Effect of Alcohol on GAA players

[Aristotle Flynn]

Research has shown that alcohol is the drug most widely used by GAA players. Here is an article that explains the impact the drug has on high performance athletes. This sort of article should be used while coaching juveniles to get across the message that sport and drink don't mix.

Alcohol And Sport: What effects does alcohol have on sports performance?

Alcohol (ethyl alcohol, ethanol) is a drug, but technically it can also be classified as a nutrient because it provides energy, about 7 kcal per gram. One drink of alcohol is considered to be an amount typically found in 340ml of beer, 114ml of wine or 35ml of 40 per cent (80 proof) spirits. Alcohol affects all cells in the body but the most immediate physiological and psychological effects are on the brain.

These effects are dependent on the blood alcohol concentration (BAC). A number of factors may influence the BAC (eg, body size, body fat content, gender) but for the average male one drink will result in a BAC of about 25mg/L. The table highlights some common effects associated with increasing BAC.

Although alcohol is classified as a depressant drug, it may elicit a transient stimulant effect, and it has been theorised by some authors to be ergogenic for both of these effects.

Potential ergogenic effects
Alcohol may influence both psychological and physiological processes related to physical performance, but most of the theoretical ergogenic benefits have been related to psychological effects. Psychologically, alcohol may benefit performance by increasing self-confidence, decreasing sensitivity to pain, or removing psychological barriers to performance. However, the most prevalent use of alcohol in sports competition is related to its ability to reduce excess anxiety and hand tremor, important considerations for athletes involved in precision sports such as pistol shooting.

Potential ergolytic effects
Alcohol may also influence psychological and physiological processes in an adverse fashion and may lead to deterioration in physical performance. Obviously, many of the adverse psychomotor effects listed in the table could impair performance in sports requiring great skill, but a number of physiological effects could also be detrimental to other types of performance. For example, alcohol may depress heart function, interfere with liver function to cause hypoglycaemia, and lead to dehydration by suppressing the release of antidiuretic hormone.

Effects on psychomotor performance
The table indicates some of the psychomotor effects of alcohol with increasing BAC. Obviously, levels about 100m/L will interfere with almost all types of psychomotor skills. Although research findings are somewhat inconsistent regarding the influence of BAC below 50mg/L upon psychomotor performance, several studies have reported decrements in a variety of psychomotor performance tasks with BAC lower than 50mg/L. Complex psychomotor skills, such as the ability to react quickly to rapidly changing stimuli (eg, in tennis) are most likely to be unpaired at low BAC.

Strength, speed, power and endurance Several major review articles have concluded that alcohol has no beneficial effects on events characterised by maximal force development for short periods of time, such as laboratory tests of muscle strength and short-term muscular endurance, and both laboratory and field tests of speed. In several studies, alcohol actually impaired performance in tests of strength, power and speed. In prolonged aerobic endurance events, major physiological variables such as heart rate and oxygen consumption during submaximal and maximal exercise do not appear to be affected by alcohol, and, in general, neither is performance on tests of aerobic endurance. However, some investigators have reported a detrimental effect on performance in 800 and 1500m races.

Precision shooting sports
Although alcohol might best be used as an ergogenic aid for precision shooting sports, little research has been conducted relative to the effect of alcohol on actual performance. Although the available data are somewhat equivocal, studies supporting the anxiolytic effect of alcohol serve as the basis for banning its use in conjunction with such sports.

Melvin H Williams (Sports Science Update)

[his holiness nb]

Research has shown that alcohol is the drug most widely used by GAA players.

In fairness I dont think that anyone isnt aware of this, it would be the drug most widely used by all sportsmen and women.

Bar pointing out the blatant obviousness of your point, I do agree that kids should be brought up aware of the dangers.

[Silky]

These are young amatures - you can't expect them to live like monks when their mates are all away out on the beer.

A few pints never did anyone any harm except alcoholics or lads that get in fights. Or drive. Or drink far too much and make themselves sick. Or fall over.

[the green man]

I mind palying a hurling championship final in November and the snow as thick as. Me and another fella went on the rip, cause there was no way you could play hurling in that. Anyway, we finished up around 6am at my house and got a phone call at 10am saying the match was on. We won. Granted I was only 19 at the time, which you can get away with. Once you go by 24/25 It's very difficult to keep the level of fitness up. I found that I had to train almost continually throughout the year (less the alcohol of course) just to keep up with the young fellas coming into the team. So i guess what I'm saying is that, although you may think you can pint away when you first come into the seniors, you cant keep it up for long. Theres always a young upstart waitnig to take your place.

[the green man]

For by that, it's a bad thing. Don't do it! I should know. I've been that soldier.

[ziggysego]

I can't really fault a player if s/he decides to have a drink. It's an amature sport after all. I do however think that the GAA shouldn't be promoting alcohol beverages, so the removal of Bushmills from the Antrim sponsorship and Guinness from the Hurling Championship has to be welcomed.

[stephenite]

Research has shown that alcohol is the drug most widely used by GAA players

What research? Have you a link to that?

The majority of us want to retain an element of amateurism in the GAA, it's stuff like this that adds fuel to the GPA fire. If elite Gaelic Footballers want to indulge in a few drinks like the rest of society they shouldn't have to listen to this.

The GAA, as a community organisation, should help do it's bit for alcohol awareness no doubt, but it shouldn't be responsible for what is a problem in the general population.

[the green man]

Ziggy, do you not envy the rugby boys, where they have a drink or two after a game with the opposition? I think this is a great tradition that we could bring into our games. One of the best games I ever played was up in Dungiven, when unexpectedly big Geoffrey toks us into the local with a few other boys that played against us that day. A superb evening was had by everyone, at not a bad word was said. Despite the game being fairly pikey. Inded I shared a drink with a man who squared up to me not 15 minutes previously. And thats the GAA to me.

[ziggysego]

You're picking me up wrong green man. The players can drink all they want. What I mean is that I don't think alcohol companies should sponsor teams or competitions.

[orangeman]

Ziggy - I'm not sure about the link between sponsorship and drinking - a lot of us smoke and there's no sponsorship now for the tobacco companies - drinking is a culture now -

[ziggysego]

So you would be happy with Benson and Hedges sponsoring Tyrone when the Rocwell sponsorship is over?

[stephenite]

What really f#$ks me off is the perception or perhaps expectation that the GAA have a greater responsibility to society than other sporting organisations. There was such a big rumpus made of Guinness sponsoring the Hurling Championship but not a whisper about the Heineken Cup.

The GAA does not have to, nor shouldn't be expected to provide a moral compass to society.

[the green man]

You're picking me up wrong green man. The players can drink all they want. What I mean is that I don't think alcohol companies should sponsor teams or competitions.

Ok tue enough, but if Smirnoff came to Greencastle and said they were going to build you a fully indoor synthetic pitch, would you say no?

I'm going to contradict myself a wee bit, and say yes that Alcoholic companies don't really have a place here, but at the end of the day, money talks. And we ( as Clubs ) all want that. Probably a sad way that clubs are going, but for me thats the way its going. I know that Lavey are building a big indoor arena, and most rival clubs are trying to keep up with them a bit. I know for sure we'd love something like that.

[ziggysego]

What really f#$ks me off is the perception or perhaps expectation that the GAA have a greater responsibility to society than other sporting organisations. There was such a big rumpus made of Guinness sponsoring the Hurling Championship but not a whisper about the Heineken Cup.

The GAA does not have to, nor shouldn't be expected to provide a moral compass to society.

True, there shouldn't extra demands put on the GAA that isn't on other sports. As a sporting organising which promotes healthy lifestyle, etc.. it seems a little silly to me, and contradictory, that alcoholic beverages are high sponsors.

You're picking me up wrong green man. The players can drink all they want. What I mean is that I don't think alcohol companies should sponsor teams or competitions.

Ok tue enough, but if Smirnoff came to Greencastle and said they were going to build you a fully indoor synthetic pitch, would you say no?

I'm going to contradict myself a wee bit, and say yes that Alcoholic companies don't really have a place here, but at the end of the day, money talks. And we ( as Clubs ) all want that. Probably a sad way that clubs are going, but for me thats the way its going. I know that Lavey are building a big indoor arena, and most rival clubs are trying to keep up with them a bit. I know for sure we'd love something like that.

Smirnoff aren't Irish, so they wouldn't be sponsoring Greencastle

I see what you are saying and yes money does talk. I would love to say that Greencastle would say no to sponsorship to Smirnoff, but I couldn't say as they haven't approached us I'd like to think we would though.

[stephenite]

I agree that it would appear contradictory Ziggy, but where is the line drawn. Should all club houses shut down their bars? Alcohol is still an important part of the social fabric of this country, and whilst that is unfortunate, it's also not our responsibility (and extremley impractical) to dictate and lecture to our extremley large membership base and society in general about the evils of the demon drink.

Neither should we pressure our elite members for doing what the rest of us take for granted - the standard line that is jotted out from those in favour of pay for play is them bemoaning the social sacrifices they have to make, and they're 100% right.