• There is research-based evidence •
[2 MIN READ]
As mentioned regularly in this column, we Growlers like a good beer after our runs. You should know that our name comes from the popular way of transporting beer that one particular brewery writes about (What is a Growler?) with varying degrees of authority.
Our Philly-area running cousins at Fishtown Beer Runners defend the combination of drinking after running with a higher degree of authority, because their website points to research: “The study concluded that beer and water have similar rehydration effects when [comparing] a moderate amount of beer (660 ML) to the same amount of water.” They don’t properly cite the research, though, so I will.*
It turns out, however, that based on a research article the Washington Post just alerted me to, nonalcoholic beer could be better, not only than regular beer, but even than sports drinks: Why Nonalcoholic Beer Beats Regular Beer After Exercise. It seems that beer is rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that are good for reducing inflammation; like the kind runners experience after a workout. Take that, sports drinks. The absence of the alcohol means there’s also no diuretic affect. That means rehydrating doesn’t get offset by unhydrating. Here’s WaPo’s research-based authority: Features of Non-Alcoholic Beer on Cardiovascular Biomarkers. Can It Be a Substitute for Conventional Beer?
The best part of all of that for us Growlers is that nonalcoholic is just fine for those who regularly get left out because they don’t consume alcohol to the same degree as the others. Happily, more and more breweries are working on their own versions of nonalcoholic beer, so things are also looking better for all Growlers in that regard. I can say that with authority.
-CtCloser (Calvinthe), “Negative split or positive splat” #dothedue
FINE PRINT
*Jiménez-Pavón, David et al. “Effects of a Moderate Intake of Beer on Markers of Hydration After Exercise in the Heat: A Crossover Study.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 12, no. 26, 2015. ¶Text and photos (unless otherwise stated): Calvin Wang (Wäng), CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. ¶Cross-posted: (1) Facebook JRC Growlers Group Run (2023’02’14’T Run Message), (2) GGR email list, (3) Cerebruns by CtCloser. ¶This website posting: Cerebrun with added caption and minor edit.
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