Can Drinking Beer Improve Your Active, High Altitude Lifestyle?
The sheer bliss of cracking a cold one after a day of mountain shenanigans is no secret to even the most
casual purveyors of high-altitude activities. Heck, a whole generation of h
​ ot-doggin​ ski bums in the late
80’s nearly made a religion of the union of beer drinking and ‘shreddin the gnar’. Colorado, a leader in
both craft brewing and mountain adventure, is embracing these assets with the growing popularity of
events like the ​Vail Craft Beer Classic​, a beer and adventure sport festival set for this June.
Maybe these ubiquitous mountain-town craft beers just become particularly enjoyable to the recently
sweat-drenched, but research suggests those tasty suds could be helping maintain your adrenaline
addicted lifestyle in a few key ways.
Beer is actually one of the best ways to rehydrate after a workout. ​According to what sounds like a
pretty rad research team at ​Granada University​, the carbonation and carbohydrate content makes beer a
better option for hydration and calorie replacement than water or Gatorade. Pair that with ​the fact​ that
when playing at 6,000 to 10,000 ft elevation, we’re losing two to three times more moisture than we would
at sea level. So following a ​mountain bike ride to the top of Vail​ or an invigorating hike in the Gore
mountain range, a beer isn’t just a satisfying end to the trek, it might actually be the best thing for you!
Women who regularly drink beer have better bone density.​ A welcome health benefit to any member
of the fairer sex, but for adventure-driven females, those local double-hopped sour IPA’s might just be
helping them push their own limits without worrying (so much) about injury. [​source​]
The glorious marriage of beer and yoga is now a growing
trend​. Yogis like ​Brooke Larson​ are showcasing their brand of
mindful inebriation (aka, Beer Yoga) at events like the Vail Craft
Beer Classic. The class, aptly named ‘​Nama’stay For A Beer​’, is
essentially just a high-altitude yoga class followed by a chance to
indulge in a pint or two of our new favorite rehydration liquid (beer,
in case you didn’t catch that).
Are we suggesting that an ascetic, high-altitude ultra marathon
runner should make a conscious choice to spend every evening
crushing a sixer of nitro milk stout? Of course not. But for
health-conscious thrill seekers coming off the mountain and
questioning the physiology of a pint or two at the lodge, you can rest
easy. They say everything is best in moderation (including
moderation), but it also invites a confident smile to know that our
favorite craft beers are pleasing to the mind ​and ​body after some
good old mountain fun. And it’s a good thing too, because we’d
drink them either way.
If you’re interested in more beer-fueled mountain adventure with like-minded folks, check out the V
​ ail
Craft Beer Classic​, this June 16th - 18th in the Vail Valley. Tickets are available at
www.vailcraftbeerclassic.com.