As humans, we've been through a traumatic year with the pandemic.

Who could blame us for pouring a glass of wine when we miss our friends and loved ones — and also would rather eat broken glass than tune into one more zoom meeting?

However, some of us (waves hand) have probably started to overrely on alcohol as a way to cope.

And that doesn't serve us when we're trying to transform our bodies through months of endurance training.

So if you can relate, you're going to love this episode.

Because we're going to dive into what science says about drinking and athletic performance.

And I'll also share what happened to my body when I stopped drinking for 90 days.

Ready? Let's do this.

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Episode Sneak Peek

• [3:58] If you’re overdrinking alcohol, you’re not alone. Ways mountaineering and overdrinking go together. Why numbing is common in endurance athletes.

• [7:05] My overdrinking story. Why I decided to stop for 90 days. Safety considerations for taking a break from drinking.

• [9:39] What science says about athletic performance and drinking. Health benefits of drinking alcohol. How to know if you’re a moderate drinker. Why you feel tired the day after drinking. Ways alcohol interferes with muscle growth and repair. Sports nutrition impacts of overdrinking. Why drinking is not carbo loading. Where beer bellies come from.

• [15:42] What happened to my body composition during my 90-day alcohol break. How overdrinking was messing up my fueling strategy, and how I corrected it.

• [18:31] The impact of taking a break from alcohol on my energy levels, and how this allowed me to do more volume and intensity in training. How taking a break improved my social life and relationships. The importance of mindset work and finding new tools to deal with negative emotions and stress while taking a break from drinking.

• [20:53] How a weak immune system was holding me back. Benefits of stopping drinking for just 30 days on my immunity and ability to train hard.

• [22:34] What taking a break didn’t change: my disappoints around sleep and post-race recovery. What stopping overdrinking reveals about your life, and why you sometimes feel worse before you feel better.

• [25:35] Future plans: how I plan to have a different relationship with alcohol. My best resource for anyone who wants to take a break from drinking.