Alcohol use is known to be widespread on college campuses, a phenomenon that has been attributed to everything from the newfound lack of parental supervision, to the “Greek” System, to inconsistent or absent enforcement of underage drinking laws. While many have come to pardon this behavior as part of the transition to mature adulthood, alcohol consumption by college students is far from harmless. Alcohol’s danger to student athletes may be even greater than to the general student body because of its dual effect on athletic and academic performance.
The data reported on here was collected in 148 of WHOOP’s collegiate athletes representing 11 men’s and women’s teams and 6 unique sports. This report demonstrates the effect of user-reported alcohol consumption on various measures of performance and cardiovascular recovery. Unlike most attempts to elucidate the effects of acute alcohol consumption, which only show alcohol’s short-term effects (first day or so), this analysis additionally discusses the sustained effects of acute alcohol consumption over the 5 days following use.
