Avoiding Alcohol-Related Sports Injuries

With everyone in a sporting mood this summer and the family-fun filled Fourth of July just around the corner, we wanted to take a minute to send out some advice for mixing alcohol and sports.

Given the relationship between a few backyard barbeque beers and pick-up games like frisbee, tag, football, basketball or soccer, we know that some of our friends may need a quick guide to help them avoid paying for play later when dealing with alcohol and sporting injuries.

The Physical Affects of Drinking

If you do decide to have a drink before participating in a pick-up sport, remember it’s no substitute for water. Dehydration is always a danger post-match and alcohol affects your kidneys causing more water loss and more risk of being dehydrated, so make sure you take lots of water on board.

Drinking also lowers your body’s water and salt levels and contributes to a bigger build up of lactic acid which can cause muscle cramps.  So keep in mind that drinking can lead to frustrating cramps and pains.

Most importantly alcohol masks pain, which might delay an injured person’s sense of urgency to get treatment. Booze also increases the bleeding and swelling around soft tissue injuries (sprains, bruises and cuts, which are the most common sport injuries). The faster you get treated for an injury the more likely you’ll have a speedy recovery, so if you’ve been drinking don’t underestimate the severity of your injury.

At In Motion, we’re big champions of living an active lifestyle and participating in pick-up sports and games. Just remember – alcohol and sports can be a dangerous mix especially over a holiday!