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I know what you're thinking - this post is long! But I have a lot to say about this...

I am always tickled to find my Women's Health magazine tucked amongst the bills in my mailbox. I truly love this publication, and have learned a lot from it.

Yup, snapped this of my very own issue. As if you couldn't tell. 

But never have I felt that the editors at WH were talking directly to me as much as I did this week. I was browsing through my newest issue when I turned to page 120 and gasped.

The title? "Running on Empty Bottles". The subtitle? "Researchers have turned up some sobering news: The most dedicated exercisers are also some of the biggest drinkers." Bam.

From the article

This is exactly the reason why I created this blog. I want so badly to live my healthiest life, but I like to party, and I know I'm not alone. This article confirmed that several times over.

According to a study conducted in 2009 by the University of Miami, the more people exercise, the more they drink. But why?

The article moved through a few theories. The first seemed like it could explain the rather startling statistics with relatively simple common sense: those who consume more alcohol exercise more to avoid weight gain.

This isn't wrong. After a night of binge drinking, even my least athletic of friends often hit the gym. We all know beers make you fat.

However, I found more interest with another idea the article brought up: the "work hard, play hard" personality type. Bingo.

At my college, the athletes were the biggest partiers. Maybe we didn't go out as frequently as non student-athletes (or NARPS as we liked to call them - non athletic real people) due to traveling for competitions. BUT, when we did go out, we went HARD. The best parties were always at the baseball house, the lacrosse house. Why is this the case?

I had this conversation with one of my teammates several times. We found it difficult to verbalize, but we basically agreed that this was because athletes are a sort of crazy. Not everyone signs up to be a slave to a coach for up to 4 hours every day, 6 days a week. The average person can't juggle 5 courses, an internship, friends, a boyfriend/girlfriend... AND practice 5 times a week and travel every other weekend. It takes a special kind.

These special people that can handle such schedules can handle getting wasted out of their minds and practicing at 9 AM the next morning. While other students sleep until 11 and roll into the cafeteria just before the pancakes are put away, student-athletes can pull off sprinting up and down the court totally hungover.

The article explained the "work hard, play hard" personality type as always seeking sensation. I had never thought of it this way, but the article theorized that those who most seek a natural high from physical activity often seek the biggest pleasure possible from alcohol. They don't just want to get buzzed, they want to get blackout. 


I found myself saying "yup", "mmhm", and "exactly" several times throughout reading this. It describes me and so many of my friends (in school, athletes do tend to hang out with other athletes after all). But I also found myself saying "wow".

This article was an eye-opener for me in a lot of ways. It described in detail how detrimental alcohol in your system is to your fitness activity, including slower recovery, disrupted sleep, and depleted water and nutrients.

"Don't be fooled into thinking your daily trip to the gym gives you a free pass at the bar," it says. I need this reminder, and chances are, if you're reading this, you do, too.

So what am I going to take away? Am I no longer going to be the Healthiest Chick in the Bar?!

This article didn't encourage all fitness fiends to stop drinking. But let's all put the wise words of "everything in moderation" to practice once in awhile. Next time you go out, do you really need to consume 5 drinks? Cut back to 3. For starters, I'm going to start drinking water in between every drink, which "keeps you hydrated and slows down the alcohol intake". Will my friends do a double take when they catch me sipping h2O? Maybe, but I owe it to my body. I don't want to completely throw away all the miles I ran, the strength I built from yoga, or the calories I burned playing volleyball. It's a small move to make, but implementing small changes like this can make a huge difference.

If you haven't picked up the newest issue of Women's Health, I encourage you to, if only for this article alone. Oh yeah, there's also a short interview with David Beckham!

Have a great weekend, healthy chicks. And don't be afraid to ask the bartender for some water!