How Bad Is Alcohol For Cycling Performance?

[@gcn]

Do you ride with a hangover? How do you think it affects your performance on the bike? Let us know in the comments 👇

[@IDT-007]

Hangover?...hold my orange juice

[@yanman3633]

GSN global science network

[@lothburke2243]

I have young children so the hangover is not worth it my friends.

[@adderall4449]

My friends go out Saturday evenings and my mates ride on Sunday morning. I've ridden hung over oh so many times. After the first hour, it goes away. If I stay in bed it would last almost a full day

[@lennieg9148]

After a long night, little to no sleep, I'd say an average heartrate of 185 sounds about right.

[@snoreymccreeper]

I’ve been running this experiment on a regular basis for years and nobody’s ever asked me about my findings.

[@TamLis]

Hahaha

[@RoyRope]

Lol

[@maxwellcoates3493]

This is the most accurate comment I’ve ever seen

[@johnrodriguez8253]

LOL!!!!

[@mikerowave1986]

I can relate to that

[@ap5194]

I'm very biased with alcohol and absolutely hate the stuff because I was an alcoholic and have been to AA, one thing I will say is weight management is easier because I made some horrible food choices when I was drinking 😂. Over 2 years sober now 🎉

[@sj3397]

Congrats! I recently discovered my son is an alcoholic. It led to me to re-evaluate my relationship with alcohol as well. Thus I quit when he went into treatment recently. Amazing how pervasive alcohol is in our society, music etc.... No one really stops to think about the damage it does.

[@gixxernavigator]

Ozzy Osbourne once said "Alcohol was the hardest things of the lot to quit becUse it's so socioly acceptable, everybodys at it". Well done on sobriety mate it's something you should be proud of. It means you've made a stand in the face of all else to bennefit you.

[@danproposkanovovski]

Congrats!

[@ap5194]

Thank you 🙏🏻 it was a decision that was a long time coming for me personally, everything I do I do excessively and over the years I left no stone unturned with the party scene. I realised I was addicted when I couldn't go more than a few days without getting blind drunk, if that was any other vice (smoking, gambling, shopping) then it would be seen for what it really is, addiction, but with alcohol it's fobbed off as what we do to let of steam, this went on for me from 16 to 31, then after making a complete fool of myself one night (this was extremely common for me), I woke up full of anxiety and guilt I knew it was the last time and I decided to seek help. This lifestyle isn't for everyone and its easy to look back with Rose tinted glasses but for every good night drinking I had 3 bad ones. Just my personal experience over the years. If you're British its bloody everywhere and the drunker you are the bigger the badge of honour the next day, very few cultures accept that behaviour. Also its the only drug you will have to justify not taking 😂 that's the hard part believe me

[@1scratch]

@@sj3397 If I can give you an advice, try Allen Carr's book Easy Way to Control Alcohol. I'm now 1 year sober after reading it.

[@nickw6175]

when is the episode of .." how does cycling effect your drinking performance ? "

[@keinepinghits8145]

Interestingly enough I noticed that I put away the slightly less responsible behaviour patterns of freshman year of college much better after starting cycling...

[@DrJorgeReynal]

LMAO!!!

[@estoylaroca]

The more important discussion which everyone can relate to.

[@abrahamvillegas3752]

I give up alcohol for 2 years now. The only thing I cant give up is lying.

[@MachielG]

I once experienced enhanced cycling performance the day after a night drinking and I find myself trying to reproduce that experiment ever since to confirm.

[@scottf3456]

Chasing the high never works. Try adding some weed next time.

[@chrisnielsen5110]

One can only approve the scientific approach. However remember at the start, to decide when to stop, so not to pee-hack and risk the whole endavours credibility.

[@madmayhem2000]

Ollie, as a PhD chemist, must love when he can break out the old lab coat.

[@leereilly7667]

Eating protein, more so than carbs or fat, before or during drinking, helps the body cope. It doesn't affect the kinetics of the breakdown, which are zero order, but the peak concentration of alcohol in the blood is lowered, so you recover faster.

[@oli7120]

Did you have metrics on your "enhanced performance"? I'd wager it was more likely to be a typical performance, but you were impressed because you knew you had been drinking the night before.

[@tccycling]

I stopped drinking mid-2019. Before that I drank every day, usually bourbon. I've never felt better. Alcohol is poison. I was accustomed to being slightly hungover all the time. I recover much faster now, and my energy levels are generally much higher. For me, when I weighed the pros and cons of drinking, the cons far outweighed the pros. I have no problem with anyone else drinking. To each, his own. But for me drinking is the past. I'm actually addicted to sobriety now.

[@ap5194]

Good man 👌🏻 I'm 2 years sober myself. Best thing I ever did, got my life back and plenty more energy

[@orijit]

I havent stopped , but moderate my drinking. Makes a big difference. Bloating , weight gain all are performance killers on the bike

[@Cyclonut96]

Yes, and speaking of poison, hospital staff use alcohol to kill bacteria, as the stores to nowadays at their entrances, so this happens to your good gut bacteria if you drink alcohol.

[@TheStoneTapeSimulacrum]

@@Cyclonut96 No.

[@madscientist7430]

@@Cyclonut96 that's not at all how that works

[@KeithFlint350]

Can I get a budget alcohol made of alluminium, not carbon?

[@renegadetenor]

Perhaps, but the budget stuff is likely less aero:)

[@orsations]

All stiff drinks are made of carbon

[@harryhenry3053]

banter

[@raybarber9526]

@@renegadetenor Is Prosecco more aero?

[@renegadetenor]

@@raybarber9526 Couldn't tell ya...never had a drop of alcohol in my life; just having fun with something I know nothing about (but can at least admit it):)

[@alexanderprado3952]

Kudos to #GCN, I really love this episode. I watched it with my Middle Schooler kids. As a Pharmacist, this really gives a well -depth explaination of alcohol and its effect to the body. Looking for more episodes like this - focused on health and human body in line with cycling.

[@yinzex2165]

Agreed! It would be amazing to see more cycling-specific exercise physiology videos 😍

[@Tibomash]

Legend has it this video was shot before the 4vs1 hence Ollie dropping

[@simonorr594]

I once raced the New London crit hungover on a hot day. I still remember being barely able to get my number and needing a tactical chunder post race. Also I had really bad gas and got yelled at a lot in the peloton. Totally worth it tho!!

[@blackcyclist]

I often find that once I've opened the bottle, if I don t knock it back, it's frothed up once back in the bottle cage. Also hard to balance a glass on my drops

[@gcn]

😂 we would strongly recommend waiting until after your ride before you start drinking...

[@Calum_S]

This reminds me of the old GCN video where they were trying inappropriate ride snacks.

[@brianbuday8639]

Never found a bike with a decent cigarette lighter either 💥😜🇨🇦

[@justlib5849]

@@brianbuday8639 underrated comment

[@TimpBizkit]

@@brianbuday8639 go down a steep hill with a stop at the bottom and you can light it off the front brake rotor.

[@ulanius]

Really love Ollies content. The slightly more scientific angle and clear presentation is gold!

[@colerobertson8743]

More power to you gentleman, I haven’t drank in three years and back when I was there wasn’t a chance of getting on the bike for the next three days lol Cheers to those who can!

[@chadwaddington4488]

Would like to see a similar look with "moderate" drinking. I think its safe to say that most people wouldn't go on a binge the night before a race and expect it not to affect them. It'd be interesting to see a look at how many drinks it takes to start impacting recovery and performance. Is a glass of wine with dinner going to matter? What about two? If you are going to drink in moderation, is it better to do it after your last tough workout for the week, or during your recovery day before your training cycle starts again?

[@CarlosSilva-ti5ib]

Many years ago I heard a rumour that Ian Ulrich, in his golden years of cycling, was a bohemian, getting late to sleep and drinking. It's hard to believe.

[@Gilbertoooooooo]

​@@CarlosSilva-ti5ibI also read that, he gave an interview about it. Lots of booze, party and girls, he really enjoyed those days, but he abused it too much, if he had some control over it, now he would be fine.

[@darrylhuculak4996]

NHS: "Excessive consumption of alcohol can have a detrimental effect on athletic performance". GCN: "Hold my beer."

[@bengarside79]

Love that despite Ollie's Team time trial foray last week, he still felt it necessary to add the clarification at 5:11/21:25 that he "isn't an elite athlete!" ;-) Great video though - love Ollie's science insight!

[@jeskli11]

A friend of mine (not very performance oriented) drinks two beers - one for each leg - before every ride or race. According to his theory the legs are heavy after drinking beer and therefore they push better on the pedals.

[@TimpBizkit]

The problem is they are still pushing on the pedals on the upstroke too....

[@jeskli11]

@@TimpBizkit Fair point. Perhaps blow some helium into his shoes to compensate that? I'm sure he will continue doing things that way forever though 😅.

[@TimpBizkit]

@@jeskli11 have the UCI banned TDF riders from tying a big bunch of helium balloons to the bike to help on the climbs? Preferably with a tail wind or else the air resistance goes through the roof.

[@jeskli11]

@@TimpBizkit There should be something like balloon integrated to the otherwise hollow frame tubes, that won't bother the air flow. But it would sure last one stage if many until UCI would come and ban it 😅.

[@Gilbertoooooooo]

I haven't been drinking for 4 months now, i drank everyday (or almost) since I was 19, now im 32, my weight went down a bit, and I feel like my body is grateful for my decision... But, i miss those nights, going out 3 times per week, drive around the city with good weather (Lisbon) and going home with beautiful Erasmus girls almost everytime, there was always a smile on my face, life was good. Now, im staying home, cycling a lot more and eating chocolates and crap a lot more often than I did before, and no fun nights with the girls... Heinz Stucke once said, life is good when there's booze, girls and a road to travel. (He traveled the world on bicycle for decades) Best regards for you all!

[@diegopastor8988]

The worst part of alcohol is not on your performance after drinking, but how it affects your recovery. As you said, alcohol messes up with testosterone hormone, which will lead to a worse recovery, as it will inhibit the muscle repair, and will make you prone to inflammation and joint pain after exercising (injury risk too). I still enjoy my drinking.

[@thatsjusthowitgoes1125]

Of course the Irishman manages to function relatively normal.

[@hubu2511]

Bavarians too ;-) happy cycling

[@amvj]

This is one awesome video. This just proves how genius Ollie is for going in-depth and able to present content in a way that mere mortal like can able to understand easily.

[@massimo23]

Finalmente uno studio serio sul tema. L'ho guardato tutto d'un fiato.

[@MiseEnZheng]

Film Recommendation - One Deadly Summer. Amazing French flick, the Protagonist's brother is an alcoholic cyclist! Very beautiful, funny, thrilling, tragic, psychological film.

[@Highnoonshred]

#GCN you need to have more than just guys in your videos like this!

[@Kobe404]

Connor "I'm on the Belgian beers." Definitely over the limit, that's a Grapefruit IPA from Brewdog up here in glorious Aberdeenshire. Mission complete Connor, get on the bike lad!

[@joearnold3594]

Cheers from Columbus Ohio the other home of Brewdog

[@binshuo]

Brewdog is one of the very first craft beers I had, mediocre though

[@ivostarmans1199]

I remember in the army, drinking in the pubs the whole night and back at the base at 06:00 and 07:30 we started the day with running 5 miles.Some times running like a robot on autopilot and no problems and no pain but for the rest of the day broken.Sometimes it where hard times but it was all mentaly.And sometimes running fresh like normal.The body can takes a lot.

[@gladand]

Did Ollie have spaghetti with meatballs before shooting?

[@whatwelearned]

Give him a break he's proper smashed

[@xMithras]

Cannot unsee

[@HumaneNewt]

Like in band of brothers when they have to run up the hill!

[@G0rillaBiscuit]

I thought it was Cheeto dust

[@gladand]

@@G0rillaBiscuit could be too. I hope we get an official statement.

[@moi7748]

I gave up alcohol last year, and have never felt fresher on a bike in the morning which is obviously a big plus. The best thing though, is that with all that spare money, I can put that into bike upgrades and cycling holidays 😁

[@martintramuntbikemallorcak481]

good luck with the cycling holidays...(in your garage..)

[@gw7392]

Ditto

[@moi7748]

@ Juan Martine - I managed to have two holidays in summer last year - one to Gran Canaria and the other from Ulm in Germany to Bratislava in Slovakia via the amazing Eurovelo 6 that is just on my doorstep. So yeah, I Obviously can’t get away all of the time, but when I can I do 😀👍👍

[@martintramuntbikemallorcak481]

@@moi7748 good for you... I refuse to go anywhere whilst they mandate "their" evil ideas!! Never wore a mask once... NEVER WILL!! and that's in a country that mandates it with heavy stasi tactics!! 1 thing I'm not... is a MUPPET... enjoy yer holidays

[@jasongirvan6729]

Way to go Connor, showing the power of the Irish ☘️🤛

[@MrPezkins]

Well done mate , half the problem is admitting there's a problem in the first place .whilst I don't have a problem with booze , I did have a problem managing my money and lived in denial about it .I'm taking the new year ( 2023) to get to grips with that .and getting back in good shape on the bike .

[@andrifsig]

Quite interesting. It would also be interesting to see how much prolonged alcohol consumption has on performance. Drinking alcohol in moderation consistently for a month and see how you progress or even regress vs a month with no alcohol. I would like to see the same experiment done with sleep deprivation. Both a short term experiment and a long term one. Create a baseline month with a consistent 8 hour sleep and log performance. Then the next month shorten the sleep to a consistent 5 hours and see how it affects performance.

[@arhu74]

I tried dry january for 2 new years now whilst also doing structured training but my progression was worse in january than the drinking months...

[@MarkKoren]

Great clip again guys, however as a chemistry teach I really cant bite my tongue about the structure (drawing) of acetaldehyde. You did get the formula (C2H4O) right, but the structure was wrong and the C-atom had 5 bindings, which is not the way to go. So, all in all, it will result in an A, instead of the usual A+. Cheers!

[@Cybersanny]

Indeed it hurt my chemistry heart 😖

[@MrChrismcquillan]

Ollie replied to another comment saying he provided a different structure to the video editors but they obviously misread/didn’t use it. He then apologised.

[@wolfwarren6376]

Wow! Ollie got to use his degrees on a GCN video! Well done, Ollie! I hope there’s more like this, as a student in the sciences it was a lot of fun to see. :)

[@emilskovgaardkristensen3786]

Well he did also mess up the chemical structure of acetaldehyde, but still yay science

[@wolfwarren6376]

@@emilskovgaardkristensen3786 yes, you are right. Still, though, he got to be a chemist for a day. That’s at least something compared to him getting dropped.

[@notthemessiah9243]

I ride my bike stoned for the first time and I couldn't believe how much easier it was. I felt like I had four times as much energy than normal. I was less out of breath on climbs and instead of it feeling like an ordeal the pain in my legs felt really good and pumped me up further. I didn't want to stop riding and it felt like I was never going to get tired. Anyway it would be an interesting test if you could square it away.

[@jason200912]

Stoned as in high? Or are you using it as drunk? Because alcohol just makes people sleepy.

[@christopherwilson3796]

THC is the #1 reason I became an avid cyclist. It is a good combination as you can just get lost in the grind. It increases heart rate and dilates blood vessels and brinchioles too. Really should do edibles only though for obvious reasons.

[@VelkePivo]

Or you just perceived it to be like that while in reality you were the same or slower

[@filipski595]

While watching this episode, I can't get out of my head thought that these guys were thinking about this idea for the episode for a little while, and the dream of getting steamed on the job with yer mates finally came true! Epic :D:D

[@stefaanverschelde5852]

Connor drinking La Chouffe, man knows his belgian beers ! Glad you are enjoying our national speciality :) Try Omer next time !

[@jordyskate1995]

Of ne goeie Duvel! 😃

[@peterhaslam5275]

@@jordyskate1995 Chimay Rouge

[@Wouteri]

Tripel Karmeliet

[@robbederooster3730]

Ne gouden Carolus

[@VPLDazzamac]

My local climb normally takes 12minutes, my pb is ~9 something. On the Wednesday after a stag weekend a few years back, I set my all time low of 27 minutes.

[@haakman123]

I was like, I can't imagine who the sponsor for this one is! And Whoop there it was

[@elliotwilliams7421]

Let me hear you say..

[@Abnsdllnnlosnfd]

@@elliotwilliams7421 The NHS?

[@elliotwilliams7421]

@@Abnsdllnnlosnfd whoop the NHS..... that works

[@elliotwilliams7421]

@@Abnsdllnnlosnfd kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJemdqVpZ5yKapY

[@hari-zz2ge]

For me, low dosage alcohol actually works as a mild painkiller and makes riding more pleasent. The next day I feel no differnce, but that might be due to my generally bad recovery/sleep.

[@draaronreynolds]

A PhD organic chemist should have spotted the pentavalent carbon atom in acetaldehyde.

[@Shaaeft]

It really hurt my eyes....

[@jaredknapp6832]

even undergraduates were laughing

[@manueldeubler1127]

I was really enjoying some chemistry on GCN, but that 5 handed version of Cthulhu scared the heck out of me!

[@GCNuser123]

yup! apologies about that. Rest assured this wasn’t the structure i provided! 🤦‍♂️😂

[@ticyclist529]

Octet rule be damned!

[@zzhughesd]

Distill it down. What an end. Kinda cheesy so kinda apt for GCN. Such a good channel from start to current. Don’t ever stop the science GCN

[@Sprocketboy1956]

I knew this would be good when Ollie put on his glasses and lab coat! The hill climb looked pretty hard the first time and doing it the next day might have meant insufficient recovery rather than the effects of the alcohol perhaps. But fun anyway! For myself, I lived in Germany for eight years and our cafe stops tended to be beer at lunchtime with no discernable effects but cycling near Freiburg one year we each had a glass of local wine at lunch and all of us had dead legs for the rest of the day.

[@karstenmeinders4844]

Glad to see that Ollie and Hank still work together!

[@Cyclonut96]

Yeah, I can see all three being together in a pub, having a great time. Respect.

[@wildsurfer12]

If there’s one thing we’ve learnt from this it’s that you shouldn’t celebrate your stage wins too hard.

[@davepratt9909]

I do give Ollie a lot of grief in the comments, but I really do appreciate his attempts to bring true science to the channel.

[@ElonMuckX]

Next episode: Whiskey vs Vodka vs Tequila shots, while riding up a hill. Surprising Results!!!

[@robertgray9807]

I went to a company holiday party a few years ago in Manhattan. Had two pints of ale and left to ride home up Third Ave. It was snowing and there was an inch or three of fresh snow on the roadway. I felt a little unsteady and at a light I stopped and looked back at perfect slalom tracks I'd left behind me. Lesson learned.

[@nicholassekas3060]

I raced in college so I have a great deal of data on this subject. Frankly I’m surprised at how well these lads did. I think if they did a second effort for the control and experimental runs we would see more radical results. Worth noting that multiple hard efforts is more representative of a hard training ride/group ride/race than a single all out effort.

[@fabianbinder3681]

On our final school trip, I was part of a bunch of endurance „experts“, we did a high mountain tour with loads of altitude a little later and we were fully trained for it. But: The single hardest climb that year was up to the Meteora Monasteries, a little less then 600 hm. In this climb, we were almost last of our course, because in the night before we enjoyed the house wine in our accommodation to the fullest. It was a humbling experience.

[@garyskyner5855]

Could the small drop in performance post-drink be explained because you rode separately as opposed to riding as a group pre-drink? Riding in a group is usually easier.

[@nickthewine3394]

Nice and entertaining look at this guys! Thanks for not bashing alcohol completely! It gets blamed so much for the stresses of modern life And whilst it can be very destructive for some, socially it’s pretty constructive. Common sense says if you do accidentally have a skinful the night before, why purposefully stress you body the next morning! Drink moderately and better quality and take regular nights off and you probably won’t notice a difference unless you’re elite+

[@cypercharged]

Chouffe for the win, Conor! My favorite beer 🍺

[@suggyltd9577]

Not sure why I continued to watch past the 2 minute mark. Glad I did. Good Job.

[@garrysekelli6776]

should drink ten beers while riding the cycle. I find it improves performance. Only problem is stopping to whiz.

[@ElonMuckX]

Substitute Tequila instead. Don't need much, just a shot or two an hour, when your cycling hard, less for easier intensities. And people still think I'm joking..........

[@theeuropeancyclepaths8206]

Bike tour from Oslo to Barcelona in 2019 and there was nothing better than guzzling down lots of pints after daily hours of pedaling. Cheers 🚲🍻👏

[@einsteinisbae27]

Beautifully distilled Ollie

[@PuneethBedre]

Dear GCN, I’m not a prince in Egypt wanting to give you a million pounds but someone who follows the channel avidly. Thank you for all the great content. I know UK is in a dangerous spot with covid 19 at the moment. Despite this, I can see that your team is tirelessly producing content for our viewing pleasure. We don’t mind missing some of your content for a few days, weeks or even months. Please take good care and be safe. Regards, Not your Egyptian prince.

[@chocosheepart3328]

Its been. w suu

[@Jeppelelle]

Poor Conor, need to push an extra 100w to keep up with the smaller dudes 😂

[@hermjen1]

My compliments. Your CGI animation actually made it appear as though Olie was not dropped on the climb. Incredibly realistic!

[@brucevelo1]

I've actually had a couple good races when hungover. I was already miserable so a little more pain wasn't a big deal.

[@sgreen2011]

I work for a brewery doing quality assurance so avoiding alcohol is, well, impossible. I have at least one beer a day and often wonder how much of an impact this has on my cycling. One cool tidbit I have is that acetaldehyde is a common byproduct of fermentation by yeast and often adds a green apple or acrylic paint smell to beer.

[@Stoo61]

I only drink to get mashed, I dont really do the beer after work thing or a wine with dinner. So, nowadays I rarely drink but when I do, I cant do anything the next day. Its generally foetal position until the evening then a binge eat and then feel shit, unmotivated and emotional unstable for about a week. I drink maybe bi-monthly now.

[@itzStrFtw]

Are you me?

[@Stoo61]

@@itzStrFtw Yes, from the future. You know that thing you are thinking of doing....DONT DO IT!!! haha only joking, definitely do it.

[@pozityvas4944]

Just searched some information about how beer impact our bodys, gcn just nailed it!

[@johnbeckmeyer1696]

It would be interesting to see what the riders' performance on the 2-day session would be like without alcohol. Perhaps the poorer performance is due to the previous day's efforts with or without alcohol. Also, what happens if subsequent effort follows 2 days hence or 5 days hence.

[@jeffreypeters1902]

I have really enjoyed the new members of GCN, chapeau to your hiring dept.

[@Kadrowicz7]

In UK you call it an experiment. In Poland we call it reality.

[@artgrafix9250]

Nie rób z Polaków pijaków. W wielu krajach piją więcej od nas. A takim postem robisz z nas pośmiewisko. Ja i wielu moich znajomych nie pijemy i nie palimy. Ale po twoim wpisie przypadkowo napotkany Anglik uzna mnie za pijaczka.

[@mateuszj5583]

W uk spotaklem wiecej alkoholikow I pijusow niz w Polsce

[@qwer55555555]

@@artgrafix9250 prosze Cie, kogo to. Akurat jakiś post na YT cokolwiek znaczy XD

[@smallhatshatethetruth7933]

I work for Deliveroo in the UK and notices this amongst my Polish coworkers lol

[@douwehuysmans5959]

Netherlands also

[@MFV12]

I am winedealer and like to ride, this was the upload I was waiting for all my life XD Cheers mates! The best ecuse for me not beeing any faster :P

[@hithru]

As a person from Czech republic, there is nothing wrong with a beer for lunch during a bike ride. But I am biased....

[@hans4579]

Já třeba nechápu, jak si na group Ride dají všichni k obědu 3 velký 12° a pak to odjedou domů a tam znovu a klidně víc..

[@hithru]

@@hans4579 haha to ja taky ne. Ale rad si dam jedno male pivo.

[@tomaspodolsky3340]

Na kole nikdy nepiju, je to jako jít běhat a po cestě popíjet pivko :D :D ale se zbytkáčkem jezdím běžně, je to docela dobrý lék na kocovinu :D

[@Cyclonut96]

My tu v Kanade sa zastavime na kavicku, nikto tu nepije, pocaz jazdy. Ani v Amerike, kde teraz som.

[@Elephantine999]

You guys do great science videos! And yeah, the increase in heartrate after a couple of drinks is kind of unsettling. I did a club ride last summer in which we stopped at three breweries for pints on a hot day. It was fun, but after the third stop I was ready for a nap...

[@jeskli11]

Last March I went to my friend's prom, which took place on Friday. I drank there really a lot (some beer and a LOT of vodka). That was the only time in my life (at least so far) I didn't remember almost anything. But the next day I woke up without alarm relatively in time for my local group ride - that has been the stupidest thing I have ever done connected with cycling! In the end I got out of the door about fifteen minutes late and had to do the first 15 km to the start at almost race pace. The group that day was almost twice as big as normally and so rode faster than normally. Then they decided to take about 20 km longer route than normally! OMG! If we didn't stop at some gas station where I bought (very expensive) two cans of Coke and gummy bears, I would be probably somewhere on the way even now 🤣. I got dropped about 20 km from my home and in those 20 km I managed to lower my average speed by 5 kph. Now I know what not to do after an evening of drinking.

[@colinfries653]

Yeah, but at least you did it!

[@112chapters3]

I frequently used to train by riding the canal from Sydney gardens/bathwick…. Running, cycling, to the pubs a few miles along going eastwards… few beers then run back easy. Still do it on my current stomping Grounds

[@schumzy]

Connor casually dropping that his RHR "went up" to 50, really dude, I'd be happy if that was my baseline. How fit is Connor then?

[@jamesashton9954]

after a 8 hour session the next day i cycled from my home city of bradford to bolton abbey then to harrogate on the A59 which averages 14% and cycled back to bradford hungover

[@TheCucung]

So actually just about 10 - 30 seconds off, with 5 - 20 watt less? I'd say the round of drink on the pub with friends worth every less watt

[@workingguy-OU812]

That's merely on a 7 minute route. The effects over the course of a typical 40 to 60 mile ride would probably be noticeably worse. That stated, there are some strong weekend warriors around here who drink beer (to excess) the nights before rides. I'm convinced that cheap beer helps them carb-load in some way. Of all the riders I've ridden with who regularly drink, it's the beer drinkers who do the best. The wine drinkers are inevitably slower.

[@boylekay789]

Another thing is the overall crappy feeling you get after drinking. I suppose the headache and bad sleep will cause discomfort during a ride.

[@aliancemd]

That’s one day of bad recovery. It adds up over time and you also get a belly

[@propertywithbobby]

During the world Cup a couple of years ago I did quite a few hungover rides. I found that yes it was tough to get going but once upto speed I felt good and it certainly cleared the hangover.

[@lukas-gf7ze]

Now we want to see what happens when you drink while riding

[@bk83082]

KOM

[@huffytoss]

There used to be a single speed mountain bike race back in the mid-90's where you are required to drink a bottle of beer on EACH lap. A local microbrewery was a sponsor of the race. They charted the times of each rider during the race. First lap was control. Second lap was faster. Third lap was slower. Fourth lap significantly slower. Half the field didn't finish the fifth. Only a handful finished the sixth lap (final). When I was in college, we had a couple guys on the collegiate team that would put rum with their energy drinks in their water bottles to drink during the race. They were racing for fun and weren't strong enough to win a race so it didn't matter to them. We did read every page of the rulebook and did not find any mention of an alcohol ban. The closest regs was no glass bottles. Drinking and driving laws don't apply on a closed road.

[@ElonMuckX]

TEQUILA FOR THE WIN!!!

[@macsdiving]

@@huffytoss alcohol is now on the wada banned list for in competition - I think it's a recent addition. I'm struggling to think of a sport where it would give an advantage......

[@MZ-bm5fp]

Führerschein nicht bestanden 8.0

[@1958vintage]

I have been an Alcohol Abstainer since I was 24 years old. I'm now 62 and have always kept reasonably fit, but I started Time Trialling about 5 years ago. I'm now slightly lighter than I was 38 years ago and I train much harder than I ever did. I don't seem to have had the health problems that seem to have accompanied people of a similar age. Even in last season's disrupted schedules I clocked a new PB for a '10'.

[@dbs567]

My fitness levels appear to plummet after a heavy night out. Probably worth mentioning - Dissolvable electrolyte tabs work a treat on hangovers, and can really help prevent hangover altogether if you can force yourself to drink a pint of water with 2x tabs dissolved the night before. Aspirin also makes the blood less "sticky" and helps the day after.

[@jvesik]

Charcoal capsules work great.

[@X0X0LFertilizer]

Cocaine , lots of cocaine and a point or more of fentanyl

[@thecappy]

Makes me remember my days stationed in Italy. Drink all night then run up Mt. Berico at 0630. Thank god for the outdoor water fountain at the Sanctuary of Saint Mary at the top.

[@artery8077]

Since I started cycling I drink once a week, usually on a Saturday, which generally means Sunday is a rest day.

[@myklonsip]

Connor body size and Irish nationality should give him a massive advantage. Cheers lads, the GCN science i didn’t know I even needed to know.

[@davidborn6990]

Glad to see Ollie is finally getting a chance to put his PhD to work!

[@vivinvijayan]

I liked the science in this vid. Please bring on more such content.

[@markstone5390]

GCN Accountant "So lads let me get this straight lads we are paying you to get drunk ?" The lads "Thats correct" Please please please don't tell me Dan's in on it as well otherwise thats the budget blow for the year.

[@randomchick1234]

I'm legit a science teacher and this is such a good video demonstrating alcohols long term effects that I'll show it to my year tens in October when we study drugs Edit: having watched all of it I may not show the ending - telling a bunch of fifteen year olds that red wine is good for you might not be the wisest!

[@hisdadjames4876]

I did Lands End John O Groats using shandy as my main hydrating drink, including in bidon at times. Excellent!

[@ViveSemelBeneVivere]

Thanks for the tip. What recipe?

[@hisdadjames4876]

@@ViveSemelBeneVivere 50:50 beer and lemonade. Perfectly balanced isotonic drink and only 2% alcohol so no real issue. Might not make you faster but certainly you feel better and it tastes great!! Isn’t that why the Germans call low alcohol beer ‘radler’?

[@mindy_cycling]

Video is too good, thank you good information

[@michaelkeon3215]

0:54 I recognize the writing on the glass. San MIguel beer from the Philippines! Yay!!

[@yj8471]

At least it's not Red Horse 😁😅🤣

[@garycochran2504]

@@yj8471 can not beat a San Miguel Dark !!!

[@yj8471]

@@garycochran2504 opo talaga ? Dibha tama nakakatawa ingat lagi ..

[@ypsiow1008]

I used to drink 2L of craft beer every week in summer and while in a bar, fried, oily junk food were the go-along. Until I noticed my belly and weight went wrong, and the staff doing abdominal ultrasound every year gave me a parents talk, I finally had an awakening and resorted to clean diet, calorie count and abstaining from alcohol altogether. And most importantly, I've picked up better lifestyle by actively working-out on resistance training, running and, yes, cycling for 2 years. The result? It's absolutely rewarding. I have no crave for any fruit juice, soda or alcohol now. Thanks partly for the lockdown too though I miss socializing in the bars.

[@thelonesculler]

3:42 That isn't acetaldehyde. That's an impossible molecule

[@baymaz9645]

Very underrated. Plz give this more thumbs up

[@ex0stasis72]

Thank you for the clarification for drinking once per day vs drinking something like 7 times per week all in one day. I have one drink per day, and I always feel like I'm being scolded by family and my doctor until I clarify that it's only once per day.

[@danproposkanovovski]

Watching this with a beer. There's ice on the roads anyway so I'm not going out on the bike. ;)

[@mateagoston8145]

Conor's power numbers are incredible. :O I would be interested to see a video where you try to find out what could be the "shortest" race where an amateur racer specified for 12-24 hour races and time trials could possibly outperform a World Tour Pro.

[@reprobate337]

This was really depressing me until I was able to focus on Red Wine having advantages.

[@donk115]

Once rode my best 100mile TT off the back of an all nighter. Sobered up around the 60mile mark and by then the hard work was already done. 😁

[@arbiterofuntruth6098]

I see you had to leave Dan out of this to avoid spoiling your results. Didn’t want one of your test subjects to gain 100W did you?

[@paeden5431]

Awesome! I've been a lifelong drinker and used to be very athletic. I've bought my 1st good bike last year and recently cut down on my booze intake. This makes it very practical to understand why I needed to do so! Thanks!

[@kennetheckstrm7933]

Great episode. Love the show. Do it again! This time make sure to use all of the GXN presenter teams. Let them have equal amount of alcohol intoxication (1,5 promille) register blodtype, metabolisme rate, fitness level and dietplan. Test fitness performance (FTP?) the day after and two days after the alkohol binge. Purpose to see how dietplan, metabolisme and blodtype effects the restitution over time with and equal messeaured alcohol intoxication and FTP effort. Which of the presenters biological composition is the most capable?

[@africanwidow]

"Who me? " Ha ha. Everything was well done, really well done, in that video! Loved it. I thought your results were good enough to keep enjoying libations in moderation for stress mgt. As you noted, it can be pleasurable in social interactions leading to happy and fast athletes. "Professor" looked like... and seemed like a real professor! Learned a lot. : )