Beer and your training

When it comes to having an occasional beer while in training, you probably are not doing yourself any harm.  In fact, you could be doing yourself some good!! (as long as you are adequately hydrated).  As per an article on www.allaboutbeer.com – If an “average” 12 ounce bottle of beer sported a Nutrition Facts label, this is what it would tell you:

Beer contains 150 calories.
Beer has no fat
Beer has no cholesterol
Beer is caffeine free
Beer contains no nitrate
Beer contains 1 gram of protein and 13 grams of carbohydrates
Beer contains significant amounts of magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, and biotin
Beer is chock full of the B vitamins (as anyone who has taken brewer’s yeast as a B supplement already knows), with impressive amounts of B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxin), and B9 (folate), with smaller amounts of B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B12 inotisol and choline.
Beer is 92 percent water

The key is having ‘A’ beer, as in one! Or perhaps choosing a non-alcoholic variety like O’douls.  The time to avoid the brewskie is when you’re dehydrated, need to stay hydrated, or looking to lose weight.  Though beer has no fat, it is one of the most readily available fuels that your body could use as energy, therefore causing your body to convert and store all the other carbohydrates in your system as fat!

If we could somehow eliminate it’s inebriating and dehydrating effects we’d have the ultimate race fuel!!  What does your body do with the alcohol in your system?

• A small portion of the alcohol is converted into fat.
• Your liver then converts most of the alcohol into acetate.
• The acetate is then released into your bloodstream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel.

All of that is processed very quickly, faster than any form of gel or bar you could find.  There’s also those vitamins and minerals listed above that are sure to help your body repair and keep it healthy.

There will be variation from one beer style to another, of course. “Light beers” contain fewer calories and carbohydrates. High alcohol beers–barley wines or imperial stouts– may contain more calories and carbohydrates. Different beer styles–dark styles, wheat beers–will have different levels of trace elements from pale ales or pilsner. But, across the board, beer in moderation is a nutritious beverage, and a great companion for food.

So, grab an evening brew and feel good about it.