Dear Reader, It's no surprise that this hiking- drinking combo produces these symptoms. The hike itself can make you build a sweat and feel weary, and adding alcohol to the mix can leave you feeling more worn out. When people urinate, they can become thirsty, and if they drink more alcohol to quench this thirst, a cycle begins, leading to dehydration. One symptom of dehydration is fatigue. In addition, dehydration causes the body's cooling system to work improperly.
Alcohol can also affect hiking, and any other activity, in other ways.
When we drink more of it than we can process, the alcohol hikes around the body until the liver is ready for it. During this time, it flows to the brain and produces a sedating effect. Reasoning and judgment are impaired first, followed by effects on speech, vision, and large muscle control. This impairment of your coordination and motor skills can make drinking alcohol and exercising a dangerous duo. Finally, you need energy to work out, but the calories from alcohol are unique in that they cannot be stored for energy in the muscles.