What the Science Says About Athletes and Alcohol

Jun 19

Alcohol and athletics have always had a complicated relationship. From our primate ancestors’ first taste of fermented fruit to the modern post-race beer tent, drinking and sport seem inseparable — but why?

In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee trace the history of alcohol and endurance sports and dig into the science of how alcohol actually affects performance, recovery, and health. We explore why humans evolved to enjoy alcohol, why it remains so closely tied to running culture, and what the research really says about its impact on athletic performance. (Spoiler: three shots of whiskey will not make you faster on the treadmill.)

If you’ve ever wondered whether that celebratory beer after a long run helps, hurts, or just tastes good, this episode unpacks the evidence.

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Zoë Rom

Zoë Rom is a science and environmental journalist with bylines in The New York Times, Outside, and High Country News. She co-hosts Your Diet Sucks, an evidence-based nutrition and wellness podcast, with registered dietitian Kylee Van Horn, RDN, where they investigate how wellness culture distorts science and how athletes can do better. A Colorado-based ultrarunner, she finished second at the Leadville Trail 100 and top five at Run Rabbit Run 100. Her reporting and commentary focus on the intersection of sport, science, and the wellness industry's long history of selling women their own anxieties.