It’s happened to all of us. You wake up the next day after bottomless brunch and remember you agreed to a workout.
While the idea of being active and getting your sweat on after a night of drinking sounds like it would be beneficial, research suggests it may not be.
Don’t be blinded by the thought of flooding your body with endorphins to cancel out your hangxiety. In fact, you could be making the hangover worse by further dehydrating yourself.
A better option may be to grab some anti-hangover supplements and let yourself rest.
So, before running a mile on the treadmill in hopes of getting rid of that headache, let’s look at the risks of working out with a hangover.
Contents
You’re Already Dehydrated
First, it’s essential to consider one of the main culprits of a hangover: dehydration. Alcohol is a diuretic, so you lose more water than you usually would. You’re also likely not drinking much water when slamming back cocktails. Your body is working through your hangover to bring back balance, and working out could elongate the process. Grabbing some anti-hangover supplements may be the better route.
You Might Slip on the Treadmill
Waking up hungover typically means a headache and a fuzzy feeling in your head. It’s hard to focus, and you can have trouble with easy tasks. Brain fog is also a common symptom. When you’re not as alert as usual, you could slip and fall, injuring yourself at the gym. Supplements with ginseng can help you stay alert and recover from that hangover.
Hungover Workouts Don’t See Results
Another thing to consider is that when you hit the gym with a hangover, your body will need more time to recover. Your muscles will be sore longer, so it could hinder our workout routine. Alcohol reduces muscle strength output, so you won’t see the same gains and benefits as you would when you’re not hungover.
It’s Not Good For Your Heart
Have you ever woken up with a hangover and felt like your heart was going to jump out of your chest? That’s because when you’re dealing with a hangover, your resting heart rate is higher than usual. A higher heart rate can be due to dehydration or how alcohol affects the nervous system. When you hop on the elliptical hungover, you’re going to put more pressure on your heart and whole body. It’s not going to be the worst thing you can do, but you’re probably going to feel awful.
Avoiding a Hangover Altogether
If you want to reserve your weekends for workouts that don’t involve hugging the toilet, not to worry. There are things you can do to avoid it! For instance, make sure to drink a glass of water in between drinks. This will help you at least be less dehydrated in the morning and hopefully avoid a headache.
You can also set limits on how many drinks you have to avoid a hangover, too. You know yourself better than anyone, so setting limits can keep you from waking up and immediately hugging the toilet. Make sure also to eat a solid meal before you go out for drinks. Drinking on an empty stomach is harsh on your body, and you could end up with a worse hangover.
Another option is to try out anti-hangover pills. These supplements include B-vitamins, prickly pear, and ginseng, which are known to help ease the symptoms. There are several on the market with different combinations of vitamins, so you should be able to find something that will work for you. As always, have fun and drink responsibly!
Ultimately, it seems that hitting the gym may not be the best cure for a hangover. However, research on the effectiveness of exercise in treating these headaches is still mixed. Meanwhile, you can try tried-and-true hangover remedies such as drinking plenty of water, eating light foods, or taking anti-hangover supplements.
