Rest, rehabilitation, and patience are the cornerstones of recovery after an injury. But is there any room for alcoholic beverages in the healing process? Medical experts say a resounding no!
Recent studies have shown that even a small amount of alcohol can hinder the recovery of an injured person. Irish expert John Keely, a researcher in the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science at the University of Limerick, outlined five reasons why consuming alcohol during injury treatment is a bad idea.
Disruption of Immune Function
Alcohol impairs the ability of immune cells to repair damaged tissues. It slows down the regeneration of muscles, tendons, and ligaments, as well as hampers the cleansing of damaged cells, reduces swelling, and restores sensitivity.
Heavy drinking (more than 4-5 drinks at a time) makes the body vulnerable to infections and delays overall recovery by three to five days. Even moderate alcohol consumption (1-3 drinks at a time) slows tissue regeneration and prolongs swelling and pain in the injured area.
Obstacle to Muscle Recovery
Even after moderate alcohol consumption, muscle protein synthesis—a crucial process for muscle recovery and rebuilding—is slowed down for 24 to 48 hours. One recent study found that after consuming strong drinks, muscle protein synthesis decreases by 24 to 37 percent.
When this process is disrupted, muscle regeneration is delayed, leading to weakness, soreness, and a greater susceptibility to re-injury.
Delayed Healing of Bones and Tissues
When an injury damages bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles, signals from the injured tissues trigger natural healing. However, alcohol disrupts these signals and interferes with the body’s natural recovery mechanisms, delaying healing and increasing swelling and scarring of damaged tissues.
Alcohol abuse can slow the healing of bone fractures by one to two weeks and extend recovery from sprains and strains by two to three weeks.
Disruption of Hormonal Balance
Hormones coordinate many processes of bodily regeneration, including tissue and muscle repair, as well as inflammation reduction. Two particularly beneficial hormones are testosterone and growth hormone. Both help restore muscles and other connective tissues after injuries, explained John Keely.
Alcohol lowers the levels of these hormones in the blood while simultaneously increasing cortisol, the primary stress hormone. Elevated cortisol levels divert energy away from restoring bodily functions, especially after injuries. Cortisol also promotes the breakdown of healthy tissues (especially muscles) into simpler chemical substances that can be quickly converted into energy. These imbalances can persist for several days after alcohol consumption and significantly slow tissue recovery, according to Science Alert.
Increased Risk of Re-Injury
A clear connection between the brain and body is essential for smooth, precise, and coordinated movement. However, alcohol typically disrupts this connection.
As a result, a person’s coordination, balance, and reaction time can sharply decline. Minor movement impairments caused by even moderate alcohol consumption can linger for several days. This, in turn, increases the risk of movement errors and re-injury to already vulnerable tissues.
Authors of recent studies increasingly assert that there is no safe dose of alcohol during rehabilitation. Even light or moderate drinking worsens recovery from injuries.
The less a person drinks during injury treatment, the greater their chances of a quick and complete recovery, believes Keely. Ultimately, when it comes to strengthening health, it’s best to avoid alcohol altogether.