CAN beer drinking, in moderation, have a positive effect on athletic performance? That question was posed to sports nutrition expert Dr Asker Jeukendrup by producers of the Channel 4 show Food Unwrapped recently. Some experts (and athletes) sing the praises of beer, claiming that small amounts can aid rehydration, boost the intake of B-vitamins and chromium and even supply useful flavonoid compounds, which combat cell damage, via the hops and malt it contains.
But is it all wishful thinking? In a mini-trial conducted at the University of Birmingham, Jeukendrup put the theory to the test. Writing on his website, mysportscience.com, he describes how he split student rugby players into two groups, each performing the same training session but receiving either beer or water when they finished. Measures of hydration revealed that water performed slightly better than beer but, suggests Jeukendrup, beer can be enjoyed occasionally with no guilt.