Doctors say this popular hangover cure is bunkum

If we’ve had a big night, how quickly we recover will depend on how much alcohol we’ve consumed, says Kelly-Anne Garnier, a specialist GP with a focus on lifestyle medicine.

It will also depend on the health of the liver, its genetic ability to break down ethanol and how effectively the body rids itself of toxins through breathing, sweat and urine, he says.

Sweating, breathing and urination combined eliminate about 10% of the alcohol consumed by a drinker. This relatively small proportion does not differ significantly by the inclusion of exercise-induced sweating.

The subjective feeling of feeling better after exercise is more likely to be related to endorphins.

Garnier says there is no safe level of alcohol to drink and the focus should always be on eliminating or neutralizing alcohol consumption by drinking plenty of water and switching alcoholic options to non-alcoholic ones, rather than find hangover cures.

That’s because one of the first things alcohol does is boost metabolism for healthier energy sources, says Garnier. Your body recognizes it as poison and wants to get rid of it immediately.

Thicker blood

Exercise physiologist Tim Douge says that after drinking your body prioritizes getting rid of the alcohol, which means you’ll be tired and dehydrated, as well as poorer coordination.

As your body works to clear the alcohol, your blood will essentially be a little thicker, so your heart has to work harder, and you’ll also process lactic acid differently, making cardiovascular exercise significantly more difficult.

[Each serve of] It takes about two hours for alcohol to work its way through your body, so if you had a late night of drinking, there could still be alcohol in your system, Douge says.

If you think about how you would normally metabolize fuel for your body, that process is thrown off course when alcohol is in your system. If you start exercising, your body will still prioritize getting rid of alcohol.

This means that even if you feel fine, there’s a good chance that if you get up at 8am and go for a run, you could still technically be a little tipsy., not only dehydrating yourself further, but also increasing the possibility of injury.

If you’re driving to the gym, your chances of an accident or DUI also increase, adds Garnier.

Do this instead

While you won’t be able to kick a hangover by exercising, there’s something to be said for the mental reset that a light workout can provide, Douge says.

Alcohol is a depressant, so it’s no wonder it leads to blues the next day.

When you hear runners say it helps, it’s mostly mental. It’s the release of endorphins in the brain, and then if you think about having it [post-drinking] anxiety, it helps reset the mindset that you’re actually doing something good for your body, says Douge.

It can relieve some of those depressing thoughts. And the alertness that comes with exercise is really powerful. So when you have a really bad hangover and your brain is completely foggy, a little exercise can leave you feeling pretty alert.

But it’s also not uncommon for people to have a somewhat sadistic relationship with exercise, Douge adds, and working out hungover can be just as much a form of punishment or challenge. It can make them feel better mentally, but worse physically.

Maybe stay home

If you’re determined to exercise, the first rule is to at least give yourself time for the alcohol to leave your system, says Douge. There’s a good chance this won’t be until the afternoon, so take your time.

In the meantime, focus on eating and drinking plenty of water. A good indicator that you are hydrated is the color of your urine, ideally you want it to be clear before you hit the gym.

A wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meat are your go-tos, as you’re trying to replenish the nutrients you lost the night before, he says.

If that doesn’t work, and you’re still nauseous, hungry, or feeling foggy, your best bet is to stay home, says Garnier. These symptoms suggest that you are not back to normal and that you are at risk of harming yourself.

She says that pushing yourself harder when your system is already physiologically stressed, and simply doing everything you can to minimize the negative impact of binge drinking, doesn’t make sense.

The benefits of going for a walk or yoga at home instead of going out include safety and the opportunity to demonstrate some self-compassion.

If you’re not feeling too awful, you can try your usual strength training or cardio, but you’ll have to accept that you won’t be able to go as hard or as fast as normal, says Douge. This is not the day to aim for a personal best.

This may be difficult for some. A study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry in 2015 observed a surprising correlation between physical activity and alcohol intake. In other words, those who are physically active are also likely to be moderate drinkers.

And a survey of 40,000 American adults found that, compared with abstainers, moderate drinkers were twice as likely to be physically active. And as the intensity of exercise increased, so did the likelihood of alcohol consumption.

Garnier says the best thing for someone on a strict exercise plan to do is to drink less or not drink at all.

Alcohol is so normalized in our community, one in five Australians drink at levels that put them at risk of lifelong harm, he says. Hangovers, at best, should be the exception and not the norm.