Hot Days and Cold Drinks
July 10, 2017
Now that it’s summer, some of us may be planning a weekend trip to the beach, a camping trip or a back-yard barbeque with friends. Even if it’s just hitting 18 holes on the course, a lot of times it can involve alcohol. An ice-cold beer or a crisp white wine can be very tempting on a hot summer day, especially with the dog days of summer approaching.
It’s important to remember, though, that dehydration can creep up on you even faster in the hot weather. The effects the dehydration can include headaches, fatigue, food cravings, and muscle cramps to name a few. When you add alcohol to the mix, it gets worse. You may not realize it at first, but drinking alcohol on a hot day without hydrating can have some serious consequences.
The problem with this is that even though you may be “ok” after drinking 5 beers on a regular day, on a hot day 5 beers will have a much heavier effect on your body. When you’re hydrated your body functions efficiently and the amount of water in your system will dilute the alcohol you ingest. This means, it’ll take longer to feel the effects of the alcohol. However, when you’re dehydrated, the alcohol absorbs much faster into your bloodstream thus making you feel the effects of alcohol much faster.
This raises the amount of reported alcohol influence incidents during summer including drowning, boat accidents, and car accidents. Drinking heavily while dehydrated can also lead to heat stroke. Click here to learn the effects of alcohol on your body.