Impacts of Alcohol on Summer Sports and Activities

Summer is a great time for outdoor sports and activities like swimming, hiking, cycling and boating. As people enjoy these activities, they may want to bring beverages, like alcohol, to stay cool. Let’s explore how mixing alcohol with these activities can affect your personal safety, physical performance, and overall mission-readiness.

How Alcohol Affects Summer Sports and Safety

• Personal safety: Drinking alcohol can affect your ability to make good choices. For example, you might underestimate the strength of a river’s current while boating or swimming, or you might not realize how tired you are when hiking or cycling. These misjudgments can lead to serious accidents.
• Physical performance: Alcohol can affect your physical performance in several ways, including slowing down your reaction time, affecting your balance and making you less coordinated. When you’re swimming, hiking, cycling or driving a boat, you need to be alert, as well as mentally and physically able to react quickly to stay safe. Alcohol can make it harder to judge distances and react to sudden changes, which is especially dangerous when you’re in or near water, on a trail or on a bike.
• Risk of sunburn: Alcohol can affect your body’s ability to regulate its temperature which could lead to dehydration. Dehydration can make you more susceptible to sunburn.

Tips for Staying Safe

• Avoid alcohol: It’s best to avoid alcohol if you’re planning on participating in physical activities, especially in the heat.
• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water. It’s easy to get dehydrated in the summer heat, especially if you’re active.
• Wear sunscreen: Protect your skin by applying sunscreen regularly and wearing a hat and sunglasses.
• Know your limits: Don’t overestimate your abilities, especially if you’re trying a new activity.

Summer sports are a great way to enjoy the outdoors and stay active. By limiting or avoiding alcohol during these activities, you can stay safe and enjoy your summer to the fullest – all while remaining fit for duty.