{"id":390139,"date":"2022-04-18T01:00:38","date_gmt":"2022-04-18T05:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/?p=390139"},"modified":"2022-04-14T12:44:16","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T16:44:16","slug":"should-you-workout-on-a-hangover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/should-you-workout-on-a-hangover\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hungover Games: Should You Workout After a Night of Drinking?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nausea, uncontrollable sweating and an aching body \u2014 on paper, there can be a lot of similarities between a tier-one hangover and a high-intensity weights session<\/a>. In reality, however, the two are quite dissimilar and rarely exist on the same day. After all, the morning after a night of imbibing is hardly the perfect environment for exercise. But is this the right approach, or is there a method to the madness of sweating out a night of excess? Here we unpack the kill-or-cure science of hungover exercise and, crucially, give the final word on whether hang-cleaning on a hangover is a smart move or a rookie mistake.<\/p>\n

How Does A Hangover Affect Your Workout?<\/h2>\n

When the cockerel crows after a heavy night, one of the last things you\u2019ll want to do is lace up and hit the gym or pound the pavement. Depending on the severity of your crapulence, the logical first step to exercising on a hangover is to dial everything down.<\/p>\n

During a hangover, levels of the stress hormone cortisol are higher, so a heart-rate spiking CrossFit sesh or a sweaty HIIT class is firmly off the table and a low-and-slow aerobic session should be the order of the day. In an ideal world, you\u2019ll let mother nature be your PT and train outside.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because oxygen has been found to increase the rate at which hangover-curdling toxins are broken down, helping you blow off the cobwebs at a faster rate. You\u2019ll feel better both mentally and biologically, with a study<\/a> from University of Colorado Boulder finding that light aerobic training was vital to the reversal of alcohol-induced brain damage.<\/p>\n

\"hangover<\/p>\n

At a biological level, if you haven\u2019t metabolised the alcohol, explains Third Space Elite Trainer and Education Coordinator Tom Hall<\/a>, there\u2019s a chance you can sweat out the booze during a low-intensity workout. Similarly, your dehydrated state<\/a> could hinder your workout. \u201cAs we know, alcohol is a diuretic \u2014 you\u2019re going to dehydrate yourself further because you\u2019re sweating on top of this. It\u2019s probably going to impair your performance quite drastically,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis includes poor concentration, cramps and muscular strains as you don\u2019t have enough fluid in you to push good stuff around the body.\u201d Your blood sugar, too, is likely to be at an all-time low as you\u2019ll have an empty stomach. \u201cIt\u2019s probably going to impede building any kind of muscle,\u201d says Hall, \u201cand your metabolism will have taken a little hit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tips For Working Out On A Hangover<\/h2>\n

You\u2019ve crawled off the sofa, laced up and committed to the workout, but you\u2019re yet to sort your battle plan. Bodyweight<\/a>, or weights? Long run, or short interval? Core finisher, or no core finisher?<\/p>\n

When exercising on a hangover, it\u2019s important to make the right decisions \u2014 your prefrontal cortex, the part in your brain responsible for such decisions, is already whacked-out from last night\u2019s festivities \u2014 so be sure to avoid any exercises that put you at risk of exacerbating any injuries (or creating new ones).<\/p>\n

Hydration<\/h3>\n

A little TMI, perhaps, but before you hit play on your workout, check your urine. Is it running clear, or dark and cloudy? If it\u2019s the latter, you\u2019ll need to get some water down ASAP. Not only will it help the remaining vestiges of your hangover, but it\u2019ll help to lubricate your joints during the workout and keep you from gassing out early. Similarly, an electrolyte supplement or coconut water will provide faster hydration while nixing toxins.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Exercise Choices<\/h3>\n

As we mentioned earlier, you\u2019ll have to be smart about exercise selection when you\u2019re warding off your hangover. If you\u2019re really going to commit to your post-night-out workout, you\u2019ll want to avoid anything \u201cgoing anywhere near 70 percent of your heart rate or intensity levels,\u201d says Hall. \u201cHeavy lifting won\u2019t be happening, so the only thing I can recommend is getting a pump on. Go do some arms, maybe some abs. Something that\u2019s low risk and closed-chain movement with little to no sweating.\u201d<\/p>\n

As we\u2019ve advised, however, low-intensity cardio is your best bet. \u201cLow-intensity steady state would be the only thing. Don\u2019t go for anything that requires any kind of skill as you\u2019re going to be impaired and your reaction will be slower. Your risk of injury will be too high.\u201d<\/p>\n

What To Eat<\/h2>\n

Just like what you put into your body the night before, what you ingest during the morning after plays a pivotal role in your hangover success story. \u201cThe only thing I would recommend is a high amount of vitamin C,\u201d says Hall. \u201cThat would be good for liver function and for taking on valuable nutrients to increase urinary excretion. Also, basic electrolytes and glucose to replace what\u2019s been lost through sweat and exertion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chickpeas<\/h3>\n

Studies<\/a> have shown that foods high in vitamin B6 can significantly reduce the symptoms of a hangover (apart from regret, drunk texts and crippling fear, of course). Chickpeas, for example, are high in vitamin B6. Thankfully, you don’t have to eat them whole \u2014 instead, grab yourself a pot of hummus and feel your hangover fade away, scoop by scoop.<\/p>\n

Coconut Water<\/h3>\n

Feeling rough? Level up your re-hydration efforts with a carton of coconut water. Packed with potassium, coconut water can help regular your body’s water levels and, with high levels of\u00a0sodium and manganese, can rehydrate you with natural electrolytes.<\/p>\n

Avocado<\/h3>\n

Another brunch staple, avocados are loaded with hungover-busting fatty acids and beta-sitosterol, which contributes to a healthy cholesterol and heart protection.<\/p>\n

The Final Word<\/h2>\n

So, is there a sweet science behind exercising on a hangover or is it all about at-home recovery? \u201cMy advice would be not to bother, to chill out and have a day off,\u201d laughs Hall. Come your next workout, you\u2019ll be more mentally prepared, sharper and well recovered after a day of rest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Writer Ed Cooper gets the PT-approved inside track on this age-old question from the best hungover workout to the superfoods that will power you through it all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20941,"featured_media":390140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-390139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-body"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nShould You Workout on a Hangover? - Form - US<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Writer Ed Cooper takes a PT-approved look at this age-old question from the best hangover workout to the superfoods that'll get you through.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/should-you-workout-on-a-hangover\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Hungover Games: Should You Workout After a Night of Drinking?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Writer Ed Cooper takes a PT-approved look at this age-old question from the best hangover workout to the superfoods that'll get you through.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/should-you-workout-on-a-hangover\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Form - US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-04-18T05:00:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/04\/AdobeStock_192817175.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ed Cooper\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ed Cooper\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/should-you-workout-on-a-hangover\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/should-you-workout-on-a-hangover\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ed Cooper\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/a57954dcead12ec72016a0960ef1ae48\"},\"headline\":\"The Hungover Games: Should You Workout After a Night of Drinking?\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-04-18T05:00:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/should-you-workout-on-a-hangover\/\"},\"wordCount\":1005,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/should-you-workout-on-a-hangover\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/04\/AdobeStock_192817175.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Body\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/should-you-workout-on-a-hangover\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/should-you-workout-on-a-hangover\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/formnutrition.com\/us\/inform\/should-you-workout-on-a-hangover\/\",\"name\":\"Should You Workout on a Hangover? 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