Alcohol

Ethanol- (Ethyl Alcohol, Hydroxyl Ethane): Alcohol present in alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is the intoxicating ingredients in beer, wine and hard liquor.

Alcohol as a Nutrient
Alcohol is not nutritionally dense and contains 7 nutritionally empty Kcals/gram. Beer contains alcohol and insignificant amounts of the following nutrients: water, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates, proteins.

* Vitamin B1- only trace amounts
* Vitamin B2- Only small amounts, it takes 11 beers to obtain the Recommended Daily allowance.
* Potassium- only 90mg, 12 fluid oz of orange juice contains four times as much, a medium banana six times, and a large baked potato 7 times the amount.
* Sodium- 25mg an insignificant amount
* Protein- Only a trace
* Carbohydrates- about 13 grams in regular beer and 6 grams in light beer.
* Distilled Spirits- No essential nutrients.
* Others ( including wine)- Various amounts of simple sugars, Liquor 1.35 fl oz= 10g, Sweet Wine 4 fl oz=24g, Red wine 4 fl oz= 4g.(5)

Potential Physiological Effects
Alcohol directly or indirectly effects every system in the body. Its effects are pathologically linked to the following: Cirrhosis of the liver, ulcers, heart disease, diabetes, myopathy, bone disorders, mental disorders and colon cancer. Nutritional implications include: diarrhea, greater loss of protein, deficiencies in thiamin, folic acid and other vitamins. It physiologically can effect the turn over and excretion of nutrients. Myopathy or muscle damage and wasting as well as weakness have been shown to occur in various muscle groups, including the heart muscle. Hormonally alcohol can cause a lowered circulating level of testosterone and elevated circulating cortisol concentrations. This is considered more of a breaking down then a building environment(5).

Alcohol metabolism takes places in the liver and it is the only organ that can process alcohol in to useable energy. The liver prefers fatty acids as its fuel, but when alcohol is present it is forced to use it first and let fatty acids accumulated in large amounts. When the liver must first attend to alcohol other functions are set aside and the consequence is that protein synthesis nearly halts. This happens because the liver uses all available resources to make an enzyme called Alcohol dehydrogenase necessary to convert alcohol to energy. The amount of this enzyme produced by the liver is the rate limiting factor in the body's ability to handle alcohol. Amounts produced by the liver will vary from person to person and is heredity. Production rates of the enzyme can be effected by eating habits. Fasting causes degradation of the enzyme. When food enters the stomach it sits there for a time but alcohol molecules are so small they diffuse immediately through the walls of the stomach. A full stomach will slow down the diffusion of alcohol because less of the stomach wall is exposed to the alcohol. Effects of alcohol are quite rapid because digestion is not necessary. Alcohol is a narcotic and directly effects brain function (see the following table)(10).

NUMBER BLOOD ALCOHOL EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN

2 drinks	.05%	Judgment impaired
4 drinks	.10%	Control impaired
6 drinks	.15%	Muscle coordination and reflexes impaired
8 drinks	.20%	Vision impaired
12 drinks	.30%	Drunk out of control
14+ drinks	.50-.60%	Amnesia and finally death

Alcohol Use and Abuse
In college there does not seem to be any consistent difference in drinking behavior between athletes and non-athletes and between men and women. According to CAA report's alcohol consumption is deemed the most abused drug in collegiate sports. The NFL, NBA, and USOC also report alcohol as the most abused drug in professional sports and Olympic sports (5).

Alcohol Abuse: Atypical heavy drinking.

Alcohol Problem: (Alcohol Dependence) Greater or more frequent use then Alcohol Abuse. Use of alcohol to deal with the daily stress, may hinder functioning at home, work and school. May cause blackouts and accidents.

Alcoholism: Over use to the point of dominating ones life.*Type I: A milder form which typically starts in the 40's and is environment driven.* Type II: Typically starts in the teens, is more likely to effect males and is hereditary.

Effects on Performance
Reports indicate low to moderate doses of alcohol decreases isometric grip strength, jump height, 200 and 400 meter run performance and time to reach fatigue during maximal and sub-maximal high intensity work. Impaired 800-1500 meter run times and higher than normal heart rates during low intensity exercise. Alcohol ingestion has been shown to decrease pulmonary ventilation during cycle ergometer test. Alcohol causes dehydration that is detrimental to both performance and health during prolonged exercise in hot environments (5).

Go to Nutrition Part 1--Essential Nutrition

Go to Nutrition Part 2--Alcohol

Go to Nutrition Part 3--Hydration

Go to Nutrition Part 4--Supplements

Go to Nutrition Part 5--Food Tables