Let’s face it — some people are just better at drinking alcohol than others. You probably know that one person who downs a whole bottle of vodka at night without any problems and wakes up feeling fresh as a daisy. What’s their secret, you’re wondering? Even after so much practice, you still get plastered after only a couple of shots? If you want to know how not to get drunk so fast, keep reading.
Why Do Other People Have High Alcohol Tolerance?
The answer to this question is not so straightforward. Many factors affect a person’s tolerance, most notably — practice. However, some people are naturals, and it might seem like they were born with a bottle. They most certainly weren’t, but they probably were born with a higher tolerance for alcohol. Genetics plays an important part here.
Sorry, girls, but we hate to break it to you — research has shown that alcohol affects women much more than men. That has nothing to do with chauvinist ideas that drinking is unladylike and much to do with the lack of an enzyme responsible for breaking down alcohol in your body. Moreover, women have higher levels of fat in their bodies, and unfortunately, fat is excellent at retaining alcohol.
Some other factors, which are not biological in nature, include your mood before you hit the bottle as well as the amount of booze you drink over time.
How Do Our Bodies Process Alcohol?
Alcohol moves swiftly through your body, and when it reaches the stomach, one fifth of it goes directly to the bloodstream. The small intestines absorb the rest. Your blood vessels lead the substance further to your liver, where your body either processes or metabolizes it. Unmetabolized alcohol spreads through your body, lowering your blood pressure and slowing you down.
Ultimately, alcohol has a sedative-like effect. Once it gets to your brain, it slows down the transmission of impulses. Consequently, your thinking process and movement get slower and fuzzier, and that’s why you experience drunkenness.
Pace Yourself
If you want to know how to drink more alcohol and not get completely wasted, the best piece of advice you can get is to slow down. Surprisingly, the greatest secret of experienced drinkers lies in moderation. You can’t drown a whole keg as soon as you hit the bar and expect to still be on your feet after a couple of hours.
How do you drink less but enjoy it more? Find out in this HuffingtonPost Article.
Instead, you need to pace yourself and stop every now and then to consider how you feel. If you’re getting fuzzier than you’re comfortable with, take a break or slow down.
Learn ABV
You’re probably familiar with ABV — alcohol by volume. It represents a measure of how much ethanol (pure alcohol) there is in a specific volume of a beverage. It’s expressed in percentages, and you can find it on the bottle. The higher the ABV, the sooner you’ll get pissed.
So if you want to go on a binge and last longer than usual, go for lower-ABV drinks. You can always go for a beer, cider, or a liqueur of your choice.
Going for drinks with lower ABV also works well if you’re out looking to have a one-night stand, and you need some bravado. You’ll feel more confident, but you’ll still be able to perform.
Eat
This tip might be the most essential one on our list — eat well before you start drinking. We’ve all heard numerous times that food “soaks up alcohol,” and it’s true. Your body takes more time to absorb alcohol if you mix it with food. You should have a protein or fat-rich meal before you start drinking to prepare. Don’t hesitate to fill yourself up. You’ll thank yourself for that luscious meal when the rest of the gang start falling like flies, with you still standing.
Another option is to snack on something while drinking. Just make sure it’s not something that will make you sick when mixed with your beverage of choice.
Rehydrate
We’ve mentioned that alcohol affects women more because they have more body fat. That is also true because they have less water in their bodies. Alcohol is a diuretic — it causes your body to lose this precious liquid, making you dehydrated. You should have a glass of water ready next to your alcoholic beverage and sip on it frequently.
So if you drink water, you’ll keep yourself hydrated, but you’ll also be able to take in a higher amount of alcohol without collapsing. That way, you’ll also avoid waking up gasping like a fish out of water.
Sleep
Sleep is as essential to our wellbeing as food and water are. When we sleep, our body and mind get a chance to regenerate and prepare for any challenge. Drinking a lot of alcohol is tiresome work, and it’s best to get a good night’s sleep before you go on a binge. That way, you’ll prepare yourself both physically and mentally for the endeavor.
A well-rested body and mind will allow you to cope better with alcohol. Thus, you’ll be able to drink more while remaining sane and strong.
Cheers!
Hopefully, these tips will help you stay on top of your drinking game and have fun with your friends for much longer!