition is that I have very little ability to drink alcohol any more. A few beers (Canadian, that is) or 1/2 a bottle of wine and I've had it, I'm impaired compared to years ago when I could drink all night.

Yes, I've lost 40+ lbs in the last 5 years and my body fat is vanishingly small compared to these days years ago. But I'm surprised that lower body weight and lower body fat content would have such a big difference. Has anyone else noticed this?

I guess a collateral benefit to an intolerance to alcohol, is the tolerance I've built up to expresso coffee.

jsharr

Strange, but I was thinking the same thing just last weekend. My wife and I went to dinner with my old college roomie and his wife. The four of us had two bottles of wine over the course of a leisurely dinner and I felt quite impaired, to the point that I would not have been comfortable driving.

forensicchemist

I just to chime in on this one.....body weight is the big contributor here.....the more you weigh, the more mass there is to distribute the alcohol to; less mass = a higher alcohol conentration in the body. To illustrate, a 300 pound guy can drink twice the alcohol of a guy weighing 150 pounds, and both will have about the same blood alcohol content. (This assumes, that body fat is about the same too). Also, as one gets older, its common that less alcohol makes you feel more impaired. Changes in body chemistry, but also just wiser....

Mark

toshi

That doesn't really explain why my 105lb sister can drink laps around me (I'm at 143 give or take)... I'm sure we've all see tiny females who can drink like fish. ;-)

nocondorfx

I can drink about half of what I could 60 lbs ago. fatty used to be fine off a 12pack. I save money now too.

forensicchemist

The outward appearence of 1 person can vary dramatically. Its called tolerance. I can dose people to 0.10 blood alcohol level, and some look just fine. Others appeared smashed. Part of tolerance comes from our genes.....basically, how well one person handles alcohol. Another part of tolerance comes from how much practice you've had with alcohol. A novice drinker typically appears more impaired, while a more experienced drinker has learned to tolerate the alcohol better....yet in fact, both people maybe be at exactly the same blood alcohol level.

mark

HereNT

I'm a professional - shots of whiskey are better than goo!

bigdraft

I personally enjoy the enhanced effects of a good beer or two after finsihing a hard ride. It punches my "E" ticket for the day. Also the effects of the beer are long gone by the time I go to bed so I don't have hangover issues the next day.

YMMV of course

Mothra

Strange... I'm the opposite. When I'm in good shape, I can drink tonnes; amounts that'll put alcoholics to shame. Now that I'm starting to get back in to shape, I'm at 50% of where I used to be, there are 110-lb sorority chics that can drink me under the table!

Coyote2

Gee, I've been riding for years and only crave more alcohol.

rknj

Actually fat does not absorb any alcohol. If a guy weighs 150 lbs, no matter how fat he gets his ability to handle alcohol will not increase due simply to the weight. That's part of why if a man and woman of the same weight drink the same amount, the woman will likely feel more intoxicated.

pedex

seems some are discounting the fact that the more often one drinks the better tolerance you have for the drug

I had to stop because of my job, combo of age and having to be able to ride as much as 400-500miles a week removed the alcohol drug from my life for good, havent touched it in almost 4 years.

nova

2 things how old is your sister and does she eat alot relitive to her body weight?

If 25+ and she does eat alot shes got a high matabolism. By the time she finishes say her 3rd beer over a period of 3 hours the first is already long gone.

ElJamoquio

Can I have 0.15?

ElJamoquio

The larger you are, the more blood you have.

ElJamoquio

So what you're saying is you act drunk around hot sorority girls?

toshi

She's 25 and does indeed have a high metabolism. But she doesn't mess around with 1 beer per hour; I'm talking tequila shots, gin and tonics, and other harder stuff, with seemingly little effect until the drink count really racks up. I need a nap after two beers, and this is not on an empty stomach. I guess this speaks towards genetics as mentioned earlier.

I definitely notice less tolerance as the cycling season wears on. I don't fluctuate in weight all that much (+/- 4lbs), but I definitely feel more sensitive to alcohol in July versus in the middle of December. Not exactly sure what's at play here.

crackerjab

A good quality beer after a ride is a good thing. It's like a meal in a bottle. A beer during the middle of a ride, not so much.

Snicklefritz

I started serious cycling training last fall and also started racing this season. I've noticed huge changes in the types of things I want to eat/drink.

Regarding alcohol, I'll have to post what happened at a police function I worked where we had to intentionally get people drunk so then various local officers/CHP guys etc. could test their sobriety check procedures....

nova

Yeh 1 beer a hour was just a example. Same effect lesor degree shots.
Alcohol gets absorbed and broken down by your body the faster it breaks down the more you can drink. I bet all your sisters friends hate her and how she can shovel down the food and not gain a poun and they have to count calories. Im a guy and many women "hate me" I have a hellishly high matabolism. I can wolf down 3 double chease burgs large fry and chocolate shake or a entire large pizza and some pops and never gain a oz. Im in 140 150 pound range could prob use a few pounds realy. I have tried togain weight. All last winter i just pigged out and sat around doing nothign and i sware not a single pound.

Any ways back on topic forget about ever being able to drink your sister under the table unless you cheat cause you ain ever gona do it.

I say use her to win some money off your friends friends sisters and friends girlfriends. Place bets on who passes out first

nova

I dont drink but a beer or 2 a day is good for you many many studies have shown that to be true. any alcoholic beverage is infact wine esp red wine is great for the heart and blood presure (one or 2 glasses a day) Lady who use to live across the street from us drank 2 or 3 glasses a day and lived to be 101 or 102. She lived by her self until she was 97 then her sister moved in till she was 100. t that point she started goign down hil a bit and moved in to a assited care apartment complex not a nurseing home. It was one of these condo like places where you have bed room bath living room kitchen etc all to your self unless you need help from a nurse.

I consider my self to be pretty healthy and if im ever diagnosed with high blood presure or somethignill most likly start drinking a couple glasses of red wine a day instead of poping multiple pills a day. hell i dont even like takign asprin.

roadfix

I don't get it. I'm not a drinker myself but seems like the folks over at the fixed gear forum talk about drinking quite a bit.

forensicchemist

sure, but the downside of it is I get to draw your blood.......usaually more than once!

pharmboyrx

I find that I because I keep myself so well hydrated now due to my cycling habits that when I have a few drinks and its time to "break the seal," I pee a lot much for about a half hour. Meanwhile my friends who don't drink a lot of water like I do are not running back and forth to the bathroom.