The Harmful Effects of Alcohol
The Harmful Effects of Alcohol
For those of us training to reach a goal or recoving from injury or surgery, one often overlooked and misunderstood factor in the process is alcohol consumption.
Below, Sport Dimensions founder Mike Antoniades has outlined many of the negative effects it can have on the body. These effects slow down recovery and repair of tissues - inhibiting the effect to all our hard work.
Brain and Central Nervous System
Impaired behaviour, judgement, memory, concentration and co-ordination.
Drinker experiences mild euphoria and loss of inhibition as alcohol impairs regions of the brain controlling behaviour and emotion. Alcohol impairs judgement, memory, concentration and co-ordination; as well as inducing extreme mood swings and emotional outbursts.
Brain Damage and Effect
Alcohol acts as a sedative on the Central Nervous System depressing the nerve cells in the brain, dulling, altering and damaging their ability to respond, large doses cause sleep, anaesthesia, respiratory failure, coma and death.
Other Effects on the Nervous System
Impaired visual ability
Altered sense of time and space
Impaired fine motor skills
Loss of pain perception
Unclear hearing
Slow reactions
Dulled smell and taste
Impaired sexual performance
Heart
Weakens the heart muscle and ability to pump (Cardiomyopathy). Hear enlargement, abnormal heart signs and irregular heart beat. Increased blood pressure, risk of heart attack and strokes.
Lungs
High amounts of alcohol may cause breathing to stop, then death. Lowered resistance to infection.
Muscles become weaker and atrophy, pain, spasms and tenderness.
Liver
Chronic heavy drinking may cause alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation and destruction of the liver cells) and then cirrhosis (irreversible lesions, scarring and destruction of liver cells). Impairs the liver’s ability to remove yellow (Jaundice). Liver damage causes fluid to build in extremities (Edema). Decreases production of blood-clotting factors; mat cause uncontrolled bleeding. Liver accumulates fat which can cause liver failure, coma and death.
Stomach
Irritation of stomach lining, peptic ulcers, inflammation, bleeding lesions and cancer.
Pancreas
Significant risk of pancreatic, a chronic inflammation of the pancreas
Intestines
Irritation of the lining of the intestinal tract and colon. Chronic drinking may result in inflammation, ulcers and cancer of the intestines and colon. Nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, sweating and loss of appetite are common. Alcohol impairs the small intestine’s ability to process nutrients and vitamins
