Erdinger Alkoholfrei Weiss Bier is apparently an excellent isotone recovery drink for cyclists after a long ride.
Tim Wiggins from Life in the Saddle, shared a scientific study under the Be-MaGIC program from the Technische Universität München that concludes: “Non-alcoholic Wheat Beer Boosts Athletes’ Health”
In this article I will have a look at this study and get my hands on a can of Erdinger Alkoholfrei Weiss Bier.
Erdinger Alkoholfrei Weiss Bier – An isotonic recovery drink for cycling ?
Every cyclist or any other endurance athlete knows the thirsty feeling when you come across the finish (line of a grandfondo). Re-hydrating quickly and consuming some easy to digest carbohydrates and proteins is often the scenario. Personally I have some wine-gums or Haribo gold bears in my bag and some sort of isotonic sports drink.
Tim Wiggins from Life in the Saddle introduced another isotonic drink to me, when he published an article: “Stay Hydrated This Summer – With Erdinger Beer!”.
“Erdinger Alkoholfrei has a particle concentration of 289 mOsmol, which is very similar to blood. It also contains a natural blend of salt and carbohydrates; to help re-hydrate you, and refuel your muscles. Finally, the polyphenols within Erdinger AF have been found to help boost immunity, which is often lowered by intense exercise. It is this mix of properties that make this Weiss bier a proper ‘recovery drink’.”
Scientific study Non-alcoholic Wheat Beer Boosts Athletes’ Health
When I contacted Tim about this topic, he provided me with a link to the BeMaGIC research by Johannes Scherr, David C. Nieman, Tibor Schuster, Siegmund Braun, Bernd Wolfarth and Martin Halleprogram from the Department of Preventative and Rehabilitative Sports Medicine of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen at Klinikum rechts der Isar. BeMaGIC is an acronym for beer, marathons, genetics, inflammation and the cardiovascular system.
The research poster (pictured above) and BeMaGIC study press release “277 test subjects were studied three weeks before and two weeks after the 2009 Munich Marathon.” Results from this study are:
- Reduced Inflammatory Reaction;
- Support for the Immune System;
- Prevents Colds;
- Improvement with Upper Respiratory Infections;
In summary, Dr. Johannes Scherr explains:
“The potential for foods containing polyphenols to have a positive effect on athletes’ health has already been suggested in several articles. Nevertheless we were ourselves sometimes surprised at how clearly evident this was in the results. We now have scientific confirmation of those assumptions for this test beverage, with its particular combination of polyphenols, vitamins and minerals.”
The BeMaGIC study has been presented at the congress for sports medicine in Denver (USA) hosted by the American College of Sports (ACSM) at the beginning of June 2011. Furthermore the study has been published in the professional journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (MSSE).
Concluding thoughts and wrap up
Personally I really enjoy the alcoholic version of Erdinger Weiss Bier during a hot summer barbecue. So I got my hands on a few cans of Erdinger Alkoholfrei Weiss Bier, the price-point of a 0,5l can in the Netherlands is about € 1,50.
The taste is typical for a non-alcoholic beer and certainly differs from the sweeter alcoholic version of Erdinger Weiss Bier. You could describe it as a little more salty compared to the normal Erdinger Weiss Bier. However cold served after a long summer ride it tastes great (if you like the beer taste). I liked to go through the BeMaGIC research information and test a few cans of of Erdinger Alkoholfrei Weiss Bier myself.
So you can enjoy an-after-ride beer that has scientific confirmation of better recovery and excellent health effects. Will you test a Erdinger Alkoholfrei Weiss Bier yourself ?
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