Alcohol and Athletes

Is Drinking Among Athletes Socially Accepted? As an athlete, achieving optimal performance involves practicing hard, hitting the weight room and being on top of your game both mentally and physically. However many athletes tend to underestimate the way in which alcohol use, even a few drink, nullifies one’s hard work by erasing the effects of workouts, reducing endurance, and compromising the mental game. The goal of any athlete is to be at the peak of performance. Alcohol is socially accepted all across the world; annual alcohol use by intercollegiate athletes is about 80%. Athletes tend to get sucked into the social drinking atmosphere and it’s not only affecting their health and physical performance as an athlete but also its getting them into trouble. Why don’t more athletes try to prevent this problem and why is so hard to say no?
College athletes and their drinking habits is a big deal to a lot of different people. All athletes are looked up to by so many, that most people think them drinking during their season is wrong. There are so many questions regarding this issue. Are their coaches aware of their players drinking and how often they’re doing it? Has the rate of athletes drinking gone up or down recently? These are all questions that people have. College athletes drinking during their competitive season is seen as wrong. Research shows that “actual use of alcohol among college athletes tends to decrease during their competitive seasons” (Martens). There are also many factors that tie into athletes drinking, such as; away games, practice times, and team rules.
Do athletes drink more than non-athletes? That question is asked by many people around college campuses. Of course a lot of people would assume that the answer to that would be no. Athletes are assumed to always be either at practice or working on their studies. A study was done in 2001, they surveyed three different groups of students, college athletes, students that were athletes in high school but not in college, and non- athletes. These students were surveyed on their drinking habits like how often they drank, how much they drank, and the number of times they binge drink. The results were very surprising. The group of non-athletic students drank significantly less than the two athletic groups of students. In fact, the athletes drank almost two times as much and as often as the non- athletes. That number alone is amazing. Another thing that was shown in this study was that most athletes developed their drinking habits in high school. Almost 85% of the athletes said that they drank just as much, if not more in high school than in college. (Martens) Research also indicates that college athletes are significantly more likely to have binge drank in the past two weeks than non- athletes, with approximately 60% of male and 50% of female college athletes self-reporting binge drinking behavior. These rates are higher than the national average of 44% of college students reporting binge drinking in the last two weeks. (Brenner) The non- athletes stated that if they did not drink in high school they did not drink in college either. Most people’s views are the exact opposite of what this shows.
Alcohol consumption is the biggest drug problem in the United States; “alcohol stimulates a feeling of wellbeing and euphoria and can eliminate social inhibitions. A lot of athletes are under the impression that a few drinks before an event can be a strong ergogenic aid” (Morgan). Some say they feel as if it can be a powerful tool to increase mental alertness, with a few drinks some athletes say they feel more alert and can numb the pain and they feel more confident and almost fearless. One of the main reasons college athletes drink is to socialize and fit in. (Morgan) College athletes feel the need that since everyone else is doing it, why can’t they? These athletes do not realize the physical toll alcohol plays on their body compared to someone who does not need to sprint up and down a field or fast breaks on a court.
Alcohol can interfere with the amount of oxygen and hydration the body needs to receive as an athlete. The drunken stage is due to the slowing of the respiratory function which can affect body temperature and increase the risk of dehydration. Dehydration can lead to very serious heart problems such as strokes, seizures, and shock. Hydration is not only important for performance but important for injury prevention. Low alcohol amounts can increase the motor skills of the body. Whereas high amounts can affect the human body very drastically. Alcohol consumption can cause swelling because alcohol causes the blood vessels to dilate. Alcohol can cause the body to lose 3% more body fluid in a four hour period; leading to dehydration even quicker. Alcohol can inhibit or slow down one’s ability to perform 72 hours following alcohol consumption. It causes poor reactions and slow hand eye coordination. The symptoms from alcohol don’t last for a very long period of time but can affect the body and mind very strongly and leaves the muscular system weak. (Gutgesell) As an athlete you must be able to perform to the best of your ability. Taking the necessary steps in order to achieve optimal performance is key, mentally and physically athletes have to be able to get their noses in the play book and understand everything very clearly; as well as being able to obtain strength by hitting the weight room and stretching correcting. Alcohol is one of the leading causes to eliminating any muscle growth from a work out by reducing strength, slowing down mental game, and reducing endurance. Being an athlete the goal is always to be the best you can be and aware at all times. (Firth) The body must be treated with absolute care and people must have the utmost respect for themself especially when performing at intense levels.
Alcohol can affect one’s performance even when drinking socially; it can even affect a person severely the next day. Sometimes the after effect will cause headaches and drowsiness. If you’re playing a sport that has a lot of running involved a person might feel less control of their body and may have trouble handling their movement. When under these conditions it is easier to control the body by moving slow and focusing on pace. This will give a person much more control over the body and they will gain focus back much faster.
Working hard on a hangover or drunken condition will not bring you any results, especially when trying to gain growth. Alcohol is a depressant and can take tole on several parts of the body especially the brain, it slows reaction time, delays the thinking process, suppresses the immune system, and effects the recovery time from injury. (O’Brien 1) Obrien says that even though a person may not feel drunk and may be able to go about their day without problems, the body is still impaired at the cellular level and the body is still struggling with the repercussions. Five or more drinks can stay in the body for more than three days, two consecutive nights of consuming five or more drinks can affect the body for more than five days. (Firth)
Athletes who think they’re replenishing lost fluids by boozing it up is mistaken, too, says O’Brien, since alcohol actually dehydrates the body. “This is the primary reason why people suffer hangovers” he says (O’Brien). Athletes may have injuries and may be drained of most of their fluids, that same night when they drink more than five drinks then they wonder why they feel like crap for the three days. After drinking so much the body simply doesn’t have enough fluids to help the body recover. Statistics from the National institute on Alcohol abuse and alcoholism showed that nearly 90% of college students have used alcohol and at least 40% binge-drink at one time Alcohol has been around since the beginning of time and has always been produced from fruits, honey, grains in order to produce some type of alcohol. Alcohol takes part in a lot of sporting events and advertisement of alcohol might be taken out of sporting events because to many people use it as a social aspect and continues to be the number one killer of teens all across the world, especially athletes; which most of them are from vehicles accidents. In recent surveys traditional field sports such as rugby, cricket, hurling, soccer, and Gaelic football were found to have the highest percentage of athletes who consume alcohol compared with sports such as horse racing, cycling and tennis.(O’Brien 1)
The world’s health organization defines alcoholism as drinking that causes emotional, social or physical damage to the individual. (O’Brien 1) The age group that alcohol most effects is between 18 and 24 years which have been shown to have an increased chance in alcohol problems. People who are involved in sports may be at a greater risk of alcohol related problems as the opportunity to drink is often present in the sport pavilion. The effects of alcohol are very serious; in 1985 a study on ten athletes showed that serum alcohol concentrating over 100 mg/dl weaken the pumping force of the heart, even in healthy young adults. In 1987, a study of 18 male runners who underwent a 5-mile run showed the average running time was 28 seconds after alcohol consumption. These (O’Brien 2) and small doses can temporarily weaken left ventricle contraction.
Many college and professional athletes have had to deal with major consequences due to their alcohol consumption.
Through January 1, 2010 and August 31, 2010, there were 125 incidents involving athletes and criminal charges, 70 of these incidents involved college football players, 15 college basketball players, 31 NFL players, and 9 NBA players. Of the 125 incidents 57 involved drugs and alcohol, 19 assault/battery, 18 robbery/burglary, 16 weapon offenses, 14 domestic violence, and 5 sex crimes. On July 31, police in Stillwater Oklahoma, responded to a bar fight, where former Oklahoma State lineman Stephen Denning was found bleeding profusely. His left orbital socket had been fractured when current Oklahoma state lineman Anton Blatnik, allegedly struck Denning in the face, with a beer bottle. Denning was charged with misdemeanor assault for shoving a police office, and Blatnik pled guilty to a misdemeanor and received probation and community service. On August 22 police in Corvallis, Oregon, say they found Oregon State redshirt lineman Tyler Thomas naked and intoxicated in a stranger’s home. When ordered to the ground, Thomas reportedly went in to a three-point stance and lunged at the officers, who fired stun guns to subdue him. Thomas was charged with criminal trespass, criminal mischief and resisting arrest. Thomas was also dismissed from the team following his arrest (Benedict).
There are just a few examples of incidents that have taken place due to alcohol consumption, not only does alcohol affect you athletic performance, it can also affect your entire life and athletic career.
As you can see, drinking and trying to be the best athlete you can be do not mix. The effects of alcohol on your athletic performance can greatly alter on how you want to perform. You only get four years to play at the colligate level in your lifetime and get to play the sport you have been playing since were you just a little kid. Why not wait to drink if you are not of age or drink responsibly? Studies show that if you do not consume alcohol while competing in a sport you will be able to be at peak performance mentally and physically.

Works Cited
Benedict, J., (2010). An alarming number of college athletes charged with serious crime. Sports and Society.

Brenner, J., & Swanik, K. (2007). High-Risk Drinking Characteristics in Collegiate Athletes. Journal of American College Health, 56(3), 267-272.

Firth, G., Manzo, L. (2004). For the Athlete. Alcohol and Athletic Performance.

Gutgesell, M., & Canterbury, R. (1999). Alcohol usage in sport and exercise. Addiction Biology, 4(4), 373-383.

Martens, M. P., & J.L. (2010). College athletes’ drinking motives and competitive seasonal status: Additional examination of the athlete drinking scale. Addiction Research and Theory, 18(1), 23-32.

Morgan, R. (2011, May 26) Effects of Alcohol on Sports Performance

O’Brien, C.P., & Lyons, F.F. (2000). Alcohol and the Athlete. Sports Medicine, 29(5), 295-300.

Cited: Benedict, J., (2010). An alarming number of college athletes charged with serious crime. Sports and Society. Brenner, J., & Swanik, K. (2007). High-Risk Drinking Characteristics in Collegiate Athletes. Journal of American College Health, 56(3), 267-272. Firth, G., Manzo, L. (2004). For the Athlete. Alcohol and Athletic Performance. Gutgesell, M., & Canterbury, R. (1999). Alcohol usage in sport and exercise. Addiction Biology, 4(4), 373-383. Martens, M. P., & J.L. (2010). College athletes’ drinking motives and competitive seasonal status: Additional examination of the athlete drinking scale. Addiction Research and Theory, 18(1), 23-32. Morgan, R. (2011, May 26) Effects of Alcohol on Sports Performance O’Brien, C.P., & Lyons, F.F. (2000). Alcohol and the Athlete. Sports Medicine, 29(5), 295-300.