Spring festival is officially here, and it is the time of year when many athletes take a break and have a drink. I can't count the amount of times I have been asked: "for athletes which is better, beer or wine?" I have passed the question to one of our expert coaches to let our readers know. Now that Chinese New Year is here, we wanted to offer some tips. . .

A huge Thank you to Dr. Max Shute for this thorough article.

Wine, Beer, or Spirits: What is the best choice for the aerobic athlete?

Many aerobic athletes enjoy a beer or two, some are wine connoisseurs, while others will even down some Jack Daniels during the Tour de France. What role does alcohol play in our health or dishealth? Is one choice more advantageous than another? Should the aerobic athlete drink at all? The answers to these questions are certainly being sorted out in laboratories all over the world with much current evidence indicating that moderate alcohol consumption is part of a healthy diet, no matter if you are sedentary or a world class aerobic athlete.

Alcohol intended for human consumption is ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and can be classified as a psychoactive drug, toxin, or nutrient. The fermentation of fruits, vegetables, and grains yields the alcohol within beer, wine, and typical liquor like whiskey or rum. It is indeed a nutrient as it contains about 7 calories per gram no matter what type of drink you choose. It is with the other nutrients found in each distinctive alcoholic beverage that the differences lay.

'The most predominating theory involves alcohol’s ability to raise HDL-cholesterol which is protective against coronary heart disease. These health benefits do not distinguish between the aerobic athlete and the sedentary individual. The best choice for the athlete lies in the details.'

For males consumption of 1-2 drinks and females 1 drink a day is associated with lessoned all-cause mortality when compared to abstainers. Moderate drinkers (2-4 drinks per day) had the same risk as abstainers while heavy drinkers (> 6 drinks/day) were least likely to live a long healthy life (Holman, 1996). Why? Likely the alcohol, no matter the source, reduced the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke and thereby reduced the relative risk of all-cause mortality. Mechanisms are at this point unclear but many theories are available. Some suggest, with data to back it up, that alcohol decreases blood clotting (platelet aggregability). Others point to alcohol’s ability to increase blood flow to the brain potentially leading to delayed onset of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s or prevent strokes. The most predominating theory involves alcohol’s ability to raise HDL-cholesterol which is protective against coronary heart disease. These health benefits do not distinguish between the aerobic athlete and the sedentary individual. The best choice for the athlete lies in the details.

Let’s narrow the field. If we are truly interested in finding the ideal alcoholic beverage for the aerobic athlete we can quickly eliminate Spirits. The alcohol within liquor is identical to that found in wine or beer and the health benefits there of are the same as well. However, this is all that spirits have to offer and is therefore void of any nutrient value. Beer and wine possess carbohydrates as well as small amounts of protein, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals with antioxidant (flavonoid) anti-disease promoting capacity. These extra attributes of beer and wine make them the clear choice over liquor for both the sedentary individual and the athlete in training.

Pigments found in the skin of grapes contain polyphenols and other phytochemicals responsible for increasing HDL-cholesterol, decreasing platelet aggregation, promoting vasodilation, and they possess antioxidant activity as well. The antioxidant bonus is of particular interest to the aerobic athlete as they routinely endure various levels of oxidative stress in training and competition. It also appears that not all wines are created equal. Researchers at the University of California, at Davis found that flavonoid content was highest in Cabernet Sauvignon followed closely by Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir. Merlots and red zinfandels scored lower and white wines had significantly smaller amounts than reds. Basically, the sweeter the wine the less flavonoid concentration.

'Compared to red wine, beer contains more protein and B vitamins (very important in energy metabolism). That, coupled with higher carbohydrate content, may make beer the outright winner for the aerobic athlete.'

What about beer? Beer drinkers will like this. It appears that beers, especially the darker varieties, are rich in flavonoids as well. In fact the antioxidant concentration is equivalent to red wine although the antioxidant profile is different and specific for barley and hops. Compared to red wine, beer contains more protein and B vitamins (very important in energy metabolism). That, coupled with higher carbohydrate content, may make beer the outright winner for the aerobic athlete.

Remember all bets are off as soon as you exceed the recommended daily amount. If you do decide that 1-2 glasses of wine or a couple of beers sounds good with the evening meal you can feel good about your choice. Because the athlete in training not only depletes or compromises muscle and liver glycogen but also their antioxidant defenses a dark beer may be the wisest choice. However, research indicates a glass of red wine is not too far behind. And, as of yet, we have not distinguished between the distinct antioxidants within each beverage. In the future we may find that one antioxidant profile does have more meaning to the athlete than the other. Until then enjoy a dark beer or a glass of red wine with a healthy dinner. Leave the Jack Daniels at the liquor store.

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