Another likely effect of cutaneous vasodilation
following alcohol intake is an increase in heat
loss from the skin. This may be exacerbated by
hypoglycaemia, which results from the com-
bined effects of carbohydrate depletion and
impaired liver gluconeogenesis. Therefore, ath-
letes who consume large quantities of alcohol
in cold environments may incur problems
with thermoregulation. An increased risk of
hypothermia may be found in sports or rec-
reational activities undertaken in cold weather,
particularly hiking or skiing, where alcohol
intake is an integral part of après-skiactivities.
As in the case of postexercise refuelling, it is
likely that the major effect of excessive alcohol
intake comes from the athlete’s failure to follow
guidelines for optimal recovery. The intoxicated
athlete may fail to undertake sensible injury
management practices or to report for treatment;
they may fail to seek suitable clothing or shelter
in cold conditions or to notice early signs of
hypothermia. While studies which measure the
direct effect of alcohol on thermoregulation and
soft tissue damage are encouraged, these effects
are likely to be minor or at least additive to the
failure to undertake recommended recovery
practices.
Accidents and high-risk behaviour
The most important effect of alcohol is the
impairment of judgement. Coupled with a
reduced inhibition, it is easy to see how intoxi-
cated athletes might undertake high-risk behav-
iour and suffer an increased risk of accidents.
Alcohol consumption is highly correlated with
accidents of drowning, spinal injury and other
problems in recreational water activities (see
O’Brien 1993), and is a major factor in road acci-
dents. The lay press frequently contains reports
of well-known athletes being caught driving
while severely intoxicated, or being involved in
brawls or other situations of domestic or public
violence. There have been a disturbing number
of deaths of elite athletes in motor car accidents
following excess alcohol intake. Clearly, athletes
are not immune to the social and behavioural
problems following excess alcohol intake; there
is some discussion that certain athletes may be
more predisposed (see O’Brien 1993). Further
studies are required before it can be determined
whether athletes, or some groups of athletes,
are more likely to drink excessively or suffer a
greater risk of alcohol-related problems. How-
ever, it appears that athletes should at least be
included in population education programmes
related to drink-driving and other high-risk
behaviour.Effect of previous day’s intake (i.e. ‘hangover’)
on performance
Some athletes will be required to train (or even
compete again) on the day after a competition
and its postevent drinking binge. In some cases,
athletes may choose to drink heavily the night
before a competition, as a general part of their
social activities, or in the belief that this will help
to ‘relax’ them prior to the event. The effect of an
‘alcohol hangover’ on performance is widely dis-
cussed by athletes, but has not been well studied.
Karvinen and coworkers (1962) used a crossover
design to examine ‘next day’ performance fol-
lowing the consumption of large amounts of
alcohol (approximately eight standard drinks),
and reported that a hangover did not impair
power or strength, but impaired the ability
to undertake a bout of high-intensity cycling.
O’Brien (1993) undertook ‘aerobic’ and ‘anaero-
bic’ testing of a team of Rugby Union players on a
Friday night, and then requested them to return
for repeat testing the next day after consuming
their ‘typical Friday night’s alcohol intake’. A
standardized sleep time and breakfast were fol-
lowed. He reported that V.
O2max.was significantly
reduced the following day, and that any level of
alcohol intake appeared to impair this measure
of aerobic capacity. However, since no control
trial was undertaken, it is hard to dissociate the
effects of alcohol from the effects and variability
of repeated testing. Meanwhile it is interesting to
note that the mean alcohol intake reported by
players as typical of their prematch activities was
approximately 130 g (range, 1–38 units).