solutions or salt-containing foods is also impor-
tant to encourage the retention of these rehydra-
tion fluids. Low alcohol beers and beer–soft
drink mixes may be suitable and seem to encour-
age large volume intakes. However, drinks
containing greater than 2% alcohol are not rec-
ommended as ideal rehydration drinks.
8 Before consuming any alcohol after exercise,
the athlete should consume a high carbohydrate
meal or snack to aid muscle glycogen recovery.
Food intake will also help to reduce the rate of
alcohol absorption and thus reduce the rate of
intoxication.
9 Once postexercise recovery priorities have
been addressed, the athlete who chooses to drink
is encouraged to do so ‘in moderation’. Drink-
driving education messages in various countries
may provide a guide to sensible and well-paced
drinking.
10 Athletes who drink heavily after competition,
or at other times, should take care to avoid
driving and other hazardous activities.
11 It appears likely that it will be difficult to
change the attitudes and behaviours of athletes
with regard to alcohol. However, coaches, man-
agers and sports medicine staff can encourage
guidelines such as these, and specifically target
the old wives tales and rationalizations that
support binge drinking practices. Importantly,
they should reinforce these guidelines with an
infrastructure which promotes sensible drinking
practices. For example, alcohol might be banned
from locker rooms and fluids and foods appro-
priate to postexercise recovery provided instead.
In many cases, athletes drink in a peer-group
situation and it may be easier to change the envi-
ronment in which this occurs than the immediate
attitudes of the athletes.
Conclusion
Alcohol is strongly linked with modern sport.
The alcohol intakes and drinking patterns of ath-
letes are not well studied; however, it appears
that some athletes undertake binge drinking
practices, often associated with postcompetition
socializing. There is no evidence that alcohol
improves sports performance; in fact there is evi-
dence that intake during or immediately before
exercise, or that large amounts consumed the
night before exercise may actually impair perfor-
mance. There are considerable differences in the
individual responses to alcohol intake. It is likely
that recovery after exercise is also impaired;
but particularly by the failure of the intoxicated
athlete to follow guidelines for optimum recov-
ery. Athletes are not immune to alcohol-related
problems, including the greatly increased risk of
motor vehicle accidents following excess alcohol
intake. Not only should athletes be targeted for
education about sensible drinking practices, but
they might be used as spokespeople for commu-
nity education messages. Athletes are admired in
the community and may be effective educators in
this area. Alcohol is consumed by the vast major-
ity of adults around the world, and merits edu-
cation messages about how it might be used to
enhance lifestyle rather than detract from health
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