LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� It was early morning on a recent Saturday and The Greyhound Bar & Grill in Los Angeles was abuzz with soccer fans clapping, hooting and hollering. Their eyes were glued to the TV screens, tables littered with beer pints and pitchers and other boozy libations.
Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal were facing off in the , and by 9:20 a.m. 鈥� less than a half hour into the game 鈥� the patrons inside this crowded bar had already purchased $1,300 in alcohol.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a better vibe when you鈥檙e a little buzzed,鈥� said Madeline Guillen, 28, who was drinking a mimosa with friends. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big thing about sports. I think sports and drinking go hand-in-hand.鈥�
Drinking alcohol while watching sports is common in many countries, and millions of soccer fans will be doing so this summer during the games in Mexico, Canada and the United States. But imbibing boozy drinks during what could be a sizzling June and July has some experts worried. They say mixing alcohol with extreme heat poses extra risks, especially people drinking excessively who may not be hydrating enough, staying cool, or have underlying health conditions.
Here’s what to know about the science of extreme heat and drinking alcohol, plus tips from experts if you鈥檙e going to be drinking while watching soccer on a hot summer’s day.
When summer, sports and booze collide
Climate change, caused by burning coal, oil and gas, is making heat deadlier worldwide, especially in the summer, and that’s soccer players and fans suffering during the games. Heat also influences how people drink alcohol and whether they end up in the hospital.
Various studies from around the world show that drinking alcohol peaks in the summer, and that people living in are more likely to binge drink, according to a study from Mexico.
There is also sometimes a 鈥渉edonic effect鈥� where people drink to ease the discomfort of feeling hot, said Nathan Morris, assistant professor in thermoregulation at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. 鈥淲e drink alcohol, we feel good, and so it masks that normal drive to do something to cool yourself down,鈥� which can lead to heat stress.
鈥淢aybe we stay out in the heat longer. Maybe we drink less cold . Maybe we鈥檙e less likely to use a fan or seek an air conditioned space,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 think that might be where we鈥檙e seeing more of the strain on the body.鈥�
International research has also established links between . One paper from Australia found that participants self-reported consuming an average of five drinks in just over two hours while watching Australian football games. In a , researchers found that higher temperatures resulted in more alcohol-related hospital visits in New York state.
Heat and alcohol, a riskier mix
Heat exhaustion happens when your body loses too much water and salt from excessive sweating. When the body can no longer cool itself, heat stroke occurs, which can cause confusion, loss of consciousness and even death. Heat combined with humidity 鈥� the kind of weather in host cities like Miami, Houston and Monterrey, Mexico 鈥� makes it harder for sweat to evaporate to cool the body.
Alcohol primarily affects the central nervous system 鈥� your body’s master processing center responsible for your thoughts, feelings and movements. It can cause headaches, vomiting, dizziness, a loss of coordination and balance. It also makes you pee more.
When you combine fluid loss from sweating on a hot day with increased urination from drinking alcohol, it can lead to dehydration, which can make you feel the effects of drinking faster, according to the . Additionally, studies show drinking on a hot day makes it less likely you’ll wear sunscreen, and that alcohol reduces the amount of heat exposure needed to get sunburnt.
鈥淚f you put together hot weather, summer, crowd, during the World Cup, people are sweating more, so they鈥檙e losing liquids from their body,” said Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, physician and scientist with the National Institutes of Health. 鈥淥n top of that, you drink excessive amount of alcohol that is leading you to more urination.”
When high temperatures are combined with drinking, it can have a 鈥渟ynergistic effect” that can cause symptoms including thirst, headaches and dizziness, he said.
Fabiano Amorim, associate professor at the University of New Mexico, has studied the effects of alcohol in hot environments among construction workers. He and other researchers found that if workers drank the night before, health markers including blood pressure, core and skin temperatures and heart rate were elevated, and their urine and sweat production were lower at work the next day.
鈥淎lcohol on the previous night effects your ability to deal with heat and stresses your kidneys … putting you in a higher risk of heat-related illness,鈥� he said. Although World Cup fans won’t be physically exerting themselves like workers, their findings still apply, Amorim said. Spectators could be in crowded places with limited air flow or exposed to the sun for hours.
鈥淧eople are going to accumulate days of drinking,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey want to have fun, they come from one game to the other, they watch games, etc. It means there is a cumulative effect from one day to the other.鈥�
The elderly, people with alcohol disorders, heart conditions and other chronic health issues are among the most vulnerable.
Tips for drinking safely when it’s sizzling out
The best way to mitigate risks is to not drink at all, said Leggio. But if you’re going to, eat a meal before, drink plenty of water, pick drinks with low concentrations of alcohol, and imbibe in moderation.
Before taking your first sip, Morris suggests taking regular precautions such as putting on a hat and sunscreen and ensuring you have other cold, non-alcoholic beverages at hand. Also, have a friend with you who can jump into action if you start feeling unwell. 鈥淏uddy systems are always really important with heat stress,” he said.
Amorim recommends seeking shade, which can on the human body between 25% and 35% throughout the day and can be 20 F to 45 F (11 C to 25 C) cooler than surfaces without it. He echoed to drink plenty of water and apply some on your skin to help cool you off. Eating cold slushies and popsicles are a good idea, too.
Leggio suggests being aware of early signals from your body.
鈥淔eeling dizzy, feeling a little confused, having blurred vision, not being able to see well in your surrounding,” he said. 鈥淎nd if you do feel any of these symptoms, ask for help right away.鈥�
Medical staff will be stationed throughout the stadiums and at Fan Festivals.
Back at the bar in Los Angeles, Daniel Tran, 41, was calming his nerves with a cold beer Saturday morning while rooting for Arsenal. He plans to attend several World Cup games and Fan Festivals in L.A.
鈥淚f it’s a really hot day, I鈥檒l try to either hydrate the night before, make sure I get electrolytes, and also maybe not drink as much,” he said, adding: 鈥淧ace yourself.鈥�
There will be 104 games, after all.
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