Sweating out a hangover.
Something you’ll hear often and we’ve probably all said.
How should you train the day after a heavy drinking sessions?
It sounds appealing- almost like atonement – make up for the things you put your body through the night before. But when you drink a lot you become dehydrated, going to the gym and working out will cause further dehydration to occur. This can make exercise feel more draining than normal (you are more likely to suffer from cramps for instance) so you can end up feeling worse rather than better. Studies have also suggested that greater than normal fatigue can also affect our co-ordination leading to a greater risk of strains or injury. There is also evidence that alcohol can have an effect on protein synthesis so it can be harder to recover after a sessions as effectively as you normally would.
Hangovers obviously vary on a scale and if you had one glass of wine last night you will probably feel fine to work out the next day but if you wake up dizzy, shaking with your head banging heading to the gym for a hardcore workout could make you feel worse than you already do.
Instead drink all the water to hydrate – consider adding some hydration tablets or salts such as these Electrolytes.
Don’t try restricting your food intake to make up for overdoing it, have a good meal – eggs on toast and a banana is a decent breakfast idea for making you feel better.
If you really want to be active get outdoors and go for a walk – some light movement and fresh air will almost definitely help.
Sleep. Your quality of sleep is often reduced when drunk so a nap could make you feel brighter quicker.
Heather Sherwood Fitness 