It’s no secret that runners love a good, cold beer after a hard workout. When we’re not limited to small, socially distanced groups, bars are among the most popular meet-up spots for local run clubs. A free pint at the finish line has long been part of the tradition at many races. And you’d be hard-pressed to find bigger proponents of the “shower beer” than runners. There's perhaps no better way to say, “You did it. Now you can relax.”
But as a long-time member of team morning miles, I have always been reluctant to crack open a cold one at 8 a.m. while my son is eating oatmeal. I put in the same work as my evening running brethren, yet I have always reserved my post-workout brew for happy hour, or after the kids go to bed.
I had to believe there was another option. And before you say you know where I’m going with this and you don’t like it, stop, stretch, and hear me out.
I first came to appreciate a good non-alcoholic beer when I was pregnant but craving an adult beverage to help me kick back and relax. I was as skeptical as the next person, but let me tell you, we’ve come a long way since the days when there was just that one non-alcoholic beer. Today, there are options that almost make you forget that your drink won’t give you a buzz. Beers with all the interesting ingredients, innovation, quality, and flavor you expect from craft brews without the alcohol (and in some cases, a fraction of the calories—if you choose to keep tabs on those).
Run Wild
Ultimate session IPA. Goes toe to toe with any full-strength craft beer.
Upside Dawn
Refreshing, clean, balanced golden ale with only 50 calories.
Cerveza Atletica
Mexican copper lager perfect for summer. Light spicy and floral notes.
Now, I’m not at all suggesting you ditch the alcohol completely, regardless of when you run. That's your personal choice. In addition to providing pure, cold refreshment after a long run, we know that in moderation—no more than one drink a day for women and two for men—beer might provide some real health benefits. Alcoholic beverages (again, in moderation) have been linked to reduced risks of diabetes and cardiovascular illness.
This is thanks, in part, to its polyphenol content. Interestingly, polyphenols are some of beer’s non-alcoholic components.
A 2012 study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that when marathon runners drank 1.5 liters of non-alcoholic beer a day, they had a decreased risk of upper respiratory infections. The researchers also found that the runners’ white blood cell activity went down by 20 percent, suggesting decreased inflammation.
Experts agree that beer, which is considered a diuretic—thus dehydrating—isn’t the best recovery drink and should be paired with water when consumed after a workout. Still, a 2015 study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that when runners drank a moderate alcoholic beer (roughly 4.5 percent ABV) along with water after a workout, their rehydration was no worse than those who drank only water.
And a small study published in Nutrients in 2016 found that soccer players who drank non-alcoholic beer before exercise were able to maintain a balance of electrolytes—key in supporting hydration status—better than alcoholic beer and water. The authors noted that the study participants engaged in steady-state exercise (nonstop) while soccer players perform intermittent, high-intensity bouts of activity. While that was a limitation for the study, long runs are steady state, suggesting, perhaps even more so, that non-alcoholic beer can be effective in hydration before exercise.
Beyond all that, lord knows plenty of us could all use a drink right now in general—just as much as we all need a good, long run.
As a runner, mom, and someone who appreciates the age-old pairing of a good beer after a hard workout, my life is an exercise in balancing health and indulgence. So perhaps after my next tough workout I will have that morning beer. We can tell my son it’s coffee.
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner's World, the author of The Runner's World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a seven-time marathoner with a best of 3:31—but she is most proud of her 1:32 half, 19:40 5K, and 5:33 mile.
