A beer or a coke?

went to the bar with friends about an hour after a 1hr threshold workout and was contemplating my choices. I know the perfect choice is neither, but im not perfect. Say its evening, maybe 7pm, what would have the lesser impact on your workout recovery? (assume you had a post-workout protein shake already)

(1) Coke 12oz - 39g carbs, zero alcohol, 34mg caffeine
(1) Hazy IPA 12oz - 14g carbs, 0.6oz alcohol (5%), zero caffeine

I agree the alcohol is a big factor as far as impacting recovery and sleep, but would a coke (3x sugar + caffeine) have similar impacts on sleep quality/recovery?

Have a tonic or club soda instead. No alcohol, no caffeine.

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+1 on this. Both would be about equally terrible for me at 7pm.

I’d never drink a coke/caffeine at 7pm and I seldom drink (any time of day). I guess a beer at 7pm seems more sensible in the context of after a ride, social gathering, etc
 But any alcohol hurts my sleep quality, much more so in my 50’s compared to when I was younger.

I’d ultimately say it’s an individual thing. Some people like a coffee after dinner and have no issues sleeping. Some have no issues with alcohol. Whatever works best for you, but I’m personally back to “neither”.

Doesn’t the bar have water or sparkling water? I like to think we are way past the days of social pressure to drink alcohol, but I know that’s not the case for some and social situations can still have influence. But the coke I don’t get, why not water if you aren’t drinking alcohol?

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Let’s assume caffeine free soda.

Think we’ll have a better discussion between sugar beverage vs alcohol beverage.

And if I’m going out I’m having at least 2 or 3 beverages

My go to is cranberry and soda with mint.

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What’s the next day’s workout? If it’s a rest day, I’ll take the one beer (but I don’t like soda). If tomorrow is a regular day? Water. Spend the money on better food.

Coca Cola. And since we are already there I’d also add on a pub burger and fries to go with it. I mean
 Why we doing all this if not to enjoy the spoils? :grinning:

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What about alcohol free beer?
Carbs, but not the sugary, insuling spiking type.
I havent done any research to verify the science but i choose to believe that this is the optimal fluid-replenishing drink after a workout.

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Served at the “Hohe Acht” during the “Rad am Ring”-event I might add. Excellent sports drink :beers: :rofl:

Is cycle racing your job, if not does it really matter?

If the beer is any good and you don’t have to drive home, enjoy life and always pick the beer. Combine it with some nuts or pork scratchings and you could have skipped the disgusting recovery shake for something enjoyable.

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At 7pm I’d go beer. Caffeine at that time of evening wrecks my sleep, whereas one drink early evening has either no impact on my sleep or possibly even a minor positive impact (at least according to garmin sleep score!).

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I’d go with the coke, I hardly notice the caffeine in a single can of coke.

I find beer one of the absolute worst forms of alcohol for disrupting my sleep and creating a hangover disproportionate to the amount of alcohol I have consumed. I usually opt for a seltzer if I’m out and want something that in place of beer.

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Club soda with a lemon slice (or lime). When I did that I wouldn’t get asked why I wasn’t drinking.

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Exactly! Same with tonic.

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Some poison is better than no poison!

Hormesis is a scientific term that refers to an adaptive response of cells and organisms to moderate stress. It’s characterized by a beneficial effect from a low dose of a substance or condition, and an inhibitory or toxic effect from a high dose.

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But I’ve heard and seen that being used as an excuse to not clean up toxic waste sites. Like areas with TCDD/MTBE/(name your local toxic contaminate industry doesn’t want to pay to cleanup) contamination: paid disinformation influencers come pouring in saying that the toxin is making people stronger, that the body adapts to it, that it’s not as big a problem as the NIBY hand wringers. Having just typed that: quitting drinking sounds even better!!

(Oar health commercial on the box just now. ‘Take a pill to stop drinking’. So then how do I stop taking the pills? :roll_eyes: :man_facepalming: :crazy_face: :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: :money_mouth_face:)

Influencers = Illusory truth effect - Wikipedia

Sounds a lot like the saying from Hermann Göring: ‘If you repeat a lie often enough it become fact’. And it’s so true for so many people. :man_facepalming: I had a retail class is filler in college because some classes were full, and the ways that retail (in the day pre-internet) is made to make us want their products and the efforts so many brands go to build up a certain ‘feeling’ for that brand is cunning, ruthless, and surprising.

Like HĂ€agen-Dazs being ‘European’ was hysterical. Humans are such suckers. :smile: :money_mouth_face: Like paying import prices for Killians beer, brewed in several places, including Colorado. :crazy_face:

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So beer or a coke? :wink:

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