To be an elite athlete do you have to avoid alcohol?

boxbet · Post by **boxbet** » 19 Dec 2007, 13:00

I like to have a drink, but I feel its holding my fitness level back. Is it possible to have some alcohol in your life each week / fortnite and still be at your best. I know it can interupt your sleep, which is a very important part of being super fit.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 19 Dec 2007, 13:06

Depends on the amount. Alcohol is a toxin, which interferes with your bodies various organs, and can over time progressively weaken the heart muscle and reduce lung efficiency.

It's not going to hurt to have a tipple now and then, but if you are getting smashed on alcopops and are a regular feature on booze britain, you are unlikely to be setting the world on fire in terms of sporting endeavour.

chesh · Post by **chesh** » 19 Dec 2007, 13:17

I've drunk and smoked heavily for over 30 years and I'm still able to throw a dart. So, no, the booze hasn't affected this elite athlete.

Southpaw Stylist · Post by **Southpaw Stylist** » 19 Dec 2007, 13:20

chesh wrote:I've drunk and smoked heavily for over 30 years and I'm still able to throw a dart. So, no, the booze hasn't affected this elite athlete.

Hahahaha

Khaosai-Galaxy · Post by **Khaosai-Galaxy** » 19 Dec 2007, 13:20

Ive spent most of my life in a shambolic state, living from bottle to bottle and i'm still ... umm .. errrrm....

wait a sec...

no, its gone, sorry

The Blade · Post by **The Blade** » 19 Dec 2007, 13:20

boxbet wrote:I like to have a drink, but I feel its holding my fitness level back. Is it possible to have some alcohol in your life each week / fortnite and still be at your best. I know it can interupt your sleep, which is a very important part of being super fit.

Seb Coe was arguably our greatest Olympic athlete, and love a pint and always did. Question answered?

Sammy Mendelson · Post by **Sammy Mendelson** » 19 Dec 2007, 13:22

The Blade wrote:
boxbet wrote:I like to have a drink, but I feel its holding my fitness level back. Is it possible to have some alcohol in your life each week / fortnite and still be at your best. I know it can interupt your sleep, which is a very important part of being super fit.
Seb Coe was arguably our greatest Olympic athlete, and love a pint and always did. Question answered?

Wow! That is what I was going to write.

Everybody should re-watch the Coe/Ovett/Cram classics on youtube at least once every three months to remind them how awesome our middle distance runners used to be.

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 19 Dec 2007, 14:38

boxbet wrote:I like to have a drink, but I feel its holding my fitness level back. Is it possible to have some alcohol in your life each week / fortnite and still be at your best. I know it can interupt your sleep, which is a very important part of being super fit.

No it's fine. In fact you should get plastered every night!

boxbet · Post by **boxbet** » 19 Dec 2007, 14:44

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Depends on the amount. Alcohol is a toxin, which interferes with your bodies various organs, and can over time progressively weaken the heart muscle and reduce lung efficiency.

It's not going to hurt to have a tipple now and then, but if you are getting smashed on alcopops and are a regular feature on booze britain, you are unlikely to be setting the world on fire in terms of sporting endeavour.

Wow, I wondered why im short of breath the next day. very intersting post. without good heart and lungs im never going to be at my best. Does maywether drink at all? If not how does he do it?

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 19 Dec 2007, 14:51

Mayweather isn't from South Wales!

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 19 Dec 2007, 14:52

boxbet wrote:
jamesmcdonnell wrote:Depends on the amount. Alcohol is a toxin, which interferes with your bodies various organs, and can over time progressively weaken the heart muscle and reduce lung efficiency.

It's not going to hurt to have a tipple now and then, but if you are getting smashed on alcopops and are a regular feature on booze britain, you are unlikely to be setting the world on fire in terms of sporting endeavour.
Wow, I wondered why im short of breath the next day. very intersting post. without good heart and lungs im never going to be at my best. Does maywether drink at all? If not how does he do it?

I imagine Mayweather drinks very little if at all.......seen him on 24/7 with a big pile of sweets so obviously not averse to treats, but the real calories/fat comes from beer. Guess if you don't drink you just don't miss it.

sweetscience · Post by **sweetscience** » 19 Dec 2007, 15:04

i think mayweather is teatotal

but to be honest the yanks in general dont drink......althou they do like there crack

Southpaw Stylist · Post by **Southpaw Stylist** » 19 Dec 2007, 15:30

Of course Mayweather doesn't drink.
I can tell you that as fact.

yiddo14 · Post by **yiddo14** » 19 Dec 2007, 16:44

sweetscience wrote:i think mayweather is teatotal

but to be honest the yanks in general dont drink......althou they do like there crack

Exactly, look at Oliver McCall.

Heavy drinking, whislt an athlete is'nt advisable but I'am sure there are plenty that have done in the past.That and far worse.

The most important attribute for any athlete or aspiring athlete is genuine talent first and foremost.
If you don't possess that, chances are you won't become much anyway so drink all you want

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 19 Dec 2007, 18:21

Gazza drank a double brandy before England-Scotland in Euro 96 before scoring the goal of the tournament!

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 19 Dec 2007, 18:29

yeah Gazza stuck it to the Scots that day alright. Wonder if there's any Scots on boxrec remember that day, wonder what they'd make about Gazza's pre match snifter

johnswan1 · Post by **johnswan1** » 19 Dec 2007, 18:30

boxbet wrote:I like to have a drink, but I feel its holding my fitness level back. Is it possible to have some alcohol in your life each week / fortnite and still be at your best. I know it can interupt your sleep, which is a very important part of being super fit.

Fitness level, maybe, but are you talking about fitness alone or performance? In most sports, to be right mentally is a big part of what's required to be "elite", and it varies from person to person, but I'm sure to many a part of that is letting your hair down and having a drink.

Tykemania · Post by **Tykemania** » 19 Dec 2007, 21:54

There are all sorts of examples of sportspeople in the past who have liked a drink and still managed to perform to a world class level - Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff amongst many cricketers, Georgie Best (until it got stupid), Seb Coe (who has already been mentioned) and Greg Norman spring to mind. The only question is whether they would be better if they abstained - I tend to think not, that the act of being a rounded person is equally as important as that of being a perfect physical specimen - quite aside from which, it seems to me that the more coaches work on scientific fitness, the more thair charges go down with injuries!

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 20 Dec 2007, 06:02

So how come the middle east doesn't produce supreme athletes in all sports? not many of them drink, and thats generations of being tee-total

pm · Post by pm » 20 Dec 2007, 06:02

Coisty v Switzerland was clearly goal of the tournament anyway. C*nts.

Captain Hook · Post by **Captain Hook** » 20 Dec 2007, 06:41

Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldinho are heavy drinkers...

...you can tell with Ronaldo as he's put on so much weight. He was leathered when they made the Nike advert a few years ago, the one where Carlos was snarling as they lined up at the end. A mate of mine produced it.

Said he was a little crunt....

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 20 Dec 2007, 07:16

pm wrote:Coisty v Switzerland was clearly goal of the tournament anyway. C*nts.

they'll clutch on to anything won't they

Asterix · Post by **Asterix** » 20 Dec 2007, 08:28

If Floyd Mayweather Jr did drink, his mind wouldn't be a sharp as it is. I'm not sure I like the guy, but he does have a great boxing mind.

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 20 Dec 2007, 09:16

Bill Werbenick
Andy Fordham
Ricardo Mayorga
Alex Higgins
John Daly
George Best

A truimphant six-pack of sporting genius who like a pint. OK Fordham and Mayorga are a stretch for genuis. The fact Werbenick could get in a three piece suit was genuius enough

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 20 Dec 2007, 09:18

Asterix wrote:If Floyd Mayweather Jr did drink, his mind wouldn't be a sharp as it is. I'm not sure I like the guy, but he does have a great boxing mind.

Floyd did show alot of class straight after the fight with Hatton, so maybe alot of the bragging beforehand is just for show.

To be an elite athlete do you have to avoid alcohol?

To be an elite athlete do you have to avoid alcohol?

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