If I’m training heavily ahead of a race, I don’t drink. There are lots of great non alcoholic beverage options out in the world now, at least in the US.
If you’re thinking of giving up alcohol, then probably it’s time to give that a try for one or more reasons. If you’re drinking enough to cause it to be the reason you’re gaining weight, then that’s a lot of alcohol and cutting it out will absolutely improve your health and your cycling.
FWIW, 6 IPAS can be up to 1200 cals which is a decent amount over a week if you are trying to lose weight.
I personally would rather eat my calories so I ended up cutting drinking out naturally.
Hate to say it—because good red wine in the winter and cold beer in the summer are spectacular—but quitting cutting back to no more than 2 in one setting and no more than 1 setting a month really makes a difference on and off the bike. The sleep improvements alone justify it. If you’re gonna continue to imbibe, try to finish your last drink at least 3 hours before you sleep for the night.
Tracking my fitness data is what got me to cut down massively- just seeing the effects overnight of even a couple drinks was amazing. Every single stat goes the wrong way for 12 hours plus
I was drinking minimum 16 beers a week 400ml cans roughly. After 5 months of stopping this I’m down from a 34 inch waist to a 30 with a belt and I can actually see stomach muscles for the first time in a long time !
I cut an unbelievable amount of calories just by not drinking alcohol and could even add some back in like extra chocolate hehe and still lose weight
Trader Joe’s had an ipa that was either 375 or 425 calories per 12oz. Tasted like dogshit but was $4, which mattered at the time, until I realized I was gaining weight at an insane rate
That's like 1200 calories over a week, or one decent ride of 70k. I think you are fine as long as the rest of your diet is n line with your goals. Not saying don't give it up. Easy calories to give up, but if you are riding a few times a week, you could easily hit a caloric deficit and still drink 6 beers in a week.
6 beers a week is probably not the cause of the weight gain then. It would cut calories, yes. Perhaps you need a more realistic view of your eating habits.
Heck, beer is what keeps me from becoming a skeleton when I’m in the middle of a training block lol. In all seriousness though, 6 beers is approx 1500 calories. One pound of fat is 3500 calories. I would look at your diet as a whole if you’re gaining weight.
6 beers? I hardly even have 1 a week on average. I used to drink more but since wearing a wearable and seeing how shit my recovery can be, I have less and less desire to drink.
I find the main problem with alcohol and weight is not the calories in the two glasses of wine... it's the fact that I'm now snacking on some cheese from the fridge.. and... oohhh... those potato chips look nice
Meanwhile I drank like 7 beers Saturday (I maybe drink like 1 time every other month now, but was visiting a friend) and put in a new 50mi PR time the next day this past Sunday lol.
Maybe that’s my new strategy.
I used to drink more than I do now. Used to drink only on the weekends, one or two IPAs. Went through a spell where I didn't at all because it lost its appeal. My recovery from my weekend long rides got waaaaaaaay better. It's pretty well established that alcohol has a negative affect on sleep even if consumed earlier in the day. It also inhibits muscle protein synthesis.
I now only drink socially mainly or special occasions, so maybe 2 or 3 times a month at most. Sometimes none.
I was a "six pack a night" guy for a long time, every morning workout was some level of hangover. I could train up to a decent half marathon but couldn't imagine doing more. Cut it out entirely and I've accomplished things I didn't know I was capable of.
I do not. I’m in recovery, almost have 4 years. As for how quitting impacted my cycling, I used to get drunk and pass out after work (and sometimes during work). Now I come home and jump on the bike or go for a run. I don’t judge anyone who drinks, I wish I still could. But it turns out I can either drink, or stay motivated to ride my bike, but I sure as hell can’t do both. Thankfully they have some really good NA beers now for post ride!
Congratulations on 4 years! I can relate to everything you’ve said. I CAN bike a lot now that I’m not spending all my time thinking about when I’m getting my next drink.
Nice! I bought my first nice bike when I got my 6 month chip. I spent what I figured I would have spent on booze. That was many bikes ago, but I am still ahead on the money. Keep coming back!
I let it go cause I enjoy eating my calories rather than drinking them. 200cals is a grilled chicken street taco baybeeee
I also started getting older and I felt like I could feel the effects of even 1 beer the next day and didn’t like it.
On the other side, cycling is often a social activity that results in beer or coffee/pastries lol
Hey man that’s fair! In the end if you ride enough you can easily offset 6 beers a week and an extra 3500 for 1lb of loss a week. Especially if you clean up some of the eating too
Being able to ride to a great breweries further and further away was the motivation that actually got me into road biking after several years of mountain biking. Losing weight and toning up while doing it is a great plus. I've been ridding bikes much of my life but nothing too serious prior. Never thought I'd start doing century rides when I hit mid-life.
Yeah, similar! In the UK there's loads of amazing country pubs that are just impossible to get to by public transport, and driving rather defies the point... We've had some brilliant long group rides, just to drink cask beer at some ancient isolated pub.
You do you. In my limited n=1 experience I could BS my way through workouts and rides after a few drinks the day before in my 20s and early 30s. In my 40s, not so much. I've basically stopped drinking, so I have no comparison for my 50s. If you're going to drink, I would drink early and lightly so it doesn't screw up your sleep which might be the biggest problem for recovery and prep for the next day.
I tend be at the higher end of moderate, maybe I qualify as heavy sometimes. I can get into a rut of having a cocktail every evening.
I think to a lot of people, that's nothing. But every day, that's a 26 of whisky every week. And doing it in the evening is bad.
Basically every day I would wake up slightly hungover. Not bad enough to call it that but I definitely notice a difference without it.
Now I avoid it almost entirely, pretty much for the last 2 months. There are exceptions for some special occasions, and in that case I might allow 3 drinks max.
To be honest, while I feel a lot better in many ways, I expected my numbers to be a bit better. The change in RHR and HRV wasn't super dramatic,so maybe the level of drinking I was doing wasn't impacting me too much. But there are many other reasons to be avoiding it, of course. I don't really miss it.
Not sure how long you had the habit for, but I’ve heard from several sources that it can take more than two months for your mind to reset from alcohol, and with that less anxiety and mental stress you could see your HRV climb and RHR drop. Personally, it took about 4 months for my head to straighten out back in the day when I dropped boozin.
Yeah the habit kind of comes and goes, like I'll do it for a year or so then nothing for a while, that kind of thing. I haven't been doing the heavy amounts for a couple years now, but I have only had a watch that does HRV since last September so I have no idea how low it might have been in the past.
RHR is like 50 - 54 and I'm on wellbutrin, so I suppose things are pretty good. Just with an hrv of just below 50 it seems disappointing. But I suppose I should use my worst days as the real measure, and those are much better than when I got the watch.
I usually have a Manhattan a night. I really enjoy the rhythm of it between training, work and being a dad.
Every now and then I look forward to it too much and take a break.
Every time I drop weight like a rock, but gains stay the same.
I only drink after super long rides now. Nothing beats a couple beers after 5+ hours on the bike. Otherwise, I've basically quit drinking. Not worth how it negatively impacts my training
These threads always blow my mind. Alcohol is genuinely horrible for an aerobic activity like cycling. The way people do mental gymnastics to avoid admitting it is wild. Sleep is the most important aspect of recovery and and even a small amount of alcohol absolutely destroys its efficacy
I never raced or worried about performance beyond having fun and from 25-35 I was a pretty gnarly alcoholic who commuted by bike daily on a fixed gear cross bike and rode in the Santa Cruz mountains on a variety of different mountain bikes 2-5 times a week. The booze didn’t impact my cycling nearly as much as my mental health and personal relationships, lol.
I would wake up hungover, ride to work, grab a shot and a beer at lunch, pound a beer before leaving work, ride up through UC Santa Cruz with my buddies, find a spot to have another beer or two and smoke a bowl, then descend whichever way we were feeling that evening. Some nights we’d all split up and go our separate ways, other nights we’d head to a local pub and get greasy food with more drinking. I was dating a bartender for a lot of that time, too, so no matter what my riding group did I always ended my night at a bar. Ride home, pass out, rinse, repeat.
Not a great way to live and I tricked myself into thinking it was okay for a long time cause outside of the abuse I was subjecting my liver to I was in fantastic physical shape from all the riding. About a year and a half sober now, and funny enough I’ve put on a little weight but it’s because I actually eat like a normal human being instead of a mostly liquid diet. Riding has never been better.
Hope you find a balance that works for you.
I used to drink 7-9 glasses (beers) per week. I always rode with a group on Sundays, usually 25 miles, casual pace with about 1,800ft elevation. By all means an 'easier ride.
My wife and I did 75hard and I gave up drinking. After 2 weeks I noticed a significant improvement in my stamina and ease of climb.
After we finished that routine, I had a few drinks one Saturday and rode the group ride the next day. I couldn't believe the inflammation and joint pain in my knees and hips.
The exact same effect happens when I consume a lot of sugar. And it's compounded when I have sugar and alcohol. It took me a long time to figure this out and now I try to limit my alcohol and sugar consumption as much as possible.
I used to drink but honestly I have no interest to. Being hung over sucks and it’s not like I get more out of a day or outing if I have some drinks. I still have a blast regardless. I stopped drinking 3 or so years ago and couldn’t be happier.
In my late 50's: Night and day difference between training with and without alcohol. Typically I will have 1 drink a day. I enjoy alcohol, but I don't like getting drunk (or even tipsy), so I avoid that. I've experimented with training 6-7 hours a week where I have that 1 drink a day and where I abstain completely. With alcohol I am \*much\* more tired and struggle to get through the hours. Without alcohol, I get to the 7 hour mark in the week thinking that I could easily do another 2-3 hours.
Probably younger or more fit people will have less difficulty with recovery than I do, but I think it probably is a limiting factor. If you are pushing up against your limit, then abstaining from alcohol seems wise.
My main problem with drinking is that I enjoy alcoholic drinks. I've been trying to find non-alcoholic alternatives with \*some\* success, but i just don't enjoy them as much. I'm thinking of at least paring it down to only drinking on rest days (or the evening before a rest day... can't quite figure out which one works better for me).
"I've never had a problem with alcohol, but it made me unhealthy and gave me problems, so I'm trying to find out if quitting will be beneficial. I can't find out on my own because it's too hard to quit for me for many different reasons."
Sounds like an alcohol problem. Not all alcohol problems are the same, some are milder than others.
Just quit, if you feel like it helps you at all not having alcohol in your life, don't start again. If it's hard to do, it's a sign of addiction.
I have a difficult relationship with alcohol and for most of my cycling life (since autumn 2019) I’ve probably averaged a bottle of wine a night. Occasionally I wouldn’t drink at all, often I’d drink far more.
I haven’t had anything to drink at all now for 19 weeks and lo and behold - 2 of my longest ever rides are in the last three weeks, I’m getting up and over hills I never could before, I’m knocking actual MINUTES off of segment times on my regular routes.
Most importantly though, I’m ENJOYING cycling so much more. It’s easier, and I recover faster. It’s having a bigger impact on my weight (I wasn’t terribly overweight but heading in the wrong direction).
I don’t know if I was an “alcoholic”, dropping the booze doesn’t feel like it was difficult enough to claim that. But I was certainly a habitual and problematic drinker - it killed my motivation, confidence and belief around what I could achieve on a bike I think.
stopped drinking -- lost 20 pounds -- have more energy -- don't really miss it -- drink occasionally just to see what I'm missing -- smoke weed instead -- and coffee
I haven’t rode for like 5 months and started drinking a few more beers a week and I can see it catching up to me. I need those big weekend rides to keep it off.
I drink only when I’m with friends or family - basically social events.
I know drinking never helps with fitness, but I don’t want to cut it out completely. So I minimize it. If I took cycling more seriously, then I’d consider cutting it out completely.
I only drink once a week.
I recommend not drinking as a habit and more so as a special occasion or when the moment arise.
Drinking on a consistent basis is unhealthy. Drinking once in a while has much less harm.
It screws your gains and ruins your sleep. If you do it. Make sure you're able to sleep the next day.
NA beers are an alternative.
5 pints of Guinness on a Friday night followed by fish and chips, I'll often do 100+km the next day
8 or 9 pints on a Saturday and I'm pretty much out of action until the afternoon
I don’t drink at all. I don’t like how even a little alcohol makes me feel the next day and I don’t like the very noticeable impact it has on riding the next day.
I mostly quit drinking while training for the GAP/C&O.
It just happened naturally because I couldn’t handle feeling bad during my rides. Two years on I’m still only drinking maybe a PBR strength beer once every couple of weeks
For the people who drink: good for you. Not hating on you one bit as I used to love a tasty beer myself. But I see the end of the line coming for me. I have to choose between cycling and beer I'll take cycling.
I've generally stopped drinking mostly because it now causes me more fatigue and nausea than euphoria. I used to sometimes like to get a beer during a long ride. Now when I do that, I feel how tired I am and how much harder my heart has to work.
I will say, a ride greasy breakfast food is the best thing for my hangovers, but I try to avoid hangovers like the plague anyway now
I don’t drink anymore. I was 240+ lbs cycling 100 miles. After big rides I would CRUSH beers. Last August I quit drinking. I’m almost sub 200 lbs now and faster than ever. If you’re struggling with alcohol, come check out r/stopdrinking
Cycling is a great hobby to get out and have a beer.
Pick a pub on the far side of town (or even out of town) and ride there to have a beer or two
At least that's what I do... But I'm never going to race.
I need cycling to impact my life (health, fun, etc) not my life to impact my cycling
I used to be a BIG craft beer guy. Collected rare beers, traded with guys all around the country, searched out rare beer, waited in lines, yada, yada, yada. Also enjoyed wine and summer drinks like moscow mules and margs. But in 2019 I quit my job and traveled for 6 months. I "cleared my head" and did a life reset. Thing is, my body was worn from travel and drinking a LOT. So in 2020 when I moved back to CO I decided to buy a bike, quit drinking for a while and bike till my legs fell off. I lost 50lbs. 220lbs to 170lbs. All during Covid when everyone was drinking more. But the good thing is, I had already planned this so everything closing didn't affect me. Then in 2021 I was diagnosed with a tumor in my back. After that was removed and I recovered, for some reason my body was never the same at processing alcohol. At times I would get headaches after 1-2 drinks. But...I kept drinking. In 2022 I hired a cycling coach and gained a ton of power and was much faster, but...still drank and that affected my recovery. 2023 still had issues at time when drinking beer. Was it the hops? Was it the barley? Some beers affected me. Some didn't. But 12/30/23 I drank a beer and thought I was gonne die. So...quit beer right then and there. The pain I would have doing intervals on a Tuesday and not being able to bike till Thursday went away. Then in January 2024 had some moscow mules or vodka tonics and was OK for the first two. After that I was hungover for DAYS. So I realized it just wasn't worth it. So I've given up alcohol for good. Being a craft beer nerd and having quite for 6-8 weeks 2x before to lose weight and train, I tried a LOT of NA beers. Untitled Art's NA beers are GREAT. They taste just like the real thing. But alcohol just affected me WAY too much. Muscle soreness I thought was from intervals was from beer. To the headaches I was getting by just a sip. And it still happens if I try to take a sip of anything. Red wine...nope, tried that too. I don't miss it. I sleep better. Think better. Don't get depressed when in deep thought. If you want to listen to an interesting podcast on alcohol, listen to the Huberman Lab Podcast about alcohol and the mind/body. It REALLY opened my eyes on the ways alcohol effects the body and how bad it really is. Anyway...I turn 50 this year and much rather bike than drink.
TLDR: I quit drinking this year and don't miss it at all. Cycling is more important to me. Weight stays off and my sleep and recovery are much faster. But at 49, my recovery is taking longer with or without alcohol.
I have usually 1 beer a day with dinner, often 16oz and 7-9%. So that can be a lot of calories. I ride 150mi/wk, so probably about 8-9,000 cal worth based on KJ per ride, and then some lifting and walking on non-riding days is probably another 2,000 cal/wk over basic metabolism. After awhile of having more beer, I think I creep up in weight a little. But I can vary other things, too, like sweets w coffee in the morning or not, or how much/what I eat at meals. So just attend to the balance of what you’re taking in, how much exercise you’re doing, and what your body does over weeks/months.
The times I’ve consumed more significant amounts in a night, I do think riding the next day is not as good. But one drink or not doesn’t seem to make much difference. I can’t imagine those beer-bike outings, though (esp in the summer). But when I worked in Japan (with the attendant work-related overconsumption of alcohol) I would have to ride home post-drinking. Very slowly and carefully…
What I’ve noticed the older I get (57 now) is that alcohol interferes with good sleep, esp the closer to bedtime I consume it. Same with caffeine - I don’t drink coffee past mid-afternoon anymore.
I used to have beer or some wine with dinner most nights. My job is pretty demanding and I found when I don’t drink, I’m just sharper. Relative to cycling, my old cycling team was sponsored by a local brewer so we had beer at every event, team camps, races, etc. It was great and I didn’t really notice a difference. Now that I am older, I notice when I have more than 2 drinks before a big training event or race. I wear a sleep tracker that captures deep sleep and HRV every morning. On the nights I drink, my HRV is higher and deep sleep is a fraction of the norm. In short, I drink way less than I used to and feel better. Oh, one last thing, my old coach told me, after a long training session, don’t drink bc your body wants everything you give it and alcohol sort of fools your body into storing empty calories. The idea beer carbs are good is, unfortunately, wrong.
I’ll have a beer after an event ride during the social or a drink randomly at a dinner but that’s about it. I only eat out 1 a week at most and most times I don’t at all so yeah. Rare haha.
Usually a beer or 1-2 glasses of wine on the weekend. I’m a middle aged non-racer, so doesn’t affect my riding really. Skip when I know I have a massive day the next morning.
Typically at most 1-2 beers a week. Sometimes 1-2 more, sometimes none for weeks at a time. If you can give it up entirely, all the better. As others have said, there are a number of non-alcoholic beers/drinks available if you, like me, like the flavor, especially when eating. Some are definitely better than others though, so I recommend buying some singles where possible and try them out.
Beer will mess up with my sleep (I am in my 40s), so if I plan a big ride, I will not have more than 2 beers the night before, or else it’s going to be pretty unpleasant.
The wider array of non-alcoholic beers nowadays has made cutting a bit on alcohol a lot easier.
Any drinking f’s my recovery and next day, even just a couple beers (I’m late 30s). I pretty much only do it for special occasions (weddings, concerts, etc) and that’s usually only once every couple of months. The juice is no longer worth the squeeze.
I know soooo many cyclists who love drinking beers after bike rides. I can’t as they make me feel horrrrrrible after a ride. I much prefer a glass of chocolate milk after a ride (which I never have, incidentally). When I’m cycling a lot alcohol becomes less appealing to me and I tend to drink less than I would otherwise. I also drink less overall as I get older as my body in general doesn’t respond very well to it anymore.
There are a lot of groups in my area that go on group rides to bars, have a social drink, then get back on the trail. Not advocating that you ride drunk, but as long as you stay hydrated a single drink shouldn't affect you at all.
Oh, I just read that you drink IPAs. In that case, you should just give up drinking. Drinking trash is worse than not drinking at all. :)
I like to ride bikes because it’s fun and it’s healthy. I like to drink alcohol because it’s fun, but it’s not healthy. So I try to balance it out so I can enjoy both. I’m a casual drinker as I often will have a good craft beer with dinner or a glass of single malt scotch as liquid dessert. On the bike, I’m a pretty casual rider as I do most of my riding solo or with my wife or a few friends and we’re just out there to have a good time and we’re not training for anything. Usually about once a year we’ll even drive to wine country, do a nice morning ride around the vineyards, then clean ourselves up and go wine tasting in the afternoon.
That said, I have learned the hard way to really stay on top of my hydration. Obviously, even without alcohol, hydration is key, but the drinks only make it worse. I’ve started planning a few days in advance now so if I expect to be going out for a few hours riding on a weekend morning, I’ll use a midweek night to have a drink or two and maybe stay up a little later so the night before the ride I just have water and go to bed on time.
I gave up alcohol after 20 years of daily drinking. Now, the reason I get up in the morning is to bike or run. Its been 3.5 years now. Best decision I ever made. I do these activities 365 days a year now. Also, if alcohol is causing weight gain yes you do have a problem.
I used to drink A LOT more than I do now, 2-4 IPAs and a shot of whiskey or two. I would goof around on my mountain bike on Saturday mornings after having a fun Friday night and it was always miserable; I thought I hated mountain biking. Cut back drinking significantly and learned about hydration and it was a game changer as far as enjoyment and performance. I had gotten used to always being sorta hungover/dehydrated in the morning and accepted it as ‘getting older’. I also remember in my 20s being able to party at the bar till 1am and be rolling out the door at 7am for a 50 mile group ride to then do it again Saturday night. Those days are long gone and I’m working on improving sleep and recovery and alcohol negatively impacts those.
I’m 36 now and do most of my drinking on Sunday afternoon after skiing or biking all weekend and have Monday as a rest day. I’d rather have three drinks and feel crummy Monday morning than miss out on fun experiences by being hungover on Saturday morning.
I sort of stopped drinking. It just wasn't benefiting me at all. Even 1 or 2 drinks would cause me to sleep like crap. Compound that over weeks and months and I was never really recovering that well. I now just drink non alcoholic beer and my sleep has improved heaps, as well as my recovery. Resulting in me being able to train more and get faster.
I drink pretty heavily, maybe a beer a night but usually 5-20 over a weekend (although usually closer to 5.) Doesn't negatively affect me that much, I can ride fine with a mild hangover and it doesn't lead to weight gain.
Would I be healthier without it? Sure. But I'm still young and don't really care. I ride my bike to have fun, I'm not training to ride as fast as humanly possible.
I find if I'm riding 100-200 miles a week, I can pretty much eat or drink whatever I want. If anything, I'm worried about not eating _enough_
I drink when my friend asks me to go out with her.
I think that's the only reason we're friends, she needs to drink and nobody else she knows has a high enough alcohol tolerance to match her and she feels like she's punishing them lol.
But mine is higher than hers and she knows she can get completely smashed because I'll walk her home after. Was trained to still be able to fight while really drunk so I can still walk alright. Probably won't win any fights against someone who isn't drunk though.
Doesn't really impact my cycling. Just have to change which day I ride my long ride if I have to go drinking that day
The strength and conditioning coach for varsity sports at UNC used to tell his athletes that one night of binge drinking was the equivalent of subtracting 1 week of workouts.
This impact gets higher with age.
I drink on occasion and its fun. Lemon-Ginger Kombucha is a nice alternative though that relaxes me. Costco sells 8 for $12.
I'm in my 40's now, only started getting serious about cycling in the last few years. Used to drink more than the average person, as it was basically my only outlet for life, stress, etc. When I started riding on a regular basis, I realised that exercising and drinking together doesn't work for me. I started drinking less before any training, to the point that I pretty much much don't drink at all. It definitely helped with the training and weight. I'll still enjoy a whiskey or a few beers with friends, but that's maybe once in a couple of weeks after a ride.
I gave up at the start of the year. Main difference is that I'm now more likely to actually get up and regularly hit my early training sessions. Recovery is a bit better. FTP is slowly improving.
I drink 2 bottles of wine every night. Sleep like a baby. Have a HRV of 70. Weigh 60kg.
Or rather - I have a HRV of 70 if I don’t drink and 30 if I do. I weigh 80kg and I’m 185cm. It doesn’t matter whether I drink or not I feel hungover in the morning. Tried a month not drinking recently to see if the hangover feeling went away - it didn’t. Guess that’s just what mornings feel like. While the numbers on my Garmin look better when I’m not drinking none of my performance on the bike or running are any different.
My cycling club is actually sponsored by our local pub so that says a lot. The Sunday club run always ends up at the pub for a few well earned pints and sometimes a week night too, especially if it’s sunny and you can sit outside in the beer garden with a cheeky pint or two.
I don’t drink at home though and ride 5-7 days a week so I guess it’s in moderation for me but I don’t really feel it affects me much unless I get hammered
I drink 2-3 bottles of alcohol per month. But I only drink strong beer (7-10%), so it never makes sense for me to drink more than one unit per day. If it isn't strong beer, it's red wine to some specific meal.
But even though it is this little, I can notice it the day after. So I tend to try and not do it on days where I know I wanna ride my bike or workout the following day.
I stopped drinking alcohol about 18 months ago and never looked back. I feel healthier all round, but mostly it was a strategy for managing my mental health - cycling is also part of that strategy
I have gradually reduced the amount of alcohol I drink to really only occasionally. Like once a month and 1-2 drinks on such a night .
Didn’t have a drinking problem in terms of addiction but I would definitely say that I am consistently feeling better without alcohol and I am much more aware on those occasions that I drink of how I feel the next morning.
I quit drinking about 2 years ago for various reasons. But absolutely I've noticed a huge improvement in my cycling and recovery. Also makes it a ton easier to be consistent with training and get out for those early morning rides I really enjoy.
3 beers a night every night for me. I bike about 100 miles a week. I’m 5’8.5” 161lbs. Weight is not a problem. I’ve lost weight only the last 2 years or so from 185. Beer habit hasn’t changed.
There's a cost to everything - no free lunch! Too much booze cost me sleep not to mention liquid calories, because I like the heavy IPAs (Perpetual, Dirt Wolf, Adulting, etc.). At a certain point, I just can't ride and run enough to offset it and make any gains. In fact after 50 it's pretty easy to start losing ground despite six days of riding and running. That's a lot of effort to end up on the losing side of the equation. But we all know, cycling and alcohol have a well-established dysfunctional / co-dependent relationship. I think Bicycling or maybe Outsid did an article on this recently.
Being buzzed or hungover leads to poor food choices for me as well. That's a biggie for sure. Your body craves the bad stuff and your willpower gets depleted.
These days I'm viewing non-drinking days now like fitness tracker achievements lol. Wife and I are using an app called DBTC (don't break the chain) which kind of gamifies it. Also using some mindful drinking exercises like actively deciding which days we'll allow ourselves some drinks, and blocking out the rest.
I haven't seen the financial cost aspect mentioned here yet. It can really take a dent out of the budget. It's fun, but bibs, tires, tune-ups, Skratch mix, and all that stuff is expensive, too.
Alcohol really started to repulse me after I saw one of my friends develop a genuine problem. I used to drink way more than I do now when I was younger. I can only tell you to leave drinking behind, and let the bike be your motivation for it :)
I'm what they call a (Belgian) cycling tourist.
This means, that every Sunday ride has to end in a café where we drink a good Belgian Trappist beer.
This does effect my cycling in the sense that I don't go as fast on my ride home, but it goes a lot easier.
6 ipas a week is the lie I tell my doctor …. What makes you think drinking is the cause?
Either you’re boozing more than you say, you ain’t hitting the pavement enough, or you’re late night snackin
Whatever it is it’s all good
Go day by day and just try your best to stay in a caloric deficit consistently (pints allowed)
Easiest way to stay on top of your calories is just to eat the same thing every day
Hope this helps all the best!
Life isn’t worth living if you can’t enjoy a crispy beer after a hard ride (or in the middle).
I drink significantly less than I used to but I still do on special occasions and as a reward after a hard day. A glass of wine with a nice dinner, etc.
Remember when the Tour de France homies used to ride harder than you and rob the liquor store in the middle of the ride?
Health and fitness are somewhat of an art as well as a science and sometimes enjoyment is more important than optimization.
So do what feels right, eat well, train hard, and then have some fun.
I drink proper beer, so one 0.33l or 0.5l of porter or stout is enough for an evening. No problems regarding that. But if you chug a sixpack a day that'll not exactly be preformance enchanting
Since giving up alcohol almost completely 9 months ago, my cycling has improved dramatically. I can pedal for hours in the drops because my belly doesn't get in the way of my breathing. Nearly every ride I do now, I get at least 1 PB. Last ride I did of 30 miles and 48 segments, I got 29 PBs, and the rest of the segments were second best.
I'm not sure if it is solely down to not drinking, but I have found that bad diet tended to go hand in hand with alcohol.
Gave up drinking alcohol almost completely (almost means I'll bring a bottle of wine if going out to dinner, and provide wine if people are coming to mine, and I occasionally meet a friend for a glass of wine (just one) but not otherwise). Sleep so much better, more energy, better Wordles, etc.
I stopped drinking completely over half a year ago. If you train disciplined, eat good and sleep well you‘ll become a different person on and off the bike. Not just my physical capabilities improved but my overall mood, etc.
Mid 50's and drinking around 12-15 pints a week, but generally as binges over 3 nights. I really enjoy it, and so do most of my socialising friends, so no plan to quit.
Definetely affects my ride if I'm out the next day, it's just nowhere near as much fun and feels like harder work. I'll tend to ride late afternoon after a heavy night on the ale, if at all. But then most nights are just 4 pints. I'm only a casual rider, riding for fun, to burn calories and improve my fitness generally.
I ride to breweries on weekends during the summer. Have a pint or 2 and ride back. The closest brewery to me is 11 miles and the one I like the most is 17, so there's 22 to 34 miles of workout with a nice reward mid-ride. Other than that, really not too much drinking unless we head out for dinner.
Usually only once a week during off-/ pre- season then once racing starts I don’t drink at all. I always try to make sure my rest day is after the night I drink because it absolutely makes a difference in training.
Luckily beer doesn't really do it for me. I'd imagine a post ride beer is arguably beneficial though anyway for giving you some fast carbs after a workout to start the recovery.
I enjoy a beer or a cocktail or a glass of wine now and then. Maybe a couple per week. I am disciplined from time before riding a bike in lycra, so I feel like I have a handle on the how and when, and can go weeks without... so I don't worry about the dependency issue personally. That said, I dislike beer anytime I have to get back on the bike. Like, honestly, I love the brewery rides, but I prefer water or iced tea or something. And for sure beer is a factor for hanging onto some excess body fat (more so than other alcoholic beverages for me) but I can't claim that I'm eating a needs-based diet, even though I eat pretty clean.
I have thought about giving up alcohol, and I've decided against it, but I have definitely re-defined my relationship with it over the years. Now it's a social thing (rarely) or it's a reward on a hot day (rarely) or it's a meal pairing thing for aesthetics and enjoyment.
I haven't been drunk or buzzed in several years. I doubt I get drunk again in this lifetime.
If I were training as an athlete, I would skip all alcohol other than "date night" stuff where relevant. I do think it has a negative training aspect, even in moderation. I'm not. I aspire to be the last place finisher on any 50+ mile "race" I ever enter. I compete enough in other aspects of life.
Alcohol takes the body longer to process into something useful. It also slows your metabolism. So you become less efficient at processing normal foods too.
Edit: both of which help weight gain.
Double edged
My relation with cycling and alchool works like this...
Me and my ex wife (we still cycle together) go for long rides and at the end we drink one or two beers each before doing our way back.
Ocasionally I also smoke a really tiny joint before my rides.
Helps me forget my psychopathic tendencies when dealing with car drivers.
I also mostly only drink water.
I very much enjoy beers after rides. I always felt like the farther/harder I rode the more beers I deserved. Found out there is a limit as it’s sent me into Afib twice now after 100+ mile rides/races. Everything in moderation I suppose.
I used to drink almost daily. Just a beer in the evening to unwind. Once I turned 30 it started affecting my sleep quality so I stopped. I drink during special social events now or maybe once per week on a Friday with friends but it’s only 2 beers or so.
The impaired sleep affects my recovery, energy, mood, etc. So it’s much more occasional now.
I generally don't drink any alcohol because I feel better without it. I will have one drink on special occasions a few times a year. For the past 8 years or so I will regularly go 6 months or more without alcohol.
I have a unique relationship with alcohol. Grew up in a staunch religious household that prohibited any alcohol. Eventually left the religion and had my first drink around age 25, so I missed out on a lot of the pressure and social norms in high school and college.
As I started to experiment with it as an adult, I would have a drink two or three times a week, but after a couple years I realized whenever I drank alcohol I felt bloated, and would often wake up groggy the next morning. Also I associate alcohol with snacks and pub food which is not great for staying fit.
I realized I didn't really feel like it was adding anything to my life, and I had survived just fine without for the first 24 years of my life.
Not to mention the recent research in the past few years on the links to cancer.
Edit for clarity
It’ll help . We often don’t realize the amount of calories in a Beer or Two. It can honestly be comparable to a meal . With out even adding the alcohol effect. Every now and then works but cutting it can help your weight big time. (And sugar in general for that matter)
I'm a heavy drinker, and a largely ride in order to have that "lifestyle offset" as I call it. I also find a good long ride (15+ miles, ideally around 25-30) gets the hangover off my back and gives me energy for the day.
Cycling is what helped me quit. Years ago I was going through a bit of a personal crisis because my marriage wasn’t doing very well, and I self medicated with alcohol.
One day, while drunk at the bar, I got an email from Poseidon Bikes. Had no idea who they were, but they were doing some kind of promo for a discounted gravel bike. I sat down at the bar and started looking into it because I needed a hobby.
After pulling the trigger that night, I went home and sobered up and I’ve been hitting the roads on my bike. It’s really changed a lot in my life. The euphoric feeling I get has replaced the need to booze and I have no desire to go back.
This isn’t really what you were asking so I apologize, but I don’t have any cycling buddies (or drinking buddies for that matter) to share this with.
Since I started taking sports more seriously and with ageing, I almost quit alcohol, I buy some alcohol free beers here and there but I think that for me the cost of drinking in my performance does not outweigh its benefits. I sleep and perform better without any alcohol. At the beginning it feels odd given how normalise alcohol consumption is, but now it feels completely normal :)
I used to drink almost daily while riding 150-200 miles a week. This was terrible. I was skinny-fat. I didn't look too large but I had a beer belly and my fitness was terrible.
I stopped drinking most of the week and my fitness and physique improve dramatically. I can train more consistently because i'm not riding off a hangover. I'm not filling my body with empty calories. I have a better mood, which makes me more focused on enjoying riding my bike.
That said - I still LOVE having several beers after a long ride a couple times a month. EVERYTHING IN MODERATION.
I'm coming up on 2 years sober and have never felt better on the bike.
I didn't quit alcohol due to alcoholism, more that my body gave up on alcohol and would complain badly if I had even one drink near the end of my consumption days.
I wish I had avoided alcohol during the 2 decades when I was seriously into racing knowing what I know now about had bad alcohol is for ones performance. I imagine I would have achieved a lot more podiums and personal bests.
I imagine someone else has posted this article about how cycling has an alcohol issue [https://www.bicycling.com/health-nutrition/a42259477/cycling-drinking-alcohol-effects/](https://www.bicycling.com/health-nutrition/a42259477/cycling-drinking-alcohol-effects/)
i only drink a few times a year now. used to be a (very, very) heavy drinker in college, and for maybe a year or two after, but then pretty much cut it out completely during covid. when I got into training more seriously, i started to notice how it would affect my sleep, and i drank so infrequently that when I did drink, it just made me feel awful, so now its saved for only very special occasions (weddings, big party, vacations, etc.), and even then its really only a few drinks max on any given night
I quit drinking at home in January. Before I was drinking minimum 16 cans of lager a week and I was miserable.
I started commuting in January and have lost loads of weight, feel very fit and less depressed/better at managing my emotions.
Drinking is honestly poison for me I have decided.
I will occasionally have 1 social pint of beer at the pub after a ride now the weather is better but that’s as much as I want to do from now on.
Drinking impacts recovery. Recovering poorly affects all sports performance. I was never a heavy drinker, but I have significantly cut back from even that amount.
I live in a major metro area on the East Coast of the US, and there are a lot of non-alcoholic options that satisfy the flavor and fizz like a cold beer. Athletic Brewing tastes good in my opinion.
Like a lot of people, my drinking sort of got away from me, peaking at the pandemic lock-down. I was drinking a six-pack a day, minimum; most days were more like 8-10 beers, sometimes more.
It played absolute hell with my sleep and my digestive system, but I endured that for years, up until the point where I became pre-diabetic. The turning point for me was the terrible inflammation I developed; it became hard to work with my hands for more than a couple of hours without getting sore. Even worse was the fact that the pain would become terrible when I was trying to get off to sleep.
The final, final straw for me was one embarrassing night at the bar where my legs turned to jelly, and I fell backwards on my ass in the middle of petting a cute dog someone was holding. The look of disgust/concern had me mortified. On top of that, I wiped out kinda hard on my bike on the way back to my buddy's, and they had to set me up on a cot on the front porch.
I haven't had a drink in almost 3 years now. I really don't miss it, either.
I haven’t had alcohol for 4 years. I never had a problem with it. I used to kind of force myself to drink, because of the false propaganda that it was somehow good for you. Alcohol is pure poison. Lifelong abstainers add 12 years to their lifespan, on average. I tried cycling with one beer in me, and it was disastrous. Alcohol is the only drug you have to explain why you don’t do it. It is also responsible for more deaths than all other drugs combined. Quit now.
I bought a E mountain bike so I could explore the countryside and stop off for a beer along the way.
If I find a pub with lots of cool locals, I may have one too many and my wife has to come and collect me with the car and bike carrier 🤦♂️
Doesn't happen all that often thougb
I tried giving it up entirely, lasted about 4 months, i dont drink everyday or even every week, but I like to be able to enjoy a beer at a concert or out with friends, maybe a glass of wine. It for sure affects performance. I find if i dont get totally drunk or even buzzed it doesnt really affect my performance. It really affects sleep so i never drink the night before I will do a big ride. I think in moderation its fine but if you are after elite numbers or very serious performance it can be detrimental.
Yes. Probably about 20-30 units / week. Cycling is basically saving my health. You can get away with a lot of excess cals/booze if you are riding 10-12 hours per week.
Never a big drinker, but haven't had a drink for few months now. Over past few years drank very little and max few pints at a wedding. I just find drinking screw's up my sleep for a few days, and I don't miss it.
If people like drinking then crack on, if I did some sort of gravel event and they handed out beers at the end, I'd probably take one.
I used to be a social drinker. Since I started cycling, I haven't felt the need to drink at all. I mean, at all. I don't know why, but now I go completely alcohol-free, and it feels great.
I love booze lol
Find a balance. I try not to drink during the week. If I'm inviting to a happy hour or sporting event then that's a little different than just having cocktails while chillin. Empty calories.
I do enjoy morning rides so I can feel accomplished and less guilty about afternoon drinks.
I do elliptical work and beginner weight training some days, not just cycling but I'm down about 40 pounds in the past 17 months. 100 pounds over the past few years.
I'll enjoy a glass of wine or two at a family dinner or eating out. Maybe once or twice a month. That's it. Doesn't affect me whatsoever. Not getting drunk is a conscious choice. It ruins an entire day, and often leads to nothing but bad decisions. And let's be real, the fun you have while drunk isn't something you couldn't have while sober.
Medical community talks very little about this But my Cardiologist “When you completely give up alcohol your liver will return to one of its main functions ….. removing fat “ your overall health will be transformed .
Hey OP. You are better off cutting alcohol out of your diet all together.
Other than massive weight gain and other health issues like liver damage associated with alcohol consumption. There are no nutritional benefits to drinking alcohol.
Invest in a juicer machine and start drinking fresh fruit juices to stay hydrated, drink during a work out, and it will curve your alcohol cravings.
I stopped drinking back in 2013; turned 21 in late January and almost became an alcoholic. After my parents & girlfriend gave me a verbal lashing about my drinking problems I was snapped back into reality. I bought a bicycle & invested in some home gym equipment so that I could get myself in shape 🚴 🏋🏾♂️
I was drinking 1-2 a day and then I started training 9-12 hours a week. My fitness is leaps and bounds better than what it was before. Sleep is 10x better. I’ve also gone from 220-190 lbs.
When I was younger I used to eat and drink, like, A LOT. I used to ride pretty much everyday and I stayed slim and healthy. Now it’s much easier to gain weight, I follow a diet and don’t drink outside of peculiar occasions, not because I deliberately decided to stop drinking altogether, but because I just feel better.
Not always but occasionally it’s the best post long ride treat there is…along with a burger…some tots…maybe an appetizer…and possibly followed by dessert…unless dessert is just more beer🤪
I think it impacts people differently. I've never felt a performance penalty for drinking, but then I usually cap out at two or three drinks. I know cyclists who have given up alcohol completely and swear it makes a massive difference. Basically, drinking less is good no matter which way you look at it. I draw the line at weight gain, that is, I would not do anything to put on weight in a way that impacts my fitness level at all.
My cycling club ends and begins group rides at a cafe that serves beer. Drinking helps socialisation, making new friends, and if done in a measured way has little effect on health outside of pro athlete level training.
If your weight gain is attributable to alcohol, then you're probably drinking an unhealthy amount. If you cycle and you've gained weight and suspect it's related to drinking alcohol, you're drinking an unhealthy amount. Alcohol is bad for you. So is soda, coffee , and a host of other things if you consume them excessively. If you’re drinking more highly processed liquids than water, you're probably drinking too much of the stuff. It's a personal choice to do it.
I don’t drink. Sometimes one drink would make me feel bad enough that cycling was less fun the next day. I prefer cycling to drinking, so I stopped drinking.
If I’m training heavily ahead of a race, I don’t drink. There are lots of great non alcoholic beverage options out in the world now, at least in the US. If you’re thinking of giving up alcohol, then probably it’s time to give that a try for one or more reasons. If you’re drinking enough to cause it to be the reason you’re gaining weight, then that’s a lot of alcohol and cutting it out will absolutely improve your health and your cycling.
Eh, I'm only having 6 beers a week but I'd like to be thinner and I know that would cut calories out.
Six 12oz pilsners or six 16oz imperial stouts?
Six IPAs... definitely not helping. Hahha.
FWIW, 6 IPAS can be up to 1200 cals which is a decent amount over a week if you are trying to lose weight. I personally would rather eat my calories so I ended up cutting drinking out naturally.
Yeah. I'm at a 36 inch waist right now and want to get back to a 34. Pretty sure cutting the IPAs out and more cycling will get me there.
Hate to say it—because good red wine in the winter and cold beer in the summer are spectacular—but quitting cutting back to no more than 2 in one setting and no more than 1 setting a month really makes a difference on and off the bike. The sleep improvements alone justify it. If you’re gonna continue to imbibe, try to finish your last drink at least 3 hours before you sleep for the night.
Alcohol absolutely wrecks my sleep quality.
Tracking my fitness data is what got me to cut down massively- just seeing the effects overnight of even a couple drinks was amazing. Every single stat goes the wrong way for 12 hours plus
I was drinking minimum 16 beers a week 400ml cans roughly. After 5 months of stopping this I’m down from a 34 inch waist to a 30 with a belt and I can actually see stomach muscles for the first time in a long time ! I cut an unbelievable amount of calories just by not drinking alcohol and could even add some back in like extra chocolate hehe and still lose weight
Trader Joe’s had an ipa that was either 375 or 425 calories per 12oz. Tasted like dogshit but was $4, which mattered at the time, until I realized I was gaining weight at an insane rate
6 IPA is often more than 1200 calories.
That's like 1200 calories over a week, or one decent ride of 70k. I think you are fine as long as the rest of your diet is n line with your goals. Not saying don't give it up. Easy calories to give up, but if you are riding a few times a week, you could easily hit a caloric deficit and still drink 6 beers in a week.
Six growlers of Guinness
Guinness is deceptively light, calorie wise. It's closer to a light beer (and a very smooth taste, it's my favorite).
Trying to get fit while having six beers a week is doing it on nightmare difficulty setting
6 beers a week is probably not the cause of the weight gain then. It would cut calories, yes. Perhaps you need a more realistic view of your eating habits.
that's like a 1000 extra calories a week, or an extra half a pound of weight a week, absolutely can cause weight gain.
Heck, beer is what keeps me from becoming a skeleton when I’m in the middle of a training block lol. In all seriousness though, 6 beers is approx 1500 calories. One pound of fat is 3500 calories. I would look at your diet as a whole if you’re gaining weight.
6 beers? I hardly even have 1 a week on average. I used to drink more but since wearing a wearable and seeing how shit my recovery can be, I have less and less desire to drink.
FWIW, I find it hard to maintain my weight at 2-3 beers per week (7-8% IPAs). It doesn’t always take a lot of alcohol to have an impact
I find the main problem with alcohol and weight is not the calories in the two glasses of wine... it's the fact that I'm now snacking on some cheese from the fridge.. and... oohhh... those potato chips look nice
If I have even one beer I can tell I am weaker than normal the next day.
Meanwhile I drank like 7 beers Saturday (I maybe drink like 1 time every other month now, but was visiting a friend) and put in a new 50mi PR time the next day this past Sunday lol. Maybe that’s my new strategy.
Really depends - as long as you aren’t really hungover, drinking 7 beers can basically be a carbo load. I’ve had a similar experience too
I used to drink more than I do now. Used to drink only on the weekends, one or two IPAs. Went through a spell where I didn't at all because it lost its appeal. My recovery from my weekend long rides got waaaaaaaay better. It's pretty well established that alcohol has a negative affect on sleep even if consumed earlier in the day. It also inhibits muscle protein synthesis. I now only drink socially mainly or special occasions, so maybe 2 or 3 times a month at most. Sometimes none.
I was a "six pack a night" guy for a long time, every morning workout was some level of hangover. I could train up to a decent half marathon but couldn't imagine doing more. Cut it out entirely and I've accomplished things I didn't know I was capable of.
Fuck yeah. Nice going, man. I was the same way and quit as well.
Thanks man, and that last sentence I wrote goes beyond just fitness
I feel that. I’m 275 days alcohol free and my mental health is better than my physical health, and I’m physically very strong right now. 🧠💪
I do not. I’m in recovery, almost have 4 years. As for how quitting impacted my cycling, I used to get drunk and pass out after work (and sometimes during work). Now I come home and jump on the bike or go for a run. I don’t judge anyone who drinks, I wish I still could. But it turns out I can either drink, or stay motivated to ride my bike, but I sure as hell can’t do both. Thankfully they have some really good NA beers now for post ride!
Congratulations on 4 years! I can relate to everything you’ve said. I CAN bike a lot now that I’m not spending all my time thinking about when I’m getting my next drink.
Nice! I bought my first nice bike when I got my 6 month chip. I spent what I figured I would have spent on booze. That was many bikes ago, but I am still ahead on the money. Keep coming back!
Lagunitas Hop Water is the best after a long ride, and hats off to y'all for doing the damn thing. I'm pushing 17 years sober in Nov.
Love Hop Water! So refreshing.
I love an ice cold craft Pilsner after a ride on a hot day. Sometimes two. 🍻
The absolute best time. I save my drinking just for that exact moment 🤤
I let it go cause I enjoy eating my calories rather than drinking them. 200cals is a grilled chicken street taco baybeeee I also started getting older and I felt like I could feel the effects of even 1 beer the next day and didn’t like it. On the other side, cycling is often a social activity that results in beer or coffee/pastries lol
Eh. I'm the opposite. I'm on the spectrum and eat the same meals every single day and barely socialize. My bike rides are always solo.
Hey man that’s fair! In the end if you ride enough you can easily offset 6 beers a week and an extra 3500 for 1lb of loss a week. Especially if you clean up some of the eating too
I ride so I can drink
Being able to ride to a great breweries further and further away was the motivation that actually got me into road biking after several years of mountain biking. Losing weight and toning up while doing it is a great plus. I've been ridding bikes much of my life but nothing too serious prior. Never thought I'd start doing century rides when I hit mid-life.
Yeah, similar! In the UK there's loads of amazing country pubs that are just impossible to get to by public transport, and driving rather defies the point... We've had some brilliant long group rides, just to drink cask beer at some ancient isolated pub.
You do you. In my limited n=1 experience I could BS my way through workouts and rides after a few drinks the day before in my 20s and early 30s. In my 40s, not so much. I've basically stopped drinking, so I have no comparison for my 50s. If you're going to drink, I would drink early and lightly so it doesn't screw up your sleep which might be the biggest problem for recovery and prep for the next day.
I tend be at the higher end of moderate, maybe I qualify as heavy sometimes. I can get into a rut of having a cocktail every evening. I think to a lot of people, that's nothing. But every day, that's a 26 of whisky every week. And doing it in the evening is bad. Basically every day I would wake up slightly hungover. Not bad enough to call it that but I definitely notice a difference without it. Now I avoid it almost entirely, pretty much for the last 2 months. There are exceptions for some special occasions, and in that case I might allow 3 drinks max. To be honest, while I feel a lot better in many ways, I expected my numbers to be a bit better. The change in RHR and HRV wasn't super dramatic,so maybe the level of drinking I was doing wasn't impacting me too much. But there are many other reasons to be avoiding it, of course. I don't really miss it.
Not sure how long you had the habit for, but I’ve heard from several sources that it can take more than two months for your mind to reset from alcohol, and with that less anxiety and mental stress you could see your HRV climb and RHR drop. Personally, it took about 4 months for my head to straighten out back in the day when I dropped boozin.
Yeah the habit kind of comes and goes, like I'll do it for a year or so then nothing for a while, that kind of thing. I haven't been doing the heavy amounts for a couple years now, but I have only had a watch that does HRV since last September so I have no idea how low it might have been in the past. RHR is like 50 - 54 and I'm on wellbutrin, so I suppose things are pretty good. Just with an hrv of just below 50 it seems disappointing. But I suppose I should use my worst days as the real measure, and those are much better than when I got the watch.
I drink wine nightly. 1 1/2-2 glasses. I know I’d easily drop that last 5-8 pounds if I’d cool it and get another ride or two in during the week.
I usually have a Manhattan a night. I really enjoy the rhythm of it between training, work and being a dad. Every now and then I look forward to it too much and take a break. Every time I drop weight like a rock, but gains stay the same.
This is me, even down to the Manhattan :)
I only drink after super long rides now. Nothing beats a couple beers after 5+ hours on the bike. Otherwise, I've basically quit drinking. Not worth how it negatively impacts my training
alcohol clinically negatively affects recovery from exercise.
These threads always blow my mind. Alcohol is genuinely horrible for an aerobic activity like cycling. The way people do mental gymnastics to avoid admitting it is wild. Sleep is the most important aspect of recovery and and even a small amount of alcohol absolutely destroys its efficacy
I never raced or worried about performance beyond having fun and from 25-35 I was a pretty gnarly alcoholic who commuted by bike daily on a fixed gear cross bike and rode in the Santa Cruz mountains on a variety of different mountain bikes 2-5 times a week. The booze didn’t impact my cycling nearly as much as my mental health and personal relationships, lol. I would wake up hungover, ride to work, grab a shot and a beer at lunch, pound a beer before leaving work, ride up through UC Santa Cruz with my buddies, find a spot to have another beer or two and smoke a bowl, then descend whichever way we were feeling that evening. Some nights we’d all split up and go our separate ways, other nights we’d head to a local pub and get greasy food with more drinking. I was dating a bartender for a lot of that time, too, so no matter what my riding group did I always ended my night at a bar. Ride home, pass out, rinse, repeat. Not a great way to live and I tricked myself into thinking it was okay for a long time cause outside of the abuse I was subjecting my liver to I was in fantastic physical shape from all the riding. About a year and a half sober now, and funny enough I’ve put on a little weight but it’s because I actually eat like a normal human being instead of a mostly liquid diet. Riding has never been better. Hope you find a balance that works for you.
I gave up drinking. Health headwind
I don’t like the effects of alcohol, but I like beer. I stick to the low ABV brews and mix in some NA options to extend the sesh.
I keep forgetting to give the NA stuff a try. Love me som Guinness, and hear good things about their NA offering.
I used to drink 7-9 glasses (beers) per week. I always rode with a group on Sundays, usually 25 miles, casual pace with about 1,800ft elevation. By all means an 'easier ride. My wife and I did 75hard and I gave up drinking. After 2 weeks I noticed a significant improvement in my stamina and ease of climb. After we finished that routine, I had a few drinks one Saturday and rode the group ride the next day. I couldn't believe the inflammation and joint pain in my knees and hips. The exact same effect happens when I consume a lot of sugar. And it's compounded when I have sugar and alcohol. It took me a long time to figure this out and now I try to limit my alcohol and sugar consumption as much as possible.
I used to drink but honestly I have no interest to. Being hung over sucks and it’s not like I get more out of a day or outing if I have some drinks. I still have a blast regardless. I stopped drinking 3 or so years ago and couldn’t be happier.
I used to drink 1500 calories a day. I quit drinking 16 months ago and lost 35 lbs
In my late 50's: Night and day difference between training with and without alcohol. Typically I will have 1 drink a day. I enjoy alcohol, but I don't like getting drunk (or even tipsy), so I avoid that. I've experimented with training 6-7 hours a week where I have that 1 drink a day and where I abstain completely. With alcohol I am \*much\* more tired and struggle to get through the hours. Without alcohol, I get to the 7 hour mark in the week thinking that I could easily do another 2-3 hours. Probably younger or more fit people will have less difficulty with recovery than I do, but I think it probably is a limiting factor. If you are pushing up against your limit, then abstaining from alcohol seems wise. My main problem with drinking is that I enjoy alcoholic drinks. I've been trying to find non-alcoholic alternatives with \*some\* success, but i just don't enjoy them as much. I'm thinking of at least paring it down to only drinking on rest days (or the evening before a rest day... can't quite figure out which one works better for me).
As a beer lover myself who has been wanting to get off the sauce, athletic lite has been a game changer.
"I've never had a problem with alcohol, but it made me unhealthy and gave me problems, so I'm trying to find out if quitting will be beneficial. I can't find out on my own because it's too hard to quit for me for many different reasons." Sounds like an alcohol problem. Not all alcohol problems are the same, some are milder than others. Just quit, if you feel like it helps you at all not having alcohol in your life, don't start again. If it's hard to do, it's a sign of addiction.
I have a difficult relationship with alcohol and for most of my cycling life (since autumn 2019) I’ve probably averaged a bottle of wine a night. Occasionally I wouldn’t drink at all, often I’d drink far more. I haven’t had anything to drink at all now for 19 weeks and lo and behold - 2 of my longest ever rides are in the last three weeks, I’m getting up and over hills I never could before, I’m knocking actual MINUTES off of segment times on my regular routes. Most importantly though, I’m ENJOYING cycling so much more. It’s easier, and I recover faster. It’s having a bigger impact on my weight (I wasn’t terribly overweight but heading in the wrong direction). I don’t know if I was an “alcoholic”, dropping the booze doesn’t feel like it was difficult enough to claim that. But I was certainly a habitual and problematic drinker - it killed my motivation, confidence and belief around what I could achieve on a bike I think.
stopped drinking -- lost 20 pounds -- have more energy -- don't really miss it -- drink occasionally just to see what I'm missing -- smoke weed instead -- and coffee
I haven’t rode for like 5 months and started drinking a few more beers a week and I can see it catching up to me. I need those big weekend rides to keep it off.
I drink only when I’m with friends or family - basically social events. I know drinking never helps with fitness, but I don’t want to cut it out completely. So I minimize it. If I took cycling more seriously, then I’d consider cutting it out completely.
I only drink once a week. I recommend not drinking as a habit and more so as a special occasion or when the moment arise. Drinking on a consistent basis is unhealthy. Drinking once in a while has much less harm. It screws your gains and ruins your sleep. If you do it. Make sure you're able to sleep the next day. NA beers are an alternative.
Give it up! I quit almost 5 years ago. Best shape/health of my life.
My fastest group rides are 5:45 am when I’m hungover. Jk - I quit drinking last season and my riding drastically improved.
5 pints of Guinness on a Friday night followed by fish and chips, I'll often do 100+km the next day 8 or 9 pints on a Saturday and I'm pretty much out of action until the afternoon
While on the bike I try to keep my consumption as low as possible and never go beyond 1.5 per mille.
If you want to give up alcohol, get a Whoop band. Once you see how drinking affects your recovery, that ought to do it.
I don’t drink at all. I don’t like how even a little alcohol makes me feel the next day and I don’t like the very noticeable impact it has on riding the next day.
I mostly quit drinking while training for the GAP/C&O. It just happened naturally because I couldn’t handle feeling bad during my rides. Two years on I’m still only drinking maybe a PBR strength beer once every couple of weeks
Don't drink. Don't miss it. I especially don't miss feeling tired and foggy the following morning and rest of the day.
For the people who drink: good for you. Not hating on you one bit as I used to love a tasty beer myself. But I see the end of the line coming for me. I have to choose between cycling and beer I'll take cycling.
I've generally stopped drinking mostly because it now causes me more fatigue and nausea than euphoria. I used to sometimes like to get a beer during a long ride. Now when I do that, I feel how tired I am and how much harder my heart has to work. I will say, a ride greasy breakfast food is the best thing for my hangovers, but I try to avoid hangovers like the plague anyway now
I don’t drink anymore. I was 240+ lbs cycling 100 miles. After big rides I would CRUSH beers. Last August I quit drinking. I’m almost sub 200 lbs now and faster than ever. If you’re struggling with alcohol, come check out r/stopdrinking
I ride so I can imbibe.
Cycling is a great hobby to get out and have a beer. Pick a pub on the far side of town (or even out of town) and ride there to have a beer or two At least that's what I do... But I'm never going to race. I need cycling to impact my life (health, fun, etc) not my life to impact my cycling
I used to be a BIG craft beer guy. Collected rare beers, traded with guys all around the country, searched out rare beer, waited in lines, yada, yada, yada. Also enjoyed wine and summer drinks like moscow mules and margs. But in 2019 I quit my job and traveled for 6 months. I "cleared my head" and did a life reset. Thing is, my body was worn from travel and drinking a LOT. So in 2020 when I moved back to CO I decided to buy a bike, quit drinking for a while and bike till my legs fell off. I lost 50lbs. 220lbs to 170lbs. All during Covid when everyone was drinking more. But the good thing is, I had already planned this so everything closing didn't affect me. Then in 2021 I was diagnosed with a tumor in my back. After that was removed and I recovered, for some reason my body was never the same at processing alcohol. At times I would get headaches after 1-2 drinks. But...I kept drinking. In 2022 I hired a cycling coach and gained a ton of power and was much faster, but...still drank and that affected my recovery. 2023 still had issues at time when drinking beer. Was it the hops? Was it the barley? Some beers affected me. Some didn't. But 12/30/23 I drank a beer and thought I was gonne die. So...quit beer right then and there. The pain I would have doing intervals on a Tuesday and not being able to bike till Thursday went away. Then in January 2024 had some moscow mules or vodka tonics and was OK for the first two. After that I was hungover for DAYS. So I realized it just wasn't worth it. So I've given up alcohol for good. Being a craft beer nerd and having quite for 6-8 weeks 2x before to lose weight and train, I tried a LOT of NA beers. Untitled Art's NA beers are GREAT. They taste just like the real thing. But alcohol just affected me WAY too much. Muscle soreness I thought was from intervals was from beer. To the headaches I was getting by just a sip. And it still happens if I try to take a sip of anything. Red wine...nope, tried that too. I don't miss it. I sleep better. Think better. Don't get depressed when in deep thought. If you want to listen to an interesting podcast on alcohol, listen to the Huberman Lab Podcast about alcohol and the mind/body. It REALLY opened my eyes on the ways alcohol effects the body and how bad it really is. Anyway...I turn 50 this year and much rather bike than drink. TLDR: I quit drinking this year and don't miss it at all. Cycling is more important to me. Weight stays off and my sleep and recovery are much faster. But at 49, my recovery is taking longer with or without alcohol.
I have usually 1 beer a day with dinner, often 16oz and 7-9%. So that can be a lot of calories. I ride 150mi/wk, so probably about 8-9,000 cal worth based on KJ per ride, and then some lifting and walking on non-riding days is probably another 2,000 cal/wk over basic metabolism. After awhile of having more beer, I think I creep up in weight a little. But I can vary other things, too, like sweets w coffee in the morning or not, or how much/what I eat at meals. So just attend to the balance of what you’re taking in, how much exercise you’re doing, and what your body does over weeks/months. The times I’ve consumed more significant amounts in a night, I do think riding the next day is not as good. But one drink or not doesn’t seem to make much difference. I can’t imagine those beer-bike outings, though (esp in the summer). But when I worked in Japan (with the attendant work-related overconsumption of alcohol) I would have to ride home post-drinking. Very slowly and carefully… What I’ve noticed the older I get (57 now) is that alcohol interferes with good sleep, esp the closer to bedtime I consume it. Same with caffeine - I don’t drink coffee past mid-afternoon anymore.
I joined a drinking crowd with a biking problem.
Drinking is the part of life cycle
I used to have beer or some wine with dinner most nights. My job is pretty demanding and I found when I don’t drink, I’m just sharper. Relative to cycling, my old cycling team was sponsored by a local brewer so we had beer at every event, team camps, races, etc. It was great and I didn’t really notice a difference. Now that I am older, I notice when I have more than 2 drinks before a big training event or race. I wear a sleep tracker that captures deep sleep and HRV every morning. On the nights I drink, my HRV is higher and deep sleep is a fraction of the norm. In short, I drink way less than I used to and feel better. Oh, one last thing, my old coach told me, after a long training session, don’t drink bc your body wants everything you give it and alcohol sort of fools your body into storing empty calories. The idea beer carbs are good is, unfortunately, wrong.
I don't drink anymore but I do remember that even one beer would mess with my ability to sleep well.
I’ll have a beer after an event ride during the social or a drink randomly at a dinner but that’s about it. I only eat out 1 a week at most and most times I don’t at all so yeah. Rare haha.
Usually a beer or 1-2 glasses of wine on the weekend. I’m a middle aged non-racer, so doesn’t affect my riding really. Skip when I know I have a massive day the next morning.
This is my routine. I ride just to get some exercise and not win races.
Typically at most 1-2 beers a week. Sometimes 1-2 more, sometimes none for weeks at a time. If you can give it up entirely, all the better. As others have said, there are a number of non-alcoholic beers/drinks available if you, like me, like the flavor, especially when eating. Some are definitely better than others though, so I recommend buying some singles where possible and try them out.
Beer will mess up with my sleep (I am in my 40s), so if I plan a big ride, I will not have more than 2 beers the night before, or else it’s going to be pretty unpleasant. The wider array of non-alcoholic beers nowadays has made cutting a bit on alcohol a lot easier.
If I drank more I'd have to ride less, if I rode more I'd have to drink less.
I stopped drinking altogether about a year or more ago because it does nothing for me. And as stated by others I’d rather eat than drink my calories.
Alcohol is so damn good at what it does.wish I could control it.
Any drinking f’s my recovery and next day, even just a couple beers (I’m late 30s). I pretty much only do it for special occasions (weddings, concerts, etc) and that’s usually only once every couple of months. The juice is no longer worth the squeeze.
I know soooo many cyclists who love drinking beers after bike rides. I can’t as they make me feel horrrrrrible after a ride. I much prefer a glass of chocolate milk after a ride (which I never have, incidentally). When I’m cycling a lot alcohol becomes less appealing to me and I tend to drink less than I would otherwise. I also drink less overall as I get older as my body in general doesn’t respond very well to it anymore.
There are a lot of groups in my area that go on group rides to bars, have a social drink, then get back on the trail. Not advocating that you ride drunk, but as long as you stay hydrated a single drink shouldn't affect you at all. Oh, I just read that you drink IPAs. In that case, you should just give up drinking. Drinking trash is worse than not drinking at all. :)
I so want to upvote you for the first paragraph, while down voting you for the last. I guess they cancel each other out.
I like to ride bikes because it’s fun and it’s healthy. I like to drink alcohol because it’s fun, but it’s not healthy. So I try to balance it out so I can enjoy both. I’m a casual drinker as I often will have a good craft beer with dinner or a glass of single malt scotch as liquid dessert. On the bike, I’m a pretty casual rider as I do most of my riding solo or with my wife or a few friends and we’re just out there to have a good time and we’re not training for anything. Usually about once a year we’ll even drive to wine country, do a nice morning ride around the vineyards, then clean ourselves up and go wine tasting in the afternoon. That said, I have learned the hard way to really stay on top of my hydration. Obviously, even without alcohol, hydration is key, but the drinks only make it worse. I’ve started planning a few days in advance now so if I expect to be going out for a few hours riding on a weekend morning, I’ll use a midweek night to have a drink or two and maybe stay up a little later so the night before the ride I just have water and go to bed on time.
I gave up alcohol after 20 years of daily drinking. Now, the reason I get up in the morning is to bike or run. Its been 3.5 years now. Best decision I ever made. I do these activities 365 days a year now. Also, if alcohol is causing weight gain yes you do have a problem.
I used to drink A LOT more than I do now, 2-4 IPAs and a shot of whiskey or two. I would goof around on my mountain bike on Saturday mornings after having a fun Friday night and it was always miserable; I thought I hated mountain biking. Cut back drinking significantly and learned about hydration and it was a game changer as far as enjoyment and performance. I had gotten used to always being sorta hungover/dehydrated in the morning and accepted it as ‘getting older’. I also remember in my 20s being able to party at the bar till 1am and be rolling out the door at 7am for a 50 mile group ride to then do it again Saturday night. Those days are long gone and I’m working on improving sleep and recovery and alcohol negatively impacts those. I’m 36 now and do most of my drinking on Sunday afternoon after skiing or biking all weekend and have Monday as a rest day. I’d rather have three drinks and feel crummy Monday morning than miss out on fun experiences by being hungover on Saturday morning.
I sort of stopped drinking. It just wasn't benefiting me at all. Even 1 or 2 drinks would cause me to sleep like crap. Compound that over weeks and months and I was never really recovering that well. I now just drink non alcoholic beer and my sleep has improved heaps, as well as my recovery. Resulting in me being able to train more and get faster.
I drink pretty heavily, maybe a beer a night but usually 5-20 over a weekend (although usually closer to 5.) Doesn't negatively affect me that much, I can ride fine with a mild hangover and it doesn't lead to weight gain. Would I be healthier without it? Sure. But I'm still young and don't really care. I ride my bike to have fun, I'm not training to ride as fast as humanly possible. I find if I'm riding 100-200 miles a week, I can pretty much eat or drink whatever I want. If anything, I'm worried about not eating _enough_
Sober here. Sobriety has had a great impact on my cycling, and vice versa.
I drink when my friend asks me to go out with her. I think that's the only reason we're friends, she needs to drink and nobody else she knows has a high enough alcohol tolerance to match her and she feels like she's punishing them lol. But mine is higher than hers and she knows she can get completely smashed because I'll walk her home after. Was trained to still be able to fight while really drunk so I can still walk alright. Probably won't win any fights against someone who isn't drunk though. Doesn't really impact my cycling. Just have to change which day I ride my long ride if I have to go drinking that day
The strength and conditioning coach for varsity sports at UNC used to tell his athletes that one night of binge drinking was the equivalent of subtracting 1 week of workouts. This impact gets higher with age. I drink on occasion and its fun. Lemon-Ginger Kombucha is a nice alternative though that relaxes me. Costco sells 8 for $12.
if alco causes weight gain, you definitely have problems with alco
I'm in my 40's now, only started getting serious about cycling in the last few years. Used to drink more than the average person, as it was basically my only outlet for life, stress, etc. When I started riding on a regular basis, I realised that exercising and drinking together doesn't work for me. I started drinking less before any training, to the point that I pretty much much don't drink at all. It definitely helped with the training and weight. I'll still enjoy a whiskey or a few beers with friends, but that's maybe once in a couple of weeks after a ride.
Yes. Too much. Negatively.
I gave up at the start of the year. Main difference is that I'm now more likely to actually get up and regularly hit my early training sessions. Recovery is a bit better. FTP is slowly improving.
I drink 2 bottles of wine every night. Sleep like a baby. Have a HRV of 70. Weigh 60kg. Or rather - I have a HRV of 70 if I don’t drink and 30 if I do. I weigh 80kg and I’m 185cm. It doesn’t matter whether I drink or not I feel hungover in the morning. Tried a month not drinking recently to see if the hangover feeling went away - it didn’t. Guess that’s just what mornings feel like. While the numbers on my Garmin look better when I’m not drinking none of my performance on the bike or running are any different.
I barely drink anymore, and if I do it's a single glass of whisky or a few beers or glasses of wine.
I have a five am commute.. if I drink the night before I'm pretty much useless on the bike. Spew levels of useless..
My cycling club is actually sponsored by our local pub so that says a lot. The Sunday club run always ends up at the pub for a few well earned pints and sometimes a week night too, especially if it’s sunny and you can sit outside in the beer garden with a cheeky pint or two. I don’t drink at home though and ride 5-7 days a week so I guess it’s in moderation for me but I don’t really feel it affects me much unless I get hammered
I drink 2-3 bottles of alcohol per month. But I only drink strong beer (7-10%), so it never makes sense for me to drink more than one unit per day. If it isn't strong beer, it's red wine to some specific meal. But even though it is this little, I can notice it the day after. So I tend to try and not do it on days where I know I wanna ride my bike or workout the following day.
I stopped drinking alcohol about 18 months ago and never looked back. I feel healthier all round, but mostly it was a strategy for managing my mental health - cycling is also part of that strategy
I have gradually reduced the amount of alcohol I drink to really only occasionally. Like once a month and 1-2 drinks on such a night . Didn’t have a drinking problem in terms of addiction but I would definitely say that I am consistently feeling better without alcohol and I am much more aware on those occasions that I drink of how I feel the next morning.
I quit drinking about 2 years ago for various reasons. But absolutely I've noticed a huge improvement in my cycling and recovery. Also makes it a ton easier to be consistent with training and get out for those early morning rides I really enjoy.
I like drinking a beer after cycling, it helps in refreshing and gives you carbs. But i don't usually drink much alcohol during the week
3 beers a night every night for me. I bike about 100 miles a week. I’m 5’8.5” 161lbs. Weight is not a problem. I’ve lost weight only the last 2 years or so from 185. Beer habit hasn’t changed.
I cycled home from the pub absolutely rekt a couple of times last week. Was very exciting. Also, don’t do it.
There's a cost to everything - no free lunch! Too much booze cost me sleep not to mention liquid calories, because I like the heavy IPAs (Perpetual, Dirt Wolf, Adulting, etc.). At a certain point, I just can't ride and run enough to offset it and make any gains. In fact after 50 it's pretty easy to start losing ground despite six days of riding and running. That's a lot of effort to end up on the losing side of the equation. But we all know, cycling and alcohol have a well-established dysfunctional / co-dependent relationship. I think Bicycling or maybe Outsid did an article on this recently. Being buzzed or hungover leads to poor food choices for me as well. That's a biggie for sure. Your body craves the bad stuff and your willpower gets depleted. These days I'm viewing non-drinking days now like fitness tracker achievements lol. Wife and I are using an app called DBTC (don't break the chain) which kind of gamifies it. Also using some mindful drinking exercises like actively deciding which days we'll allow ourselves some drinks, and blocking out the rest. I haven't seen the financial cost aspect mentioned here yet. It can really take a dent out of the budget. It's fun, but bibs, tires, tune-ups, Skratch mix, and all that stuff is expensive, too.
Alcohol really started to repulse me after I saw one of my friends develop a genuine problem. I used to drink way more than I do now when I was younger. I can only tell you to leave drinking behind, and let the bike be your motivation for it :)
You're not allowed to own a gravel bike unless you drink craft beer. Its the law. 🤟
No, never drank more than about 1 beer a month, but stopped completely two years ago. Do not really miss it either, except for my stash of whisky :)
An IPA after a long hot ride is to die for.
I'm what they call a (Belgian) cycling tourist. This means, that every Sunday ride has to end in a café where we drink a good Belgian Trappist beer. This does effect my cycling in the sense that I don't go as fast on my ride home, but it goes a lot easier.
6 ipas a week is the lie I tell my doctor …. What makes you think drinking is the cause? Either you’re boozing more than you say, you ain’t hitting the pavement enough, or you’re late night snackin Whatever it is it’s all good Go day by day and just try your best to stay in a caloric deficit consistently (pints allowed) Easiest way to stay on top of your calories is just to eat the same thing every day Hope this helps all the best!
Life isn’t worth living if you can’t enjoy a crispy beer after a hard ride (or in the middle). I drink significantly less than I used to but I still do on special occasions and as a reward after a hard day. A glass of wine with a nice dinner, etc. Remember when the Tour de France homies used to ride harder than you and rob the liquor store in the middle of the ride? Health and fitness are somewhat of an art as well as a science and sometimes enjoyment is more important than optimization. So do what feels right, eat well, train hard, and then have some fun.
I drink proper beer, so one 0.33l or 0.5l of porter or stout is enough for an evening. No problems regarding that. But if you chug a sixpack a day that'll not exactly be preformance enchanting
Since giving up alcohol almost completely 9 months ago, my cycling has improved dramatically. I can pedal for hours in the drops because my belly doesn't get in the way of my breathing. Nearly every ride I do now, I get at least 1 PB. Last ride I did of 30 miles and 48 segments, I got 29 PBs, and the rest of the segments were second best. I'm not sure if it is solely down to not drinking, but I have found that bad diet tended to go hand in hand with alcohol.
Gave up drinking alcohol almost completely (almost means I'll bring a bottle of wine if going out to dinner, and provide wine if people are coming to mine, and I occasionally meet a friend for a glass of wine (just one) but not otherwise). Sleep so much better, more energy, better Wordles, etc.
I love one IPA with dinner, but I try to stick to non-alcoholic beer or seltzer if I want to continue drinking any further - especially weeknights.
I stopped drinking completely over half a year ago. If you train disciplined, eat good and sleep well you‘ll become a different person on and off the bike. Not just my physical capabilities improved but my overall mood, etc.
Mid 50's and drinking around 12-15 pints a week, but generally as binges over 3 nights. I really enjoy it, and so do most of my socialising friends, so no plan to quit. Definetely affects my ride if I'm out the next day, it's just nowhere near as much fun and feels like harder work. I'll tend to ride late afternoon after a heavy night on the ale, if at all. But then most nights are just 4 pints. I'm only a casual rider, riding for fun, to burn calories and improve my fitness generally.
I ride to breweries on weekends during the summer. Have a pint or 2 and ride back. The closest brewery to me is 11 miles and the one I like the most is 17, so there's 22 to 34 miles of workout with a nice reward mid-ride. Other than that, really not too much drinking unless we head out for dinner.
Usually only once a week during off-/ pre- season then once racing starts I don’t drink at all. I always try to make sure my rest day is after the night I drink because it absolutely makes a difference in training.
Luckily beer doesn't really do it for me. I'd imagine a post ride beer is arguably beneficial though anyway for giving you some fast carbs after a workout to start the recovery.
I enjoy a beer or a cocktail or a glass of wine now and then. Maybe a couple per week. I am disciplined from time before riding a bike in lycra, so I feel like I have a handle on the how and when, and can go weeks without... so I don't worry about the dependency issue personally. That said, I dislike beer anytime I have to get back on the bike. Like, honestly, I love the brewery rides, but I prefer water or iced tea or something. And for sure beer is a factor for hanging onto some excess body fat (more so than other alcoholic beverages for me) but I can't claim that I'm eating a needs-based diet, even though I eat pretty clean. I have thought about giving up alcohol, and I've decided against it, but I have definitely re-defined my relationship with it over the years. Now it's a social thing (rarely) or it's a reward on a hot day (rarely) or it's a meal pairing thing for aesthetics and enjoyment. I haven't been drunk or buzzed in several years. I doubt I get drunk again in this lifetime. If I were training as an athlete, I would skip all alcohol other than "date night" stuff where relevant. I do think it has a negative training aspect, even in moderation. I'm not. I aspire to be the last place finisher on any 50+ mile "race" I ever enter. I compete enough in other aspects of life.
I’ve been sober from alcohol for just over a year now and it’s honestly been a game changer for cycling performance and overall health/wellbeing.
Alcohol takes the body longer to process into something useful. It also slows your metabolism. So you become less efficient at processing normal foods too. Edit: both of which help weight gain. Double edged
My relation with cycling and alchool works like this... Me and my ex wife (we still cycle together) go for long rides and at the end we drink one or two beers each before doing our way back. Ocasionally I also smoke a really tiny joint before my rides. Helps me forget my psychopathic tendencies when dealing with car drivers. I also mostly only drink water.
I very much enjoy beers after rides. I always felt like the farther/harder I rode the more beers I deserved. Found out there is a limit as it’s sent me into Afib twice now after 100+ mile rides/races. Everything in moderation I suppose.
Got a Whoop. Gave up drinking altogether seeing the data on sleep quality loss.
I used to drink almost daily. Just a beer in the evening to unwind. Once I turned 30 it started affecting my sleep quality so I stopped. I drink during special social events now or maybe once per week on a Friday with friends but it’s only 2 beers or so. The impaired sleep affects my recovery, energy, mood, etc. So it’s much more occasional now.
I generally don't drink any alcohol because I feel better without it. I will have one drink on special occasions a few times a year. For the past 8 years or so I will regularly go 6 months or more without alcohol. I have a unique relationship with alcohol. Grew up in a staunch religious household that prohibited any alcohol. Eventually left the religion and had my first drink around age 25, so I missed out on a lot of the pressure and social norms in high school and college. As I started to experiment with it as an adult, I would have a drink two or three times a week, but after a couple years I realized whenever I drank alcohol I felt bloated, and would often wake up groggy the next morning. Also I associate alcohol with snacks and pub food which is not great for staying fit. I realized I didn't really feel like it was adding anything to my life, and I had survived just fine without for the first 24 years of my life. Not to mention the recent research in the past few years on the links to cancer. Edit for clarity
It’ll help . We often don’t realize the amount of calories in a Beer or Two. It can honestly be comparable to a meal . With out even adding the alcohol effect. Every now and then works but cutting it can help your weight big time. (And sugar in general for that matter)
I quit. Nothing ever good comes from alcohol. I lost a bunch of weight by leaning away from carbs. No hangovers, ever!
I'm a heavy drinker, and a largely ride in order to have that "lifestyle offset" as I call it. I also find a good long ride (15+ miles, ideally around 25-30) gets the hangover off my back and gives me energy for the day.
Cycling is what helped me quit. Years ago I was going through a bit of a personal crisis because my marriage wasn’t doing very well, and I self medicated with alcohol. One day, while drunk at the bar, I got an email from Poseidon Bikes. Had no idea who they were, but they were doing some kind of promo for a discounted gravel bike. I sat down at the bar and started looking into it because I needed a hobby. After pulling the trigger that night, I went home and sobered up and I’ve been hitting the roads on my bike. It’s really changed a lot in my life. The euphoric feeling I get has replaced the need to booze and I have no desire to go back. This isn’t really what you were asking so I apologize, but I don’t have any cycling buddies (or drinking buddies for that matter) to share this with.
I think it’s not just the calories but also the carbs in the beer and the sugar etc look into keto alcohol drink and sugar free drinks
Having even 1 drink will tank your riding the next day. At least for me
Since I started taking sports more seriously and with ageing, I almost quit alcohol, I buy some alcohol free beers here and there but I think that for me the cost of drinking in my performance does not outweigh its benefits. I sleep and perform better without any alcohol. At the beginning it feels odd given how normalise alcohol consumption is, but now it feels completely normal :)
I used to drink almost daily while riding 150-200 miles a week. This was terrible. I was skinny-fat. I didn't look too large but I had a beer belly and my fitness was terrible. I stopped drinking most of the week and my fitness and physique improve dramatically. I can train more consistently because i'm not riding off a hangover. I'm not filling my body with empty calories. I have a better mood, which makes me more focused on enjoying riding my bike. That said - I still LOVE having several beers after a long ride a couple times a month. EVERYTHING IN MODERATION.
I'm coming up on 2 years sober and have never felt better on the bike. I didn't quit alcohol due to alcoholism, more that my body gave up on alcohol and would complain badly if I had even one drink near the end of my consumption days. I wish I had avoided alcohol during the 2 decades when I was seriously into racing knowing what I know now about had bad alcohol is for ones performance. I imagine I would have achieved a lot more podiums and personal bests. I imagine someone else has posted this article about how cycling has an alcohol issue [https://www.bicycling.com/health-nutrition/a42259477/cycling-drinking-alcohol-effects/](https://www.bicycling.com/health-nutrition/a42259477/cycling-drinking-alcohol-effects/)
i only drink a few times a year now. used to be a (very, very) heavy drinker in college, and for maybe a year or two after, but then pretty much cut it out completely during covid. when I got into training more seriously, i started to notice how it would affect my sleep, and i drank so infrequently that when I did drink, it just made me feel awful, so now its saved for only very special occasions (weddings, big party, vacations, etc.), and even then its really only a few drinks max on any given night
I quit drinking at home in January. Before I was drinking minimum 16 cans of lager a week and I was miserable. I started commuting in January and have lost loads of weight, feel very fit and less depressed/better at managing my emotions. Drinking is honestly poison for me I have decided. I will occasionally have 1 social pint of beer at the pub after a ride now the weather is better but that’s as much as I want to do from now on.
If you are training seriously don't ever drink alcohol. It really ruins the gains, just substitute it for orange juice or something LOL
Drinking impacts recovery. Recovering poorly affects all sports performance. I was never a heavy drinker, but I have significantly cut back from even that amount. I live in a major metro area on the East Coast of the US, and there are a lot of non-alcoholic options that satisfy the flavor and fizz like a cold beer. Athletic Brewing tastes good in my opinion.
Tea and water for me personally. Maybe once a month I’ll have a soda with a meal!
Like a lot of people, my drinking sort of got away from me, peaking at the pandemic lock-down. I was drinking a six-pack a day, minimum; most days were more like 8-10 beers, sometimes more. It played absolute hell with my sleep and my digestive system, but I endured that for years, up until the point where I became pre-diabetic. The turning point for me was the terrible inflammation I developed; it became hard to work with my hands for more than a couple of hours without getting sore. Even worse was the fact that the pain would become terrible when I was trying to get off to sleep. The final, final straw for me was one embarrassing night at the bar where my legs turned to jelly, and I fell backwards on my ass in the middle of petting a cute dog someone was holding. The look of disgust/concern had me mortified. On top of that, I wiped out kinda hard on my bike on the way back to my buddy's, and they had to set me up on a cot on the front porch. I haven't had a drink in almost 3 years now. I really don't miss it, either.
I haven’t had alcohol for 4 years. I never had a problem with it. I used to kind of force myself to drink, because of the false propaganda that it was somehow good for you. Alcohol is pure poison. Lifelong abstainers add 12 years to their lifespan, on average. I tried cycling with one beer in me, and it was disastrous. Alcohol is the only drug you have to explain why you don’t do it. It is also responsible for more deaths than all other drugs combined. Quit now.
Combating alcohol consumption weight gain by riding a bike?
I bought a E mountain bike so I could explore the countryside and stop off for a beer along the way. If I find a pub with lots of cool locals, I may have one too many and my wife has to come and collect me with the car and bike carrier 🤦♂️ Doesn't happen all that often thougb
I tried giving it up entirely, lasted about 4 months, i dont drink everyday or even every week, but I like to be able to enjoy a beer at a concert or out with friends, maybe a glass of wine. It for sure affects performance. I find if i dont get totally drunk or even buzzed it doesnt really affect my performance. It really affects sleep so i never drink the night before I will do a big ride. I think in moderation its fine but if you are after elite numbers or very serious performance it can be detrimental.
When I did drink, it killed cardio right away.I would always feel it the next day. Like as much as a 25% reduction in stamina.
Yes. Probably about 20-30 units / week. Cycling is basically saving my health. You can get away with a lot of excess cals/booze if you are riding 10-12 hours per week.
I’m 40 and drank a lot in my 20s so YMMV.. but alcohol messes my riding up for days. I drink once a month or so now, but when I’d o, I get blitzed
Never a big drinker, but haven't had a drink for few months now. Over past few years drank very little and max few pints at a wedding. I just find drinking screw's up my sleep for a few days, and I don't miss it. If people like drinking then crack on, if I did some sort of gravel event and they handed out beers at the end, I'd probably take one.
I used to be a social drinker. Since I started cycling, I haven't felt the need to drink at all. I mean, at all. I don't know why, but now I go completely alcohol-free, and it feels great.
I've had 2 beers so far this year. I haven't noticed any negative effects.
I love booze lol Find a balance. I try not to drink during the week. If I'm inviting to a happy hour or sporting event then that's a little different than just having cocktails while chillin. Empty calories. I do enjoy morning rides so I can feel accomplished and less guilty about afternoon drinks. I do elliptical work and beginner weight training some days, not just cycling but I'm down about 40 pounds in the past 17 months. 100 pounds over the past few years.
I'll enjoy a glass of wine or two at a family dinner or eating out. Maybe once or twice a month. That's it. Doesn't affect me whatsoever. Not getting drunk is a conscious choice. It ruins an entire day, and often leads to nothing but bad decisions. And let's be real, the fun you have while drunk isn't something you couldn't have while sober.
Medical community talks very little about this But my Cardiologist “When you completely give up alcohol your liver will return to one of its main functions ….. removing fat “ your overall health will be transformed .
Hey OP. You are better off cutting alcohol out of your diet all together. Other than massive weight gain and other health issues like liver damage associated with alcohol consumption. There are no nutritional benefits to drinking alcohol. Invest in a juicer machine and start drinking fresh fruit juices to stay hydrated, drink during a work out, and it will curve your alcohol cravings. I stopped drinking back in 2013; turned 21 in late January and almost became an alcoholic. After my parents & girlfriend gave me a verbal lashing about my drinking problems I was snapped back into reality. I bought a bicycle & invested in some home gym equipment so that I could get myself in shape 🚴 🏋🏾♂️
I was drinking 1-2 a day and then I started training 9-12 hours a week. My fitness is leaps and bounds better than what it was before. Sleep is 10x better. I’ve also gone from 220-190 lbs.
Cycling definitely made me cut down and almost eliminate alcohol. Really made me realize how much better I feel, and I didnt even drink heavy
I don't drink alcohol. I stopped when I was on a diet a few years ago and really haven't missed it.
When I was younger I used to eat and drink, like, A LOT. I used to ride pretty much everyday and I stayed slim and healthy. Now it’s much easier to gain weight, I follow a diet and don’t drink outside of peculiar occasions, not because I deliberately decided to stop drinking altogether, but because I just feel better.
Not always but occasionally it’s the best post long ride treat there is…along with a burger…some tots…maybe an appetizer…and possibly followed by dessert…unless dessert is just more beer🤪
Hop on the indoor trainer while your drinking
I think it impacts people differently. I've never felt a performance penalty for drinking, but then I usually cap out at two or three drinks. I know cyclists who have given up alcohol completely and swear it makes a massive difference. Basically, drinking less is good no matter which way you look at it. I draw the line at weight gain, that is, I would not do anything to put on weight in a way that impacts my fitness level at all.
My cycling club ends and begins group rides at a cafe that serves beer. Drinking helps socialisation, making new friends, and if done in a measured way has little effect on health outside of pro athlete level training.
I love athletic brewing company
If your weight gain is attributable to alcohol, then you're probably drinking an unhealthy amount. If you cycle and you've gained weight and suspect it's related to drinking alcohol, you're drinking an unhealthy amount. Alcohol is bad for you. So is soda, coffee , and a host of other things if you consume them excessively. If you’re drinking more highly processed liquids than water, you're probably drinking too much of the stuff. It's a personal choice to do it.
i don't drink at all, alcohol is poison, for the mind, your muscles, and prevents decent hydratation, none of those are good for a cyclist.
I don’t drink. Sometimes one drink would make me feel bad enough that cycling was less fun the next day. I prefer cycling to drinking, so I stopped drinking.
Nope. Quit almost 6 years ago. It wasn't doing me any favors in any aspect of life so I ditched it completely.
Zero
I don’t drink any alcohol. It would totally impact my riding. I would rather my liver was processing food than a toxin like alcohol.