Marathon runners, half-marathon runners, and other long-distance runners understand the importance of hydration, especially post-exercise rehydration.
Whether you are working with a running coach, following an online training plan, or working with a sports nutritionist, you are also likely aware of the need for post-workout or post-race carbs and electrolytes, especially after long runs and races.
While sports drinks with glucose and electrolytes are the traditional way to rehydrate and replenish electrolytes and glycogen, other recovery drinks such as chocolate milk and beer have gradually become as much a part of the finish line festivities as sports drinks.
But, is a post-run beer a good rehydration recovery drink? Do alcoholic beverages impede post-exercise recovery, or are there health benefits of beer for runners after a hard workout or race?
In this guide to drinking beer after running, we will discuss the potential health benefits of beer, the negative effects of a post-run beer or other alcoholic beverages, and alternatives to throwing back a cold beer at the finish line that might better suit your fitness goals.
Is It Okay to Drink Beer After Running a Marathon?
Before we look at the potential health benefits and negative effects of alcoholic beverages as post-workout recovery drinks, I present the disclaimer that I am not a registered dietitian or sports nutritionist.
Additionally, if you have concerns about your alcohol intake or the number of alcoholic drinks you are consuming, it is important to speak with your doctor or work with a substance abuse professional.
Beer drinking and running have become so intertwined that you will find some half marathon and marathon finish line food tents actually providing craft beers or at least low alcohol beer.
There is also the celebrated Beer Mile running event and plenty of running groups who do evening workouts together and then run to a local brewery or pub for a cold one.
Although not strictly related to runners as beer drinkers, a study found that as a group, people who exercise frequently tend to exhibit higher levels of alcohol consumption than non-exercisers.1French, M. T., Popovici, I., & Maclean, J. C. (2009). Do Alcohol Consumers Exercise More? Findings from a National Survey. American Journal of Health Promotion, 24(1), 2–10. https://doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.0801104
All of this is to say that while it might seem counterintuitive that a marathon runner would chug a cold beer shortly after crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon, there is a culture of beer drinking and running.
Is Beer a Good Recovery Drink After Exercise?
Although it is a bit of a stretch to say that beer is good for runners, beer does contain some vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, polyphenols, electrolytes, carbs, and a small amount of protein.
In some ways, it makes sense that a post-run beer would actually serve as a decent recovery drink.
Beer is mostly water, and water aids hydration. Beer also contains carbohydrates because it is made with grains such as wheat, barley, or rye.
Carbohydrates are important for distance runners in a post-workout drink or snack to replenish depleted glycogen stores.
Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrates in the body, and carbs are generally the primary fuel source for the muscles during running workouts or races.
Beer also provides some electrolytes, which are also included in regular sports drinks and recommended by sports nutritionists as part of a rehydration beverage or post-run snack if you have been sweating a lot or exercising for over an hour.
The exact beer nutrition facts depend on the type of beer that you are drinking, the grain used to make the beer, whether it is a light beer or regular beer, and the alcoholic content of the beer (non-alcoholic beer vs low-alcohol vs standard).
Light beer typically contains about 2/3 the number of calories and grams of carbohydrates as standard beer and is slightly less alcoholic (lower ABV).2FoodData Central. (n.d.). Fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Beer typically contains about 4 to 6% alcohol by volume (ABV).
The standard 12-ounce can of beer provides between 5-9% of the DV of B vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, and folate. It also contains a little bit of vitamin B12,and thiamine.
As mentioned, beer contains small amounts of electrolytes like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and trace amounts of minerals like iron, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium.
Is Beer Good for Runners?
There are some potential health benefits of beer when your alcohol consumption is at low to moderate levels.
- Reducing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels.3Padro, T., Muñoz-García, N., Vilahur, G., Chagas, P., Deyà, A., Antonijoan, R., & Badimon, L. (2018). Moderate Beer Intake and Cardiovascular Health in Overweight Individuals. Nutrients, 10(9), 1237. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091237
- Reducing the risk of heart disease4G, de G., S, C., A, D. C., L, B., D, B., A, A., G, C.-B., R, E., C, L. V., S, P., G, P., F, S., S, S., M, T., F, U., C, C., Mb, D., & L, I. (2016, June 1). Effects of Moderate Beer Consumption on Health and Disease: A Consensus Document. Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases : NMCD. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27118108/ and improving heart health as long as you drink beer in moderation.5Pai, J. K., Mukamal, K. J., & Rimm, E. B. (2012). Long-term alcohol consumption in relation to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among survivors of myocardial infarction: the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. European Heart Journal, 33(13), 1598–1605. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehs047
- Potentially helping to improve blood sugar regulation.6Joosten, M. M., Beulens, J. W. J., Kersten, S., & Hendriks, H. F. J. (2008). Moderate alcohol consumption increases insulin sensitivity and ADIPOQ expression in postmenopausal women: a randomised, crossover trial. Diabetologia, 51(8), 1375–1381. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-008-1031- Additionally, evidence suggests7Lee, D.-Y., Yoo, M.-G., Kim, H.-J., Jang, H. B., Kim, J.-H., Lee, H.-J., & Park, S. I. (2017). Association between alcohol consumption pattern and the incidence risk of type 2 diabetes in Korean men: A 12-years follow-up study. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07549-2 beer drinkers who have a light to moderate intake may have a lower risk of insulin resistance and developing type 2 diabetes.8Holst, C., Becker, U., Jørgensen, M. E., Grønbæk, M., & Tolstrup, J. S. (2017). Alcohol drinking patterns and risk of diabetes: a cohort study of 70,551 men and women from the general Danish population. Diabetologia, 60(10), 1941–1950. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-017-4359-3
- Increasing creativity and problem-solving ability.9Jarosz, A. F., Colflesh, G. J. H., & Wiley, J. (2012). Uncorking the muse: Alcohol intoxication facilitates creative problem solving. Consciousness and Cognition, 21(1), 487–493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2012.01.002
- Reducing bacterial buildup in the mouth and on your teeth.10Spratt, D. E., Daglia, M., Papetti, A., Stauder, M., D. O’Donnell, Ciric, L., Tymon, A., Repetto, B., Signoretto, C., Houri-Haddad, Y., Feldman, M., Steinberg, D., Lawton, S., Lingström, P., Pratten, J., Egija Zaura, Gazzani, G., Pruzzo, C., & Miranda. (2012). Evaluation of Plant and Fungal Extracts for Their Potential Antigingivitis and Anticaries Activity. 2012, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/510198
- The hops used to make beer have been found to confer anti-inflammatory properties in the body because compounds in hops interfere with the production of inflammatory cytokines.
- Helping preserve bone mineral density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.11Tucker, K. L., Jugdaohsingh, R., Powell, J. J., Qiao, N., Hannan, M. T., Sripanyakorn, S., Cupples, L. A., & Kiel, D. P. (2009). Effects of beer, wine, and liquor intakes on bone mineral density in older men and women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(4), 1188–1196. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2008.26765
Should You Drink Beer After Running?
It is important to keep in mind that the aforementioned potential health benefits of drinking beer or other alcoholic drinks in moderation are not necessarily looking at the potential benefits vs negative effects of drinking beer after running or working out.
Heavy alcohol intake after running, especially if you are drinking beer instead of water, sports drinks, or other beverages with electrolytes can be detrimental to your workout recovery, overall health, and fitness goals.12Parr, E. B., Camera, D. M., Areta, J. L., Burke, L. M., Phillips, S. M., Hawley, J. A., & Coffey, V. G. (2014). Alcohol Ingestion Impairs Maximal Post-Exercise Rates of Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis following a Single Bout of Concurrent Training. PLoS ONE, 9(2), e88384. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088384
Here are some of the potential negative consequences of a post-run beer:
- Impaired muscle protein synthesis, which is the process by which damaged muscle fibers are repaired and strengthened after exercise, and the process by which you build muscle.13Duplanty, A. A., Budnar, R. G., Luk, H. Y., Levitt, D. E., Hill, D. W., McFarlin, B. K., Huggett, D. B., & Vingren, J. L. (2017). Effect of Acute Alcohol Ingestion on Resistance Exercise–Induced mTORC1 Signaling in Human Muscle. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 31(1), 54–61. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001468
- Compromised recovery due to the effects of alcohol on the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins, and the subsequent effect on repairing muscle damage. This can cause you to experience muscle soreness and may increase your risk of injury. It can also impede your ability to hit your next hard work out in a fully recovered state.14Duplanty, A. A., Budnar, R. G., Luk, H. Y., Levitt, D. E., Hill, D. W., McFarlin, B. K., Huggett, D. B., & Vingren, J. L. (2017). Effect of Acute Alcohol Ingestion on Resistance Exercise–Induced mTORC1 Signaling in Human Muscle. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 31(1), 54–61. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001468
- Blocking the production of anabolic hormones such as human growth hormone and testosterone, which are normally produced after a hard workout. These hormones help build muscle and contribute to fitness gains.15Godfrey, R. J., Madgwick, Z., & Whyte, G. P. (2003). The Exercise-Induced Growth Hormone Response in Athletes. Sports Medicine, 33(8), 599–613. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200333080-00005
- Despite the fact that beer contains carbs, evidence suggests that post-workout alcohol intake can inhibit glycogen resynthesis, which is not good for distance runners who need to replenish glycogen stores after a half marathon, marathon, or other long endurance workout.16Burke, L. M., Collier, G. R., Broad, E. M., Davis, P. G., Martin, D. T., Sanigorski, A. J., & Hargreaves, M. (2003). Effect of alcohol intake on muscle glycogen storage after prolonged exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 95(3), 983–990. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00115.2003
- Contributing to dehydration especially when you consume IPAs or types of beer with a higher percentage of alcohol by volume (ABV).17Irwin, C., Leveritt, M., Shum, D., & Desbrow, B. (2013). The effects of dehydration, moderate alcohol consumption, and rehydration on cognitive functions. Alcohol, 47(3), 203–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcohol.2012.12.016
Alcohol beverages can be addictive,18Becker, H. C. (2008). Alcohol dependence, withdrawal, and relapse. Alcohol Research & Health: The Journal of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 31(4), 348–361. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23584009/ and frequent or high alcohol consumption is associated with other potential health consequences, such as sleep disturbances, metabolic changes, liver toxicity, certain cancers, poor coordination, delayed reactions, and impaired judgment.19Betts, G., Ratschen, E., Opazo Breton, M., & Grainge, M. J. (2018). Alcohol consumption and risk of common cancers: evidence from a cohort of adults from the UK. Journal of Public Health (Oxford, England), 40(3), 540–548. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdx123
What Is the Best Way to Drink Beer After Running Without Compromising Recovery?
The good news is that if you want to enjoy a post-run beer, there are a few ways to reduce the negative effects of your favorite cold beer after running:
Wait at least one hour before enjoying a cold beer, using the first hour to drink regular water and have a post run snack rich in natural electrolytes and carbohydrates such as a banana with peanut butter or a protein smoothie.
This will allow your digestive system to have time to metabolize these nutrients for optimal post-exercise recovery before the alcohol is ingested.
Drink plenty of water or sports drinks with the beer because alcohol is a diuretic, so it is not the best hydration fluid to rehydrate after running.
Choose a low alcohol or non-alcoholic beer. It is really the alcohol content of beer (ABV) that interacts with muscle growth, hormones, and exercise recovery.
Examples of some of the best non-alcoholic beers for runners include Athletic Brewing Company beers and Karbach Brewing’s Free & Easy Belgian-Style White.
Limit your alcohol consumption both in terms of frequency as well as the number of alcoholic beverages you are consuming.
Overall, enjoying your favorite craft beer or a low alcohol beer after a run or race is generally tolerable for your body as long as you do all the post-workout recovery steps your body needs like rehydrating fully and refueling with adequate protein and carbohydrates.
For a complete guide on hydration for runners, check out this next guide:
I hate to be a downer but the culture of beer and running is based on a history that began before contemporary studies:
“Reducing the risk of heart disease4 and improving heart health as long as you drink beer in moderation.5”
That belief has been debunked. It was based on flawed research. Alcohol is a neurotoxin. Latest research reveals that consumption of 8 drinks / week gives you an over 130% chance of morbidities such as dementia. Stay away from alcohol. Even small amounts do your body no good whatsoever. If you want the carbs, protein, electrolytes etc. post run, there are other beverages that will deliver.
One can find evidence from science for whatever you want to do with running. Perhaps if you think that until universities and colleges needed to create more income when Sports Science did not actually exist suddenly it came into being it might explain it. If you wish you can find on the internet science which definitely states that two lager type beers for men 4.5% – 5 % alcohol and one for women daily are definitely beneficial to runners.
The book “why we run” by Bernd Heinrich includes an anecdote that he once considered breaking the world record for 100km run while drinking ONLY BEER. he is german though. He seemed to do fine until around Mile 25 and about 5-6 beers in as i recall.