Effects of heavy episodic drinking on physical performance in club level rugby union players

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of acute alcohol consumption, in a natural setting, on exercise performance in the 2 days after the drinking episode. Additionally, alcohol related behaviours of this group of rugby players were identified.
Prospective cohort study.
Nineteen male club rugby players volunteered for this study. Measures of counter movement jump, maximal lower body strength, repeated sprint ability and hydration were made 2 days before and in the 2 days following heavy episodic alcohol consumption. Participants completed a questionnaire at each time point so that alcohol consumption and sleep hours from the previous 24h period could be quantified. Additionally, participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Test (AUDIT) prior to completing baseline measures of performance.
Reported alcohol consumption ranged from 6 to >20 standard drinks (mean category scale score=11-19 standard drinks). A significant decrease in sleep hours (p=0.01) was reported after the drinking episode with participants reporting 1-3h for the night. A significant reduction (-1.8±1.5cm) in counter movement jump (p<0.01) the morning after the drinking episode was observed; no other measures were altered at any time point compared to baseline (p>0.05). AUDIT scores for this group (18.2±4.3) indicate regular alcohol consumption at a hazardous level.
Heavy episodic alcohol use, and associated reduced sleep hours, results in a reduction in lower body power output but not other measures of anaerobic performance the morning after a drinking session. Full recovery from this behaviour is achieved by 2 days post drinking episode.

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Journal
of
Science
and
Medicine
in
Sport
17 (2014) 244–
248
Contents
lists
available
at
ScienceDirect
Journal
of
Science
and
Medicine
in
Sport
jou
rn
al
h
omepa
ge:
www.elsevier.com/locate/jsams
Original
research
The
effects
of
binge
drinking
behaviour
on
recovery
and
performance
after
a
rugby
match
Christopher
Prentice,
Stephen
R.
Stannard,
Matthew
J.
Barnes∗
School
of
Sport
&
Exercise,
Massey
University,
New
Zealand
a
r
t
i
c
l
e
i
n
f
o
Article
history:
Received
1
February
2013
Received
in
revised
form
15
March
2013
Accepted
25
April
2013
Available online 16 May 2013
Keywords:
Alcohol
abuse
Team
sports
Muscle
strength
Sleep
Dehydration
Muscle
damage
a
b
s
t
r
a
c
t
Objectives:
This
study
compared
the
effects
of
“normal”
post-game
behaviour
with
recommended
behaviour
on
physical
performance
in
the
days
after
a
rugby
union
game.
Additionally,
the
habitual
drinking
habits
of
rugby
players
were
identified.
Design:
Prospective
cohort
study.
Methods:
After
a
rugby
game,
26
players
were
split
by
team
into
a
customary
behaviour
group
(CB),
who
carried
out
their
usual
post-game
behaviour,
or
recommended
behaviour
group
(RB),
whose
diet
and
activity
was
controlled
in
the
hours
after
the
game.
Counter
movement
jump,
lower-body
strength,
repeated
sprint
ability,
CK
and
hydration
status
were
measured
prior
to
and
in
the
days
after
the
game.
Twenty-four
hour
behaviour
recall
questionnaires
where
completed
throughout
the
trial
period.
The
Alcohol
Use
Disorders
Identification
Test
(AUDIT)
was
also
administered
to
participants.
Results:
Compared
to
baseline
values,
large
volumes
of
alcohol
(p
<
0.01)
and
a
loss
in
sleep
(p
<
0.001)
was
reported
by
the
CB
group
in
the
hours
after
the
game.
Measures
of
performance
and
hydration
status
were
unchanged
over
time
and
no
difference
was
evident
between
groups
(all
p
<
0.05).
Total
AUDIT
scores
for
all
participants
were
17.7
±
5.
CK
was
elevated
in
the
days
following
the
game
(p
<
0.001).
Conclusions:
Physical
performance
was
not
affected
by
participation
in
a
game
of
senior
club
rugby,
irrespective
of
post-game
behaviour
and
possible
muscle
damage.
AUDIT
scores
indicate
that
club
rugby
players
may
be
at
risk
of
serious
alcohol
related
harm,
with
post-game
binge
drinking
likely
to
be
a
major
contributor.
© 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1.
Introduction
Alcohol
is
regularly
consumed
at
hazardous
levels
by
players
of
contact
sport,
particularly
in
the
hours
after
a
game.1–3 Despite
this
customary
behaviour
there
is
a
surprising
lack
of
research
into
the
effects
such
potentially
detrimental
conduct
has
on
recovery
from
a
game.
Recently,
a
dose
of
1
g
of
alcohol
per
kg
bodyweight,
when
consumed
after
simulated4or
competitive5contact
team
sport,
was
shown
to
have
adverse
effects
on
lower
body
muscular
power
in
the
days
following
the
game.
This
dose
has
also
been
shown
to
detri-
mentally
impact
the
magnitude
of
force
loss
when
consumed
after
eccentric-exercise.6,7 While
together
these
studies
suggest
alcohol
negatively
impacts
recovery
and
subsequent
performance
in
the
days
after
strenuous
exercise,
the
doses
of
alcohol
used
to
date
are
significantly
less
than
those
reported
to
be
consumed
by
athletes
involved
with
several
football
codes.3,8
While
laboratory
based
studies
allow
for
precise
measurement
of
alcohol
consumption,
ethical
limitations
associated
with
the
∗Corresponding
author.
E-mail
address:
M.barnes@massey.ac.nz
(M.J.
Barnes).
administration
of
high
doses
of
alcohol
and
the
fact
normal
alcohol-
related
behaviour
may
be
altered
in
the
laboratory
setting
makes
investigating
realistic
doses
of
alcohol
consumption,
and
subse-
quent
behaviour,
difficult.
For
example,
after
a
game
large
quantities
of
alcohol
may
be
con-
sumed
at
a
self-administered
rate
and
quantity
over
many
hours
resulting
in
disturbances
in
several
normal
behaviours
includ-
ing
diet9and
sleeping
patterns.10 It
is
difficult
to
replicate
such
behaviour
in
a
laboratory
and
therefore
the
use
of
a
“naturalistic”
method,
where
the
participant
can
dictate
amount
and
rate
of
alco-
hol
ingestion,
is
used
when
investigating
alcohol
consumption
and
its
subsequent
effects.11 This
method
is
limited
to
self-reporting
alcohol
consumption
which,
in
itself,
can
be
problematic.12
Utilising
a
naturalistic
methodology,
the
aims
of
the
present
study
were
to
(1)
quantify
habitual
and
post-game
alcohol
consumption
amongst
a
group
of
senior
rugby
union
players,
inves-
tigate
(2)
whether
the
stress
of
a
game
of
rugby
is
detrimental
to
subsequent
physical
performance
and
(3)
whether
normal
post-
game
behaviour
impacts
recovery
and
subsequent
performance
in
the
days
after
a
rugby
game,
when
compared
to
a
group
undertaking
optimal
recovery
strategies.
It
was
hypothesised
that
rugby
players
would
consume
large
amounts
of
alcohol
in
the
hours
after
a
game
1440-2440/$
–
see
front
matter ©
2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2013.04.011

Author's personal copy
C.
Prentice
et
al.
/
Journal
of
Science
and
Medicine
in
Sport
17 (2014) 244–
248 245
and
that
this
behaviour
would
prove
detrimental
to
performance
in
the
days
following
the
game.
2.
Methods
Thirty
male
club
rugby
players
(mean
±
SD,
age
21.2
±
2.1
years,
body
mass
87.6
±
6.0
kg,
height
181.7
±
6.2
cm)
from
two
senior
grade
rugby
teams
volunteered
to
participate
in
this
study.
The
study
took
place
the
week
after
the
final
game
of
the
competi-
tive
rugby
season.
The
teams
participating
in
the
study
finished
sixth
and
seventh
in
the
local
senior
rugby
competition
and
the
final
score
of
the
game
played
for
the
purposes
of
this
study
was
9–6.
All
testing
sessions
were
started
at
0900
while
the
game
was
played
between
1830
and
2000.
Due
to
injury
4
players
withdrew
from
the
study
after
the
game.
Before
the
study,
all
procedures
were
explained
and
written
informed
consent
was
obtained
from
each
participant.
Participants
then
underwent
familiarisation
of
all
procedures
used
in
the
study.
The
study
was
approved
by
the
University
Human
Ethics
Committee.
Following
the
completion
of
the
game
participants
were
split
by
team
into
either
the
customary
behaviour
(CB;
n
=
13,
20.9
±
2.1,
body
mass
87.1
±
7.6
kg,
height
181
±
5.99
cm)
or
recommended
behaviour
(RB;
n
=
13,
21.5
±
2.2,
body
mass
88.2
±
4.2
kg,
height
182.2
±
6.89
cm)
group.
Such
an
allocation
allowed
all
participants
to
compete
in
the
one
game,
removing
potential
match
related
differences
such
as
game
intensity,
weather
and
ground
conditions.
Having
abstained
from
strenuous
exercise
for
24
h,
participants
reported
to
the
laboratory
66
h
prior
to
the
game
to
establish
baseline
measures.
Participants
completed
a
24
h
behaviour
recall
questionnaire
and
an
Alcohol
Use
Disorders
Identification
Test
(AUDIT)
after
which
body
mass,
height,
urine
and
blood
samples
and
baseline
performance
measures
were
made.
Urine
and
blood
samples,
performance
measures
and
24
h
behaviour
recall
diaries
were
repeated
at
13
and
37
h
post-game.
Immediately
following
the
rugby
match,
participants
returned
to
the
laboratory,
urine
and
blood
samples
were
taken
and
partici-
pants
then
split
into
their
respective
groups.
The
CB
group
left
the
laboratory
to
undertake
whatever
behaviour
was
typical
for
them
after
a
game.
The
investigators
had
no
contact
with
this
group,
or
influence
on
their
behaviour,
until
they
returned
to
the
laboratory
13
h
post-game.
The
RB
group
remained
in
the
laboratory
where
they
were
provided
with
a
controlled
meal
and
beverage
contain-
ing
1
g
CHO
per
kg
body
mass
and
20
g
protein.13 The
RB
group
then
remained
in
the
laboratory
and
were
supplied
with
non-alcoholic
beverages,
which
could
be
consumed
ad
libitum,
and
entertainment
before
being
returned
home
to
bed
by
2300.
Creatine
kinase
(CK)
activity
was
analysed
as
a
marker
of
mus-
cle
damage.
Venous
blood
was
collected
from
the
antecubital
vein
into
4
ml
K3EDTA
vacutainer
tubes
(Beckton
Dickinson,
UK)
which
was
then
centrifuged
at
4◦C
for
10
min
at
1650
g.
Plasma
was
sepa-
rated
and
frozen
at
−80◦C
for
later
analysis.
A
Vitalab
Flexor
clinical
chemistry
analyser
(Vitel
Scientific
NV,
Netherlands)
and
Roche
CK-NAC
liquid
assay
kit
(Roche
Diagnostics
GmbH,
Mannheim,
Germany)
were
then
used
to
determine
CK
activity.
To
analyse
hydration
status,
a
midstream
urine
sample
was
collected
and
ana-
lysed
for
urine
specific
gravity
(Usg)
using
a
refractometer
(Atago,
Japan),
calibrated
with
deionized
water.
Usg was
compared
to
the
indices
of
hydration
status.14
A
behaviour
recall
questionnaire
was
completed
by
participants
to
provide
information
regarding
hours
of
sleep
and
alcohol
con-
sumption
for
the
previous
24
h
period.
Behaviour
was
categorised
according
to
Table
1,
and
assigned
an
arbitrary
ranking
from
1
to
6
for
statistical
analysis.
During
baseline
testing
participants
com-
pleted
the
AUDIT
questionnaire,15 allowing
for
analysis
of
habitual
alcohol
use.
This
test
provides
subscales
to
identify;
hazardous
alco-
hol
use,
dependence
symptoms
and
harmful
alcohol
use.
Table
1
Categorisation
of
24
h
recall
behaviour
of
alcohol
(as
standard
drinks)
and
sleep
hours.
Category
Alcohol
(StD)
Sleep
(h)
1
0
0
2
1–3
1–4
3
3–5
4–6
4
6–10
6–8
5
10–20
8–10
6
20
or
more
10
or
more
StD:
standard
drinks.
After
completing
the
behaviour
recall
questionnaire
and
the
collection
of
blood
and
urine
samples,
participants
performed
a
5
min
warm
up
at
100
W
on
a
cycle
ergometer
(Monark,
Stockholm,
Sweden),
followed
by
stretching.
Participants
then
completed
3
counter
movement
jumps
(CMJ)16 on
an
electronic
jump
mat
(Smart
Jump,
Fusion
Sport,
Australia).
Each
jump
was
separated
by
30
s
and
maximum
jump
height
was
recorded.
Maximal
isometric
lower
body
(deadlift)
force
(LBF)
was
then
measured
using
a
custom
made
dynamometer
consisting
a
modified
barbell
and
chain
con-
nected
to
a
calibrated,
tension
s-beam
load
cell
(Muller,
Germany)
and
platform.
The
load
cell,
in
turn,
was
connected
to
a
custom
made
amplifier
and
PowerLab
data
acquisition
system
(ADInstru-
ments,
Australia).
Each
participant
was
instructed
on
the
proper
technique
of
lifting
during
familiarisation.
Participants
performed
3
maximal
efforts
separated
by
1
min
of
rest
with
the
maximum
value
recorded.
Finally,
participants
completed
6
m
×
40
m
sprints
departing
every
30
s,
as
described
by
Fitzsimons
et
al.17 The
pro-
tocol
was
electronically
controlled
and
sprint
times
recorded
by
a
photoelectric
timing
system
(SmartSpeed,
Fusion
Sport,
Australia).
Each
repetition
time
as
well
as
total
time
spent
running
was
recorded.
Five
min
passive
recovery
was
given
between
each
per-
formance
test.
Data
analysis
was
carried
out
using
SPSS
18.0
(SPSS
Inc.,
Chicago,
IL).
Changes
in
performance,
CK,
Usg and
behaviour
recall
were
ana-
lysed
using
a
two-way
(group
×
time)
repeated
measures
ANOVA.
If
significant
main
effects
were
found,
Bonferroni
post
hoc
analy-
sis
was
performed
to
locate
the
differences.
AUDIT
questionnaire
results
were
analysed
using
a
one
way
ANOVA
to
establish
whether
any
significant
differences
existed
between
each
of
the
three
sub-
scales
(hazardous
alcohol
use,
dependence
symptoms
and
harmful
alcohol
use).
Students
paired
T-tests
were
used
to
identify
between
group
differences
in
total
AUDIT
score.
Data
are
reported
as
mean
±
SD,
with
statistical
significance
set
at
p
<
0.05.
3.
Results
As
hypothesised,
the
CB
group
reported
consuming
a
large
vol-
ume
of
alcohol
after
the
game,
compared
to
their
baseline
(p
<
0.01)
and
37
h
(p
<
0.01)
values.
The
mean
ranking
of
5.6
±
0.5
out
of
6
is
equivalent
to
a
mean
of
just
below
20
standard
drinks.
Eight
of
the
13
participants
reported
a
ranking
of
6
out
of
6
for
alcohol
con-
sumption
post-game
with
the
remaining
participants
reporting
a
ranking
of
5.
Similarly,
the
number
of
hours
slept
over
that
same
period
(2.3
±
0.6,
equivalent
to
1–4
h
sleep)
was
significantly
lower
than
baseline
(p
<
0.001)
and
37
h
(p
<
0.001)
values.
No
difference
in
alcohol
consumption
or
hours
slept
were
reported
for
the
RB
group
(both
p
>
0.05).
The
competitive
game
of
rugby
had
no
effect
on
any
of
the
measures
of
physical
performance
(Table
2)
made
in
the
current
study.
CMJ
height
was
unchanged
over
time
(p
=
0.497)
and
no
difference
was
observed
between
groups
(p
=
0.855).
Similarly,
no
significant
changes
in
LBF
were
evident
over
time
(p
=
0.129)
or
between
groups
(p
=
0.427).
No
group
×
time
interaction
effect
was
observed
for
either
CMJ
(p
=
0.764)
or
LBF
(p
=
0.168).

Author's personal copy
246 C.
Prentice
et
al.
/
Journal
of
Science
and
Medicine
in
Sport
17 (2014) 244–
248
Table
2
Measures
of
hydration
status,
creatine
kinase
and
performance
variables
prior
to
and
after
a
rugby
match.
Baseline
Post-game
13
h
37
h
Usg CB
1.021
±
0.007
1.016
±
0.006*1.022
±
.004
1.020
±
0.009
RB
1.019
±
0.007 1.021
±
0.0024*1.018
±
0.007
1.016
±
0.006
CK
(U/L) CB
230.8
±
54.2
248.0
±
80.9
534.0
±
245.8
410.9
±
149
RB
264.9
±
51.6†448.9
±
77.1*897.3
±
234.3*686.1
±
142.5*,†
CMJ
(cm) CB
34.8
±
7.4
–
34.9
±
7.5
35.5
±
6.7
RB
34.6
±
7.2
–
35.7
±
6.9
36.7
±
6.2
LBF
(N) CB
1701
±
310
–
1725
±
251
1693
±
250
RB
1732
±
364
–
1843
±
304
1865
±
356
RSA
–
mean
sprint
time
(s) CB
6.13
±
0.38 –
6.39
±
0.34 6.58
±
0.52
RB
6.26
±
0.46
–
5.67
±
0.31
5.92
±
0.40
RSA
–
%
decrement CB
5.3
±
2.1
–
5.04
±
2.08
5.91
±
4.33
RB
6.04
±
3.48
–
6.42
±
1.35
4.19
±
1.69
CB:
customary
behaviour
group,
RB:
recommended
behaviour
group,
Usg:
urine
specific
gravity,
CK:
creatine
kinase,
CMJ:
counter
movement
jump,
LBF:
lower
body
force,
RSA:
repeated
sprint
ability.
*Significantly
different
to
baseline
values
(p
<
0.05).
†Significantly
different
to
CB
group
(p
<
0.05).
Mean
sprint
time,
the
average
time
across
all
6
sprints,
and
the
percentage
decrement
between
the
first
and
last
sprint
were
calculated
for
RSA.
Mean
sprint
time
did
not
change
over
time
and
no
difference
was
seen
between
groups
(both
p
>
0.1).
The
group
×
time
interaction
displays
a
trend
that
is
approaching
sig-
nificance
(p
=
0.058)
with
a
slower
mean
sprint
time
seen
for
the
CB
group
at
both
13
and
37
h
compared
to
the
RB
group.
No
significant
difference
in
percentage
decrement
was
seen
over
time
or
between
groups
(p
=
0.706
and
0.15,
respectively).
A
main
effect
of
time
(p
<
0.001)
was
observed
for
CK
however
no
group
effect
(p
=
0.22)
or
group
×
time
interaction
(p
=
0.376)
was
evident
(Table
2).
No
difference
over
time
or
between
groups
(both
p
>
0.05)
was
found
for
Usg,
all
participants
were
in
a
state
of
mild
to
signif-
icant
dehydration
throughout
the
research
period
(Table
2‘).
A
group
x
time
interaction
(p
=
0.038)
was
evident;
post
hoc
analy-
sis
revealed
that
this
was
due
to
the
RB
group
(Usg,
1.021
±
0.004)
being
more
dehydrated
immediately
after
the
game
than
the
CB
group
(1.016
±
0.006,
p
=
0.045).
Six
participants
failed
to
complete
the
AUDIT
questionnaire
and
therefore
analysis
was
performed
for
24
participants
(CB
n
=
11,
RB
n
=
13).
Analysis
revealed
no
significant
difference
in
the
total
AUDIT
score
(CB
19.7
±
6.1;
RB
15.8
±
2.5,
p
=
0.067)
or
hazardous
(CB
9.2
±
1.2;
RB
8.7
±
1.3,
p
=
0.359)
and
harmful
(CB
6.4
±
4.2;
RB
5.1
±
1.9,
p
=
0.372)
subscale
scores
between
the
groups.
A
signif-
icant
(p
=
0.012)
difference
in
the
dependence
subscale
score
was
found
between
groups
with
those
in
the
CB
group
reporting
a
higher
level
of
dependence
(CB
4.2
±
1.2;
RB
2.1
±
1.2).
Ambient
temperature
(19.4
±
0.4◦C)
and
relative
humidity
(81.8
±
2.0%)
were
not
different
between
testing
sessions
(both
p
>
0.05).
4.
Discussion
This
study
utilised
a
naturalistic
approach11 to
compare
the
effects
of
“normal”
post-game
behaviour
(CB)
and
controlled,
rec-
ommended
post-exercise
behaviour
(RB)
on
physical
performance
in
the
days
following
a
game
of
rugby.
As
hypothesised,
partici-
pants
in
the
CB
group
consumed
hazardous
volumes
of
alcohol
in
the
hours
after
the
game.
During
this
period,
participants
in
the
CB
group
consumed
∼
20
standard
drinks
(a
standard
drink
contains
10
g
of
alcohol),
a
much
higher
dose
than
used
in
pre-
vious
investigations
into
alcohols
effect
on
physical
performance
and
post-exercise
recovery.4,7,18 These
values
are
also
significantly
higher
than
those
reported
by
O’Brien19 who
investigated
the
effects
of
normal,
night-before
game
alcohol
consumption
on
aer-
obic
and
anaerobic
performance.
Habitual
alcohol
use
by
all
participants
of
this
study,
as
quan-
tified
by
the
AUDIT,
resulted
in
a
mean
score
(17.7
±
5)
that
is
indicative
of
alcohol
use
disorders
and
associated
harm.20 An
AUDIT
score
of
8
or
more
indicates
potentially
harmful
drink-
ing
behaviours.15 This
score
is
higher
than
previously
described
for
New
Zealand
rugby
players3and
other
sportspeople21,22 but
similar
to
AUDIT
scores
from
amateur
sportsmen
in
Ireland.23
A
score
of
8.9
±
1.3
in
the
hazardous
alcohol
use
subscale
is
of
particular
concern
indicating
considerable,
regular
binge
drink-
ing
behaviour.
It
is
unclear
whether
this
behaviour
is
unique
to
this
population
of
rugby
players
or
if
these
results
are
represen-
tative
of
the
current
drinking
behaviours
of
club
rugby
players
throughout
New
Zealand
and
other
countries.
Associated
with
this
behaviour
was
a
significant
loss
in
sleep
hours.
Whether
this
was
due
to
time
spent
in
the
evening
consuming
alcohol
and
socialis-
ing
or
as
a
result
of
alcohols
disruptive
influence
on
sleep10 is
not
known.
The
World
Health
Organisation24 classifies
heavy
episodic
or
binge
drinking
as
the
consumption
of
more
than
60
g
of
alcohol
in
a
single
drinking
episode.
Regular
consumption
of
alcohol
at
or
above
this
level
is
associated
with
acute
and
chronic
physical,
psycholog-
ical
and
social
harm.24 Particularly
relevant
to
the
male
population
(sporting
and
general)
are
the
direct
and
indirect
negative
long
term
effects
alcohol
has
on
skeletal
muscle,25 androgen/estrogen
balance,
and
associated
detrimental
changes
in
body
composition
and
sexual
function.26
Unlike
the
similar
contact
football
codes,27,28 currently
there
is
a
dearth
of
information
pertaining
to
rugby
union’s
effects
on
per-
formance
in
the
days
after
the
game.
The
present
findings
suggest
that
13
and
37
h
after
a
game
a
player’s
ability
to
perform
short
duration,
anaerobic
based
exercise
involving
maximal
strength
or
repeated
sprints
is
not
significantly
different
than
prior
to
the
game.
Whether
the
same
is
true
of
long
duration,
aerobic
based
exercise
or
exercise
involving
varying
intensities,
such
as
another
game
or
team
training
requires
further
investigation.
Contrary
to
our
hypothesis,
the
consumption
of
large
volumes
of
alcohol,
coupled
with
a
significant
loss
of
sleep,
did
not
significantly
impact
any
measure
of
physical
performance,
when
compared
to
a
group
following
recommended
post-exercise
guidelines.13 This
finding
differs
to
recent
laboratory
based
findings
showing
that
alcohol
consumption,
at
a
dose
of
1
g
alcohol
per
kg
bodyweight,
negatively
impacts
lower
body
power
output
following
simulated4
and
competitive
contact
team
sport5and
magnifies
force
loss
caused
by
eccentric
exercise.6,7 One
explanation
for
these
disparate

Author's personal copy
C.
Prentice
et
al.
/
Journal
of
Science
and
Medicine
in
Sport
17 (2014) 244–
248 247
results
may
be
that,
in
the
case
of
Barnes
et
al.6,7 the
level
of
muscle
damage
elicited
through
controlled
eccentric
work
of
an
isolated
muscle
group
is
likely
to
be
significantly
greater
than
a
less
localised
damage
such
as
may
occur
in
contact
team
sport.
While
elevations
in
circulating
CK
in
the
present
study
suggest
some
level
of
muscle
damage
has
occurred,
changes
in
CK
do
not
provide
a
means
to
accu-
rately
quantify
muscle
damage 29 making
it
difficult
to
compare
studies.
Another,
potential,
reason
for
a
difference
between
studies
may
be
the
level
of
habitual
alcohol
use
by
each
cohort
studied;
neither
Barnes4,6 nor
Murphy5accurately
reported
habitual
alcohol
use
in
their
respective
cohorts.
We
may
speculate
that,
given
their
expe-
rience
with
such
high
doses,
the
population
under
investigation
in
the
current
study
may
be
less
susceptible,
due
to
an
increased
alco-
hol
tolerance,30 to
such
a
dose
than
individuals
who
have
lower
habitual
alcohol
use.
The
relationship
between
level
of
alcohol
use,
tolerance
and
effects
warrants
investigation.
Previous
research
has
found
that
single,
maximal
sprint4and
anaerobic19 performance
is
not
affected
the
day
after
alcohol
con-
sumption.
However,
the
near
significant
(p
=
0.057)
decrease
in
mean
sprint
time
observed
in
the
CB
group
during
the
recovery
period
suggests
that
there
was
a
tendency
for
these
participants
to
complete
both
post-game
RSA
tests
at
a
slower
rate
than
at
base-line.
This
was
not
accompanied
by
a
corresponding
change
in
percentage
decrement.
It
can
be
speculated
that
the
participants
in
the
‘hangover’
state
held
back
initially
in
order
to
complete
the
testing,
thus
resulting
in
a
greater
mean
sprint
time
at
12
and
36
h,
but
with
no
drop
off
from
first
to
last
sprint.
The
diuretic
effects
of
alcohol
have
been
suggested
as
having
a
negative
influence
on
rehydration
after
strenuous
exercise.18
Throughout
the
study,
the
hydration
status
of
participants
was
consistently
less
than
recommended
levels.14 The
only
difference
observed
between
groups
was
immediately
post-game
when
the
CB
group
exhibited
a
higher
level
of
hydration
than
the
RB
group.
This
may
have
been
the
result
of
better
pre
and
within
–
game
hydration
strategies,
however
this
was
not
investigated.
Within
13
h
the
hydration
status
of
both
teams
had
returned
to
baseline
values,
irrespective
of
post-game
behaviour.
The
lack
of
change
in
hydration
status
after
the
consumption
of
very
high
volumes
of
alcohol
may
be
due
to
the
large
volume
of
fluid
ingested
along
with
alcohol,
this
would
be
particularly
true
if
beer
was
the
main
beverage
consumed
as
it
has
a
relatively
low
volume
of
alco-
hol
compared
to
stronger
spirits,
however
the
types
of
beverages
consumed
was
not
investigated.
Whether
such
alcohol
consump-
tion
would
elicit
a
different
response
in
players
in
a
euhydrated
state,
such
as
players
at
a
higher
level
of
competition,
or
play-
ers
in
a
greater
state
of
dehydration
post
game
requires
further
investigation.
5.
Conclusion
These
findings
show
that
a
serious,
hazardous
culture
of
binge
drinking
exists
amongst
senior
club
rugby
players
that
may,
in
part,
be
due
to
after
–
game
alcohol
abuse.
Although
this
behaviour
is
associated
with
a
loss
of
sleep,
it
does
not
significantly
impact
measures
of
anaerobic
performance
in
the
days
after
the
game.
It
is
unclear
how
such
behaviour
affects
adaptation
to
exercise
in
the
long-term.
These
findings
must
be
treated
with
caution,
however,
as
although
the
short
term
effects
of
such
alcohol
consumption
may
not
impact
performance
the
harmful
physical
and
psycho-
logical
effects
of
such
alcohol
abuse
are
well
known.24 Therefore,
current
recommendations24 for
safe
alcohol
consumption
should
be
considered
an
appropriate
guideline
for
alcohol
use
by
ath-
letes,
unless
exceptional
circumstances,
such
as
muscle
injury,6,7
exist.
6.
Practical
implications
•The
drinking
behaviour
of
rugby
players,
and
other
athletes,
should
be
monitored
by
coaches
and
trainers
to
identify
whether
harmful
drinking
habits
currently
exist
amongst
players.
•To
avoid
long-term
physical
and
psychological
harm,
athletes
should
be
educated
on
the
harmful
effects
associated
with
binge
drinking.
The
World
Health
Organisations
guidelines
are
an
appropriate
starting
point
for
athletes.
•A
game
of
club
rugby
does
not
impact
measures
of
anaerobic
performance
in
the
days
after
the
game.
Acknowledgement
This
study
was
funded
by
the
Massey
University
School
of
Sport
and
Exercise
post-graduate
research
fund.
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Medicine
in
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248
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