Stretching your muscles under the influence of alcohol??

[Iceman]

Maybe a strange question to you guys, but I have a question.

Last week I've started to think and came up with the idea of starting my stretching routine by having a few glasses of alcohol first.

This idea came to my mind, because (if I understand correctly) it's a well-known fact that your muscles become more supple after using alcohol..

- Well, I'm trying this since a few days now, and indeed I'm starting to realise that I have a higher pain-barriere (after drinking some glasses of alcohol), resulting in higher levels of stretching-performance... limits which I normally can't reach.

Now my question is... what kind of influence does this have on my "overall performance", keeping in mind that (starting Friday next week) I will continue to stretch without alcohol again?

Will I have an advantage because of the fact that I DID use alcohol this week (and my limit was higher because of this)??

Are there any people around here who have any experience with the use of alcohol, prior to starting their stretching routine?

Yes, I know... it's not an average question.

[Shotokan-kez]

To be honest i have never tried this. Might do though...good excuse for a beer lol

[bushido_man96]

I think that you just think you can tolerate more pain and stretch better after drinking, and I don't recommend it. If you stretch too far, you will damage the muscles too much, slowing your progress in the long run.

[Sohan]

Alcohol reduces your sensation of pain and it also reduces nervous stimulation, thus potentially allowing greater range of motion in stretching. The problem is you won't have a clue that you've stretched too far until the next day when you need help getting out of bed.

Hmm. Not the smartest thing to do.

With respect,

Sohan

[atalaya]

when dealing with something as complex and glorious as the martial arts i hesitate to think that alcohol should ever be involved. I have heard rumors that the injestion of mass quantities of alcohol over an extended period will increase your general pain tolerance when you are not drinking, but again, i would think of this as a very strong no-no. judging by the damage i've done to myself and not realizing it until later (completely sober and nary a drop) i'd say the damage that can be done with alcohol must be extraordinary.

[Shotokan-kez]

I think that you just think you can tolerate more pain and stretch better after drinking, and I don't recommend it. If you stretch too far, you will damage the muscles too much, slowing your progress in the long run.

Yeah people think they can do anything and think their superman while drunk

[alsey]

not a good idea in my opinion. your sense of pain is a guide to how far you should stretch the muscle, without that you could injure yourself.

[parkerlineage]

Drinking = lowered inhibitions = thinking, "What the heck - I've been close, I'm sure I can do the splits all the way down while holding a table on my back and curling 60 pounds with one arm." = severe badness

In my humble, under 21, and very prohibitionist opinion.

[jaymac]

Maybe this idea of thinking is exactly how drunken monkey style developed. Seriously though, to help my stretching and flexibility, I work out everyday and then stretch. Using alcohol to improve your own flexibility has risks of causing injury to self and a bad habit.

[Jiffy]

All around, doing anything like this under the influence of alcahol or drugs is just a really bad idea!