Transcript Alcohol and Athletes

Motivations to Consume
Alcohol
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Alcohol and Athletes
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 Motor Performance - Low amounts of alcohol can result in decreased hand
tremors, improved balance and throwing accuracy, and a clearer release in
archery, but in slower reaction time and decreased eye-hand coordination. A
moderate amount of alcohol negatively affects such skills.
 Strength/Power and Short-term Performances - The effect of alcohol, in low
to moderate doses, is equivocal. It can have a deleterious effect on grip strength,
jump height, 200- and 400-meter run performance, and can result in faster
fatigue during high-intensity exercise. Alcohol has been shown to lack an effect
on strength in various muscle groups, on muscular endurance, and on 100-meter
run time.
 Aerobic Performance - Low or moderate amounts of alcohol can impair 800and 1500-meter run times. Because of its diuretic property, it can also result in
dehydration, being especially detrimental in both performance and health during
prolonged exercise in hot environments.
Alcohol Effects the Body
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 Dehydration- Alcohol is a powerful diuretic that can
cause severe dehydration and staggering electrolyte
imbalances. While dehydrated, an athlete is at greater risk
for musculoskeletal injuries including: cramps, muscle
pulls, and muscle strains.
 Testosterone- Alcohol can dramatically decrease serum
testosterone levels. Decreases in testosterone are
associated with decreases in aggression, lean muscle mass,
muscle recovery and overall athletic performance.
Alcohol Effects the Body
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 Performance- Alcohol will also impair reaction time and mental
acuity for up to several days after consumption. The delayed
reaction time and reduced mental acuity is of severe consequence
to the athlete. Performance will be reduced and injury risk
increased. Alcohol consumption will cause a decrease in hand-eye
coordination and will impair judgment.
 Nutrition-Alcohol consumption impairs the body’s mechanisms
that control blood glucose and may result in hypoglycemia. This
may cause serious injury even if it doesn’t last long because it
causes the brain and other body tissues to be deprived of glucose
needed for energy and normal function.
Alcohol Effects the Body
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 Social- Alcohol acts as a central nervous system depressant and
can impair judgment leading to injuries. Social related injuries
caused by alcohol can lead to serious consequences for athletes
such as jail time or suspensions. Common social related injuries
by alcohol are rape, date rape, and assault.
 Sleep- Alcohol seems to accelerate falling asleep, at least in
subjects who do not tend to fall asleep immediately. The
negative effects arise later and affect the quality and duration of
sleep. This is a major concern to athletes because with little or
too much sleep it will affect how the athlete is going to perform.
Alcohol Stores as FAT
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 Alcohol has 7 grams of calories.
 Alcohol destroys amino acids and stores them as fat
therefore increasing fat storage, and adversely effects of
body composition.
 These extra calories can add up really fast increasing the
persons bodyweight and percent body fat.
How Much Do College
Student Drink?
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 The average college student consumes about 32 GALLONS OF
ALCOHOL A YEAR!
 The average college athlete consumes about 34 GALLONS OF
ALCOHOL A YEAR!
 This is a major problem in society because the average college
student consumes 20 GALLONS OF MILK A YEAR AND
ONLY 28.3 GALLONS OF BOTTLED WATER A YEAR!!!
Alcohol also
Effects Non-Athletes
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 Alcohol reduces endurance, increases dehydration,
weakens reaction time, decreases oxygen/muscle
mass, slows down muscle recovery, and you are at
greater risk for injuries.
 Most students complain the next morning after
drinking that they feel like “Crap”, and that they are
going to work out. This is when the students are at
highest risk for injury because their bodies are
dehydrated, their reaction time is still impaired from
the night before that could cause serious injuries.
Students Exercising with
Hangovers
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 The toxic effect that alcohol contains plus the
addition of dehydration result in a HANGOVER.
 Students working out with a hangover have a 11%
decreased aerobic performance.
 Exercising with a hangover leads to headaches(most
common), depressed moods, mood swings, and the
student will also have a hypersensitivity to light, and
sounds.
More Alcohol Effects
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 Disrupts sleep process: trouble falling asleep because most
students drink till they get the spins and staying asleep because
they keep waking up to either vomit or urinate.
 Alcohol impacts the body’s production of growth which makes
it harder to build muscle mass.
 It affects the mental mindset because it makes it hard for you to
learn and retain new information. (Examples: things taught in
class, things taught on the football field)
Athletes and Students Who
Choose to Drink
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 Athletes and students should avoid the consumption of
alcohol for up to 48 hours before an event.
 It is recommended that you don’t drink for at least 72 hours
before an event, but you may as long as it is at a low
level(Usually just to be social at parties)
 After an event, an athlete or student should get the adequate
amount of water, and electrolytes to rehydrate the body, and
they should eat carbs to help absorb the amounts of alcohol
that are going to enter the body.
Greek Life compared to
Athletes
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 Greek Life
- Drink more frequently then athletes because of their social events
such as mixers(only Greek life), and open-parties.
- High consumption levels through out the school between leisurely
drinking, and parties.
- More intentions to drink in the future then athletes do.
- The male Greek life is the most at risk to become binge drinkers
compared to female Greek life.
Athletes Compared to Greek
Life
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 Athletes
- Tend to not drink as much as Greek Life, but when they
do they consume alcohol a lot more heavily.
- In the off-season athletes consume lots of alcohol, but inseason they consume low levels(compared to the Greek
life that drink year round)
- Tend to “Drink to fit in” and drink more at once, for
events such as celebrating a victory.
- Have less intention to drink in the futre.
Freshman Students Drinking
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 For new freshman coming onto campus over ¾ report that they
have consumed alcohol since they have been at college
 Out of the 3/4th’s that reports drinking over ½ of them report
that they are binge drinkers.
 Most commons reasons for freshman to drink are:
1) To take stress of their increased college workload.
2) College campus social norms promoting alcohol for social
reason.
3) With no parents around they have a drastic decline in
supervision so they go crazy. (Usually resulting in the Freshman
“15”)
Drunkorexia
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 Drunkorexia is a term used to describe the restriction of
calories prior to consuming alcohol.
 About 15% of college students report calorie restriction.
 Reasons for drunkorexia are: to limit weight gain, to maximize
the effect of alcohol, to be able to drink a greater amount, and
to prevent feelings of being sick.
 Not eating prior to the consumption of alcohol increased the
alcohol’s toxicity and the subsequent health consequences such
as brain and organ damage.
 More likey to suffer from nutrional deficits, and experience
memory lapses or blackouts.
How Alcohol Effects School
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 Excessive alcohol consumption the night before a test does not significantly affect
one’s test-taking performance (MC) the morning after, but may affect essay writing
or problem solving abilities
 Will affect the visuospatial, motor function and attention/reaction time deficits
 Mood states were significantly worse the next day
 Drinking has more of an impact on other areas of their academic performance other
than test-taking, such as:
- Hangover resulting in missing morning classes
- Drinking uses time otherwise spent studying
- drinking impedes next day learning in class or, when studying, by affecting memory
retention
- Personal and interpersonal problems resulting from heavy drinking may make it
difficult to focus on school work
Grades Suffer with Each
Drink
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 The amount of drinks you consume weekly will reflect upon
your grade at the end of the semester.
 With alcohol affecting the body this can, and most likely will
result in decreased grades because students aren’t at the
optimal studying levels, and they cannot stay as focused as
they would if they didn’t consume alcohol.
How Alcohol Affected my
Career
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Video on a Real Life Event
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 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwDYS7K-bSw
Alcohol and Athletes
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QUESTIONS???