Further information

• Section 1 : Alcohol
• Section 2 : Other Drugs
• Section 3 : Gambling
• Section 4 : Warning Signs
• Section 5 : Lifestyle

Education and Training - Further information

Please note that all the information that you are reading is just that; information. Sporting Chance has no opinion or judgement of those who use alcohol, drugs or gamble. We are not ‘anti’ alcohol, drugs or gambling, but have experience of their negative effects, specifically in the lives and careers of footballers. Our aim is to educate on how alcohol, other drugs and gambling effect the brain, behaviour, body and performance. We will explore lifestyle choices and risks facing a young professional footballer. We hope that you can then make more informed choices in relation to yourselves, career and the use of these substances.

Alcohol:

The government recommends that you should not regularly drink more than 28 units of alcohol per week if you are male and 21 units if you are a woman. Anything above that level and research suggests that you will damage your health in the process. The table below outlines the number of units over a range of drinks and can guide you in your choices.

Alcohol and the brain:

Despite the fact that we may feel energised and more alert when we first drink, alcohol is a depressant and affects the brain and central nervous system. Alcohol reaches the brain via the blood and the more alcohol that you drink the more the brain becomes ‘depressed.’ This process affects the brain in these specific ways:
The cerebrum is the part of the brain which controls emotion, vision and recognition. As alcohol levels increase we experience lowered inhibition, slurred speech, blurred vision and impaired movement.
The cerebellum controls our coordination and alcohol use causes problems with reflexes, balance and coordination.
The medulla is the part of the brain which controls our basic survival functions such as breathing and heartbeat. By drinking alcohol you put pressure on the brain to control breathing and heart rate and in serious cases excessive alcohol consumption causes the heart rate to slow and the person can fall into coma or die.
Clearly it seems dramatic to describe alcohol as a potential killer but this is the case. While we understand and accept that alcohol plays such a big part in our culture, and very often drinking doesn’t become a problem, it is important to recognise its potential to cause harm.

Alcohol and behaviour:

The following example illustrates the process of drinking and how as our brain becomes more depressed by alcohol our behaviour is affected. We know that perception is altered by drinking so be aware that despite what we believe to happen or how we think we are while drinking, that this is what tends to really happen.
A couple of drinks...feeling relaxed, light headed and loosened up.
A couple more...not shy, talking faster, feeling happy and slightly euphoric.
A couple more...You feel a bit drunk but over compensate, off balance, slurred speech, impaired perception of environment and difficult to make decision of whether to stop drinking or..
Continue drinking..Just a couple more...Becoming more loud, emotions are exaggerated, lacking coordination, unable to identify own drunkenness, unable to stand, you may become easily upset or aggressive.
A couple more...Confused and disorientated, nausea, blackouts, unaware of danger, pain and safety for self or others, saying inappropriate and offensive things.
Still drinking...Mental, physical and sensory functions are seriously impaired. Danger to self and others. Very drunk and at increased risk to choking on own vomit.
End of the night...Drunken stupor, unaware of where you are or who you are with, difficult to wake up, easy target, vulnerable, alcohol induced coma.
Many people have had this experience of a heavy night out, but the state which is reached is rarely the objective before we start. Most people drink because as humans they perceive a benefit, and in the early stages of drinking feelings of relaxation and mild euphoria are usually reached. In our experience we see that as the night or daytime drinking session progresses we try to maintain those feelings without realising that we are not in control and that the alcohol is affecting our brain and behaviour. We can write it off as bad night and endure the jokes about our behaviour. However the reality of what has happened and the sometimes embarrassing things that are said and done can sit with us. Difficult feelings of guilt, remorse and shame are uncomfortable to be with, especially if this starts to happen more regularly. We have seen many people turn to alcohol to cope with these difficult feelings not realising that it was the alcohol that caused the problem in the first place. Using alcohol in this way is a warning sign of problem use.

Alcohol, the footballer’s body and performance:

Drinking alcohol not only affects our brains and subsequent behaviour but also our bodies and physical performance. Sadly, as professional athletes your higher fitness level won’t save you from the adverse effects! In fact, as athletes, where physical well being and performance is so important, the negative effects of alcohol (even through moderate use) may be highlighted more.

Alcohol is very high in calories and excessive drinking is associated with weight gain. Despite this high calorie count alcohol is not a good source of energy. When training or playing and exerting energy the body breaks down the food and drink and converts it into the required energy. The problem with alcohol in this case is that it only ever metabolises at one unit per hour. It doesn’t matter what you have eaten, how much or little sleep you have, how many energy drinks you take, how much you try and sweat it out, the body can’t metabolise it faster than one unit per hour.

This is a key piece of information. In other words, if you drink 8 pints of Premium lager such as Stella, that is 24 units of alcohol in your system, and in our experience this is not a heavy night. Please be aware that it will take your body 24 hours to be alcohol free and in that time you will be affected both mentally and physically. You might be driving, training or indeed playing a match with the false knowledge that you are not under the influence. In addition to that if you drink again within that 24 hour period you will be topping up on the difference and those extra drinks will be bringing your alcohol level up.

We believe that the more we drink in quantity and regularity, the more we increase our chances of developing a tolerance and dependence on alcohol.
Also, alcohol doesn’t supply the body with any nutrients, vitamins or minerals, all of which are essential for a healthy system. Certain drinks such as Guinness and red wine are often associated with being good for us and mixers such as cranberry or orange juice have nutrients however these are diminished by the alcohol content in the drink. Alcohol use can also stop the body absorbing nutrients from other foods and the process of absorption and metabolising alcohol uses up stocks of vitamin C, which supports tissue repair and growth, thiamine and other B vitamins which are needed for release of energy from carbohydrates; aid in functioning of nervous system; help to maintain stomach acidity and normal appetite.

It is now clear that using alcohol is not good for you with regard body weight and nutrition. What does this really mean in terms of performance? Drinking alcohol will affect you in these areas:

• As alcohol is a diuretic you urinate more, so become more de-hydrated. Dehydration will lead to cramps, muscle strains and muscle pulls. If you are drinking the dehydration can lead to loss of appetite and reduced blood sugar levels with resultant muscle wasting, fatigue and reduced performance.y heat. This effects endurance. Vigorous exercise produces 20 times more heat than when the body is rested. Without an efficient means of removing this excess heat, body temperature will rise quickly. The upper limit for human survival is about 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius), or only 11.4 degrees Fahrenheit (or 6.3 degrees Celsius) higher than normal body temperature. With the potential for body temperature to rise at the rate of one degree Fahrenheit every 5 minutes, it is conceivable that under-hydrated athletes could be at heatstroke risk only 57 minutes after the initiation of exercise. 
• Alcohol slows reaction times, balance and coordination. As we have discussed our brain is impaired by alcohol. This can lead to delayed reactions, bad tackles, reduced motivation for football and loss of discipline on the field as we misjudge situations.
• Drinking will reduce your strength and speed. Binge drinking in particular decreases serum testosterone levels which mean lower levels of aggression, effort, lean muscle mass, muscle recovery and overall athletic performance.
• You are more at risk to injury when using alcohol. High level football is very physically demanding and if you are dehydrated, under prepared, tired and not feeding your body correctly the risk of injury is heightened.
• In addition to that, the recovery between matches and from injuries will be slower. Alcohol is stored much like fat in the body and large amounts of lactic acid are produced. This means decreased energy, decreased muscle recovery and increased muscle soreness. The alcohol will either be taken as substitute for food which means that the body is being deprived essential nutrients and minerals or in addition to food which means the calorie intake is high and you are at risk of gaining weight while recovering from the injury.

Resting and sleeping are as vital a part of the footballers’ routine as ball skills and other fitness training. Drinking alcohol has a negative effect on the quality of sleep and this then affects your brain function and attention during the day. While alcohol can help some people get to sleep, this can also be matched by insomnia and nightmares when not drinking.
The effects of the next drink may be exaggerated through tiredness and our brain may become more impaired faster. Lack of sleep will lead to poor concentration, attention and result in reduced performance. Our overall feeling of wellbeing and attitude to life and football is more negative the more we drink and less we rest and sleep.
We can conclude by realising that regular alcohol intake is not conducive to maximum athletic performance. Alcohol is a potent drug which affects our brain, behaviour and body. We strongly suggest that if you are choosing to drink but want to minimise the effect on performance that you drink moderately and within the NHS guidelines. Specifically, as athletes, avoid alcohol 48 hours before training or playing and take non-alcoholic drinks to rehydrate the body after exercise.