Professionals & alcohol

d-gal

What's your opinion on this? It seems after a match a lot of players go for a few drinks or have a few if they've a weekend off.
I remember Connacht playing the Ospreys and both teams went out together. A certain bleached head New Zealander from the Ospreys was the life and soul of the gathering, chugging plenty and smoking non stop. Always find it a bit strange that professionals are allowed to this since it does have an impact on their training over the next 72 hours. Literally every top nutritionist I know seems against it, especially in the busier part of the season.
I'm all for them having a couple but not going nuts. Opinions?

.ak

d-gal wrote: »

What's your opinion on this? It seems after a match a lot of players go for a few drinks or have a few if they've a weekend off.
I remember Connacht playing the Ospreys and both teams went out together. A certain bleached head New Zealander from the Ospreys was the life and soul of the gathering, chugging plenty and smoking non stop. Always find it a bit strange that professionals are allowed to this since it does have an impact on their training over the next 72 hours. Literally every top nutritionist I know seems against it, especially in the busier part of the season.
I'm all for them having a couple but not going nuts. Opinions?

The thing is a professional athlete has such a different make up than we average joes do. If I went out drinking on saturday I'd be hanging on training for monday. But then I eat about 1600 to 2000kcal a day.. Some of these guys pack down 5000 to 7000. They're bodies literally devour everything thrown at them. Alcohol would have the same effect, but their recovery is probably a lot more efficient.

Buer

It's not ideal but they're not robots. They're lads in their twenties who want to have a life and let off some steam. Just the same as most of us who might work a tough week, we'd like to relax with a few drinks at the weekend. These guys are back in recovery and sweating it out of them pretty soon so I'm not sure exactly how much impact it will have on their match performance a week later.

As long as it takes place 6 or 7 days before their next game, I've no problem with it.

Lyaiera

It's not ideal, but hopefully rugby is still in a position where the sport can sort out someone who is going too far. Even if that means moving them on to another club (or even union.) There are a few guys where it all goes to their heads but there's a lot more stories of guys who sorted themselves out.

As for guys doing it occasionally, more power to them. There's probably a big mental upside to something like that once the player has recovered from the ill effects.

ColmH81

Lyaiera wrote: »

It's not ideal, but hopefully rugby is still in a position where the sport can sort out someone who is going too far. Even if that means moving them on to another club (or even union.) There are a few guys where it all goes to their heads but there's a lot more stories of guys who sorted themselves out.

As for guys doing it occasionally, more power to them. There's probably a big mental upside to something like that once the player has recovered from the ill effects.

Clearly hasn't worked for Henson.. But hopefully will work for Beale.. And god knows if it'll work for JOC..

justsomebloke

Manager's discretion IMO. If it is effecting the players' ability to perform during training and matches then they will have to deal with the player in a suitable way.

Blowing off steam will help keep the players mentally in tune and unfortunately for all sports, socializing is how most common way people of that age will try and blow of steam

razorblunt

I've seen lots of rugby players out and about, you'd very rarely see them chugging pints (granted I know the OP did) but more often than not it's spirits with mixers or bottles of beer.
Like someone above said their bodies could probably handle beer better than say footballers could so they may have more lee-way in that regard. In Gerrard's auto biography he mentioned Rafa preferred a no alcohol approach but wouldn't be against players having a bottle or two after a match.
Martin Johnson said likewise in his book, the only thing he avoided was steak.

Saying that though I always found it funny when you'd see the occasional Munster players at the cineme in Cork, some kids would ask for a photo and they'd oblige, sneakily hiding the Haagen Daazs tubs of ice cream behind the kids back.

thebaz

alcohol destroyed all my sporting pursuits as a young man - it was only after i quit that i got some semblance of athleticism back - i was an extreme example, but ther are many others who also had alcohol rob ther talents - i don't drink now , and see nothing wrong with moderate alcohol use , but where it becomes master it is a horrible drug.

student1990

you'll find a lot of younger lads out at a match, the older heads not so much. reality of life.

melekalikimaka

take away booze from rugby...and you take away the heart

Tom.D.BJJ

razorblunt wrote: »

Martin Johnson said likewise in his book, the only thing he avoided was steak.

What, why?

Same as any job. If what you do outside of work doesn't affect your ability to do that work, then that's fine.

When it starts to impinge on your performance levels, then it is an issue.

P_1

Tom.D.BJJ wrote: »

What, why?

Red meat is meant to be a major dietary no-no for professional athletes. I think it's because it takes so long to digest and is generally 'wasted' carbs or something like that.

Teferi

As long as it's managed I don't see a problem with it to be honest, everyone needs to blow off a bit of steam every now and again - if it's not effecting performance then all is well. Headology is just as important as nutrition in sport so I'd prefer that the athletes are in the right frame of mind tbh.

justsomebloke

P_1 wrote: »

Red meat is meant to be a major dietary no-no for professional athletes. I think it's because it takes so long to digest and is generally 'wasted' carbs or something like that.

Steak would be high in protein and slow digesting protein so has major advantages for athletes, just generally not post workout

P_1

justsomebloke wrote: »

Steak would be high in protein and slow digesting protein so has major advantages for athletes, just generally not post workout

Ah right fair enough, you learn something new every day

P_1

P_1 wrote: »

Ah right fair enough, you learn something new every day

and it has almost no carbohydrate whatsoever!

It's got some delicious fats instead.

nomnom

P_1

Deleted User wrote: »

and it has almost no carbohydrate whatsoever!

It's got some delicious fats instead.

nomnom

Aye nothing like some delicious fats, now excuse me while I pop down to the butchersLidl for some beefy fats :pac:

mystic86

.ak wrote: »

But then I eat about 1600 to 2000kcal a day.

:eek:

You must be fair Skinny!!

irishbucsfan

Most decent teams would implement the 4 day rule, but beyond that I really see no issue with drinking so long as they're not doing any damage.

And Jamie Heaslip would probably have a bit of an issue if the Leinster lads all gave up steak!