Alcohol and fitness

There are many misconceptions about alcohol and exercise, but the truth is that drinking alcohol can affect our fitness in several important ways.

How are alcohol and sports linked?

For many of us, maintaining good health and fitness is important. Key components of a healthy lifestyle include regular exercise and a nutritious diet. Despite slick alcohol marketing and sports sponsorship trying to link the two,[1] alcohol consumption is not typically considered part of a healthy lifestyle. Even moderate drinking can negatively affect physical performance, recovery, and overall health.

Alcohol often plays a role in sports, from crowds consuming alcohol to sports clubs socialising with alcohol after training and competitions. This drinking culture can drive people away from sports, especially if alcohol is not part of their culture or faith:

The Changing the Boundaries report on cricket in Scotland in 2022 referred to “the persistent use of alcohol as part of any post-match and social evenings with a lack of consideration for different religious practices and beliefs” as factors excluding Asian players and spectators.[2]
A 2023 report commissioned by Alcohol Change UK specifically examined how a culture of drinking may present a barrier and a source of exclusion for British Asians in watching and participating in cricket and rugby union.[3]

How does alcohol impact physical performance?

Alcohol can negatively impact our physical performance by:

Making us dehydrated.[4]
Reducing coordination, balance, and reaction time.[5] [6]

How does alcohol affect recovery and injury risk?

Alcohol can increase our risk of dehydration[7] and injury.[8]

Within the first hour or two after exercise, our muscles will be in repair mode. However, alcohol interferes with muscle repair and protein synthesis,[9] [10] and should also be avoided after injury.[11]

Alcohol worsens sleep quality, which is critical for recovery. Even those of us drinking less than 14 units of alcohol a week have stated they have lower sleep quality compared to people who do not drink alcohol.[12]

How does alcohol impact body composition and weight management?

Alcohol can be high in calories and also stimulates our appetite, meaning that if we’re exercising to lose weight or stay trim, drinking post-exercise may be counterproductive by undermining weight loss and fitness goals.[13]

This is especially problematic as alcohol labelling often does not include nutritional information like calorie and sugar content.[14] [15]

In a Japanese population, high alcohol consumption was associated with a greater decline in muscle strength.[16]

What about longer-term health considerations?

Alcohol impacts our health and wellbeing in many different ways, all of which can influence motivation and fitness. Fitness does not “cancel out” alcohol-related health risks.

Alcohol is sometimes used by people to try to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression, but alcohol is likely to make those symptoms worse in the long run.[17]

Alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 diseases, injuries and other health conditions, including high blood pressure, liver disease, and cancers.[18]

Practical tips

Avoid alcohol before exercise
Limit your alcohol intake after exercise
Have a glass of water after every alcoholic drink to help prevent dehydration
Consider something with lower alcohol content
Choose alcohol-free alternatives
Use a free app like Try Dry® or keep a drinks diary to help you keep track and understand your drinking patterns
Explore our top tips for cutting down on your drinking

[1] Brown, K. (2016). Association Between Alcohol Sports Sponsorship and Consumption: A Systematic Review. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 51(6), 747-755.

[2] Plan 4 Sport (2022). Changing The Boundaries: The Plan4Sport Independent Review into Racism in Scottish Cricket.

[3] Magpie (2023). On the sidelines? Exploring how alcohol may present a barrier to British Asians engaging in sport

[4] NHS Mendip Vale Medical Group (n.d.). Hydration and Alcohol.

[5] Zoethout, R.W.M., Delgado, W.L., Ippel, A.E., et al. (2010). Functional biomarkers for the acute effects of alcohol on the central nervous system in healthy volunteers. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 71(3), pp. 331-350.

[6] Chikritzhs, T. and Livingston, M. (2021). Alcohol and the Risk of Injury. Nutrients, 13(8), 2777.

[7] NHS Mendip Vale Medical Group (n.d.). Hydration and Alcohol.

[8] Chikritzhs, T. and Livingston, M. (2021). Alcohol and the Risk of Injury. Nutrients, 13(8), 2777.

[9] Lakićević, N. (2019). The Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Recovery Following Resistance Exercise: A Systematic Review. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 4(3), 41.

[10] Duplanty, A. A., Budnar, R. G., Luk, H. Y., et al. (2017). Effect of Acute Alcohol Ingestion on Resistance Exercise-Induced mTORC1 Signaling in Human Muscle. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 31(1), pp. 54-61.

[11] Turnagöl, H. H., Koşar, S. N., Güzel, Y., et al. (2021). Nutritional Considerations for Injury Prevention and Recovery in Combat Sports. Nutrients, 14(1), 53.

[12] Behavioural insights Team (2025). Alcohol Harm Across the Drinking Spectrum.

[13] NHS (2023). Calories in alcohol.

[14] Alcohol Focus Scotland (2022). Like a needle in a vineyard: Searching for health information on wine labels and websites.

[15] Alcohol Health Alliance (2022). Contents Unknown: How alcohol labelling still fails consumers.

[16] Cui, Y., Huang, C., Momma, H., et al. (2019). The longitudinal association between alcohol consumption and muscle strength: A population-based prospective study. Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions, 19(3), pp. 294-299.

[17] Mental Health Foundation (2022). Alcohol and mental health.

[18] Rehm, J., Baliunas, D., Borges, G. L. G., et al. (2010). The relation between different dimensions of alcohol consumption and burden of disease – an overview. Addiction, 105(5), pp. 817-843.

Page updated: February 2026