Science Finds That Beer Is a Good Post-Workout Drink
Beer is fantastic. That we all know. Exercise, on the other hand, is less than fantastic. It's not terrible, but it certainly lies somewhere in between good and bad. Now, what if we combined them? That's exactly what some scientists thought, and that's exactly why we love those brainiacs. Turns out, beer and exercise work quite well together.
Manuel Castillo is a professor of medical physiology at the University of Granada School of Medicine in Spain. He, like many of us, loves beer, and wants to incorporate it into everything we do. He came to this stance after his brother said he shouldn't be drinking a beer right after skiing. Castillo, being the awesome guy he is, countered that it was fine. That was in 2006. Since then, Castillo has been studying how beer impacts athletic performances.
In Castillo's latest study, he asked 16 physically active men to run on a treadmill for an hour in a hot room. Immediately afterward, he asked them to either drink water or two cans of standard beer (like Budweiser). The participants who drank beer ended up doing just fine. "In none of these parameters we found neither a specific nor a negative effect that could be attributed to the intake of beer compared to the intake of just water," explained Castillo. "In conclusion, at least in healthy, young adults, beer in moderate amounts is as effective as water for rehydration and recovery after exercise."
Beer = Water?
Post-exercise beer matched water for rehydration/recovery in hot conditions, no harm found.
Castillo's work isn't alone. In another study — titled "Beer as a Sports Drink? Manipulating Beer's Ingredients to Replace Lost Fluid" — three researchers in Australia noticed similar results. The trio asked seven men to participate in extreme exercise until they lost about two percent of their body mass. Afterward the men were given one of four liquids: light beer (with 2.3 percent alcohol), light beer with salt (for electrolytes), standard beer, or standard beer with salt.
The results showed that drinking the light beer with added salt produced the best benefits to the men. It also didn't dehydrate them anymore than water.
The team suggested that light beer with salt could be a great middle ground for beer and exercise lovers. "A low alcohol beer with added sodium offers a potential compromise between a beverage with high social acceptance and one which avoids the exacerbated fluid losses observed when consuming full strength beer," explained their report.
Best Combo
Light beer + added salt offered optimal rehydration, better than standard beer.
Obviously this is good news. Are we at the point where we can bring a six pack to the gym? Probably not. But at least you can feel good about cracking a cold one open after a run. Now, if Castillo can just find similar results regarding bourbon, we'd be extremely happy.
[Image via Flickr - Mike McCune]
