Heavy drinkers have higher tolerance, right? Not so much

It’s a common dramatic trope: steel-eyed people facing off in a booze duel, which usually ends with someone passing out on the floor while their opponent appears to be relatively clear-eyed in victory. Research carried out by the University of Chicago found that the heavy drinker with high tolerance, however, is mostly a myth suitable for movies. The research “somewhat supported that, but with a lot of nuances,” says study author Andrea King, in a Press release. “When they drank alcohol in our study at a dose similar to their usual drinking pattern, we observed significant deficits in both cognitive and fine motor tests, which were even more detrimental than those experienced by a light drinker with the intoxicating dose.”

The study, published in Alcohol: clinical and experimental research, also reinforced previous findings from the same group that the social element of drinking creates a “double-edged sword” effect, in King’s words, where socializing between casual and heavy drinkers can increase cravings for the latter group, thereby which makes them drink even more. , despite the fact that consumption causes further deterioration. The researchers looked at three groups of 20-somethings broken down by how much they drink: light (up to six drinks a week, with no binges), heavy social drinkers (10 drinks a week with occasional binges), and those with alcohol use disorder. (28 or more drinks a week, with frequent binges).

While those in the latter AUD group were less affected than the others after drinking four to five drinks, roughly enough to reach the red line for the drunk driving threshold, only a few more drinks found them severely affected as well. . “In fact, this impairment was ‘more than double’ what they experienced after consuming the least intoxicating amount of alcohol,” according to health line. And three hours later, they were still deteriorated. “In addition, people with AUD had greater impairment after consuming a greater amount of alcohol than those who drank shortly after drinking a smaller amount.” (Read more Scientific study stories.)