survey of 45 professional football players from
the leading team in the national Australian Rules
Football League, mean daily alcohol intake was
estimated to be 20 g, accounting for 3.5% of total
energy intake (Burke & Read 1988). However,
these players rarely drank alcohol during the
training week, in accordance with the club policy,
and instead confined their intake to weekends,
particularly after the weekly football match.
Closer examination of the football data revealed
that the mean intake of alcohol immediately after
the match was 120 g (range, 27–368 g), with
alcohol providing a mean contribution of 19% of
total energy intake on match day (range, 3–43%
of total energy intake).
Such ‘binge’ drinking practices were con-
firmed in a separate study in these same subjects.
Blood samples were taken from 41 players
who attended a 9.00 a.m. training session on the
morning following a weekend match. Fourteen
of these players still registered a positive
blood alcohol content (BAC) from their previous
evening’s intake, with levels ranging from 0.001
to 0.113 g · 100 ml–1. Blood alcohol content in four
players exceeded the legal limit for driving a
motor vehicle (0.05 g · 100 ml–1). The lay press
provides ample anecdotal evidence of binge
drinking patterns of some athletes, particularly
in the immediate celebration or commiseration
of their competition performances, or in the off-
season. In some cases these episodes are romanti-
cized and the drinking prowess of the athletes is
admired.
Whether total alcohol intake, or the prevalence
of episodes of heavy alcohol intake, by athletes
is different from that of the general population
remains unclear. Surveys which have examined
this issue report conflicting results. Various
hypotheses have been proposed to explain likely
associations between sport and alcohol use. It
has been suggested that athletes might have a
lower intake due to increased self-esteem, a more
rigid lifestyle and greater interest in their health
and performance. Equally, alcohol has been asso-
ciated with the rituals of relaxation and celebra-
tion in sport, and it has been suggested that
athletes might be socialized into certain behav-
406 nutrition and exercise
iours and attitudes to drinking as a result of their
sports participation.
Several dietary surveys comparing different
groups of athletes have reported that the mean
daily alcohol intakes of team sport athletes
are significantly greater than those of athletes
involved in endurance and strength sports (van
Erp-Baartet al. 1989; Burke et al. 1991). While
these studies were not specifically designed to
collect data on alcohol intake, the findings are
supported by data collected in some population
surveys on alcohol use. Watten (1995), in a
national survey of Norwegian adults, reported
that men and women involved in team sports
reported a higher intake of alcohol, particularly
beer and liquor, than those involved in individ-
ual sports or those with no sports involvement.
However, some of these differences were
explained by the age and educational back-
grounds of subjects. O’Brien (1993) reported dif-
ference between sports in alcohol use by elite
Irish athletes, but the overall intake of this group
was exceptionally low, at an average of 0.5% of
total energy intake.
Clearly, while there is anecdotal evidence to
suggest that some athletes may consume alcohol
in excessive amounts, on at least some occasions,
further studies are needed to fully determine the
alcohol intake and patterns of use by athletes.
Information on the attitudes and beliefs of
athletes about alcohol is also desirable, since
it would allow education about current drink-
ing practices which are detrimental to the
athlete’s performance or health to be specifically
targeted.Metabolism of alcohol
The metabolism of ethanol occurs primarily in
the liver, where it is oxidized, first to acetalde-
hyde, and then to acetate. The first step is
catalysed by a number of hepatic enzymes, the
most important of which is the nicotinamide
adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent alcohol
dehydrogenase:CH 3 CH 2 OH+NAD+ÆCH 3 CHO+NADH+H+