Should You Workout When You're Hungover?
As the cold reality of the morning draws in, there's very little worse than having a dry mouth, nausea and crippling anxiety about what happened the night before.
For some people, there are cures — hair of the dog, fry-ups, coconut water and, er, more hair of the dog — but for others, it's an uphill struggle getting rid of a hangover.
One of the most popular elixirs to erase the effects of a few too many is to lace up and do a short workout. It works for some apparently, but should you be doing it too?
The Independent spoke to PT Ian Streetz, a personal trainer at London boxing gym Kobox, to help decipher the common myth of sweating out a hangover.
"Unfortunately the old adage of ‘sweating out a hangover’ physiologically doesn’t seem to happen," he said to The Independent. "A major problem with a hangover is of dehydration, and by attempting to sweat it out, further dehydration occurs."
Hardly good news, you'll agree. Not only will be even more dehydrated by the end of the workout, you'll find the exercise incredibly draining and your balance will be way off, meaning you'll be risking injury at the cost of attempting to rid your hangover.
Our advice? Get outside and take a walk to blow out the cobwebs and make a point of making sensible food choices to ease back into your regular healthy habits. You'll be feeling better in no time.
The same can't be said for your hangover shakes, though.
How to get rid of a hangover
Turn to nature’s ready-made hangover cure: eggs. They’re not just the ultimate post-workout fuel – this protein-packed snack is your morning-after wingman too. Here’s why.
When your body metabolised last night’s shots of Tequila, it created a compound called acetaldehyde. It's the toxin responsible for any soul-destroying hangover. Handily, eggs are rich in the amino acid cysteine, which your body converts into the acetaldehyde-destroying antioxidant glutathione. Take a breath. That's the science over.
But what does this mean for you? Two medium eggs contains 292mg of cysteine, which is likely more than your daily RDA – the World Health Organisation suggests consuming 4.1mg of cysteine per kg of bodyweight, equivalent to 287mg for a 70kg adult.
They're not just a one trick pony. Those hangover-curing orbs are also packing vitamin A, vitamin D, selenium, omega-3 fats, choline, all B vitamins – including B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, choline, biotin, and folic acid – and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper.
Go soft boiled or poached to max out the nutrients and vanquish any vestiges of a heavy night.
