How Bad Is Liquor For Boxing?

[Journeyman]

obviously, alcohol is never a good thing but how bad would yall say having a couple shots of vodka before i goto sleep is?

after a hard day at work and sparring wars at the gym, i like to unwind with a couple shots of grey goose or patron...i think liquor has less carbs than beer and i really do not feel a hangover the next morning...

any advice/info is appreciated, thanks

[paulsinghnl]

well off the top of my head.. the blows u take to ur head kill braincells and u help that process by also drinking vodka afterwards i guess. so: really not good for ur brain

[Don-Felix]

Really?

obviously, alcohol is never a good thing but how bad would yall say having a couple shots of vodka before i goto sleep is?

after a hard day at work and sparring wars at the gym, i like to unwind with a couple shots of grey goose or patron...i think liquor has less carbs than beer and i really do not feel a hangover the next morning...

any advice/info is appreciated, thanks

When I read the topic I thought you want to get hammered once in a while... which would actually be better news for you. Anyhow, taking shots of vodka that regularly (it seems like you are doing it almost daily) is going to trash your liver (I guess I wouldn't be too worried about brain cells unless you get really drunk). Since you drink so often, your liver has no chance at all to regenerate (which it actually is quite good at). In the long run, a trashed liver isn't really going to do your training good.
In the short term, having alcohol in your system definitely affects your performance negatively, even if you don't have a hangover. At your frequency, I'd be surprised if your body has ever functioned at full capacity during training.

If it were me, I'd rather get plastered once every few weeks, deal with the hangover and be abstinent during the period in between.
Sorry for the bad news.


P.S.: Also, I hate to say it, but having a couple of shots to unwind that regularly may be the sign of (beginning?) alcohol problems.

[mushahadeen]

vodka is 0 carbs.

however, i have a hard f-ing time training the day after. i feel sluggish. i don't know why.

but vodka is better than beer or flavored drinks.

[Saddlebred]

It is fine to imbibe once in awhile (once or twice a week in my case), but "taking a few shots to help me sleep" or "having a couple drinks to take the edge off" is not a good path for anybody to go down...if going to the gym makes you want to drink, maybe ask some of the other guys there if they want to go grab a couple pints afterwards, but drinking "a few shots" by yourself to help you sleep....no man...like felix said, that is a bad path.

[cja07007]

Well If you compete its not gunna help you win fights.

[Jack3d]

Speaking on it impacting your diet, Vodka or other hard liquors are better than Beer. Less Calories, Less Carbs.

Get a bottle of stoli. Stay away from Beer, Wine Mixers and Flavored Drinks

[VolumePuncher]

I don't want this to seem like I'm trying to scare you out of your current lifestyle, but my father who's had a severe alcohol problem for the last 10+ years started out this way. Now, while that doesn't necessarily mean you'll end up in the same spot, you always have to ask yourself when you're drinking why you're doing it. If you're at a bar or club with your friends and just looking to let loose and have a good time, there's nothing wrong with that. That said, if you start drinking on a consistent basis, it can and most likely will become a problem in one way or another.

My suggestion? Take a few weeks off from the pattern you've established and see how you feel. If you find yourself having trouble not drinking during your standard leisure time, odds are you have a problem. Good news is though, the earlier you see that there's a problem and work on correcting it, the faster you'll get past it and the less difficult it will be.

[Don-Felix]

vodka is 0 carbs.

however, i have a hard f-ing time training the day after. i feel sluggish. i don't know why.

but vodka is better than beer or flavored drinks.

While you are right that Vodka has 0g of carbs (per 100ml), that is a piece of misleading information since alcohol has 7 calories/ml which is actually more than the comparable of protein or carbs.

So just to clarify: Drinking vodka does contain (empty) calories, one shot about 55 to be precise.

[Aperion]

Ok I like to drink, and I like to be active and healthy and not a drunk, so my answer to you is to change your perspective on drinking a little bit, and lay off the shots of hard liquor!

Personally, I think having a (1) drink at the end of the day is a completely healthy and fine thing to do. And is best before, during or after a meal. For me, drinking has nothing to do with getting drunk. Also, it helps if you find "your" drink, and again, doing shots is just bad for your body.

Personally, after my latest trip to Europe I finally discovered what pastis is all about, and I love that stuff (Pernod, Richard, etc). Pastis' are distilled with botanicals, so I tell my self its very healthy indeed. By extension I also got into absinthe, which is the most misunderstood thing ever in the history of humanity (just read this website if anyone wants to know anything about that: wormwoodsociety.org)

Both serve as really excellent digestives after a meal or at the end of an evening. As does a pint of Guinness or a glass of red wine, and both of those also have health benefits too, but pastis/absinthes do not have the heavy feel of beer or wine (or even other liquors) and they are diluted with water. IMO It's about being civilized and leading a good life, not getting wasted.