Not Just the Liquor: Factors Impacting Your Buzz

Amount and pace of consumption: In general, your liver can break down about one standard drink per hour. Consuming numerous alcoholic drinks in a short period of time is likely to raise your level of intoxication, especially if the drinks are strong. Stronger drinks slow down your body’s ability to absorb alcohol, which can cause intoxicating effects to last longer.

Food: Eating food before drinking causes your body to absorb alcohol at a slower rate. Foods high in fat and protein take longer to leave your stomach, which can help control your intoxication level. Your BAC will peak much quicker if you do not eat prior to drinking alcohol, which speeds up the rate of intoxication.

Medications: Consuming alcohol while taking certain drugs or medications may lead to dangerous side effects and make some medicines less effective. Being on certain medications can also exaggerate alcohol’s impact on your body, leading to a higher level of intoxication with the same number of drinks. If you plan to drink, it is important to know how your medications interact with alcohol.

Body weight and composition: Alcohol tends to have a stronger effect on individuals with a low body weight compared to someone who weighs more and drank the same amount. Your body composition can also affect intoxication, as someone with a higher body fat percentage will likely feel the effects of alcohol more quickly than a similar person who is muscular.

Sex: Men and women are affected differently by alcohol. The effects of alcohol are typically amplified for women compared to men, even if they have a similar bodyweight and drink the same amount. Alcohol also tends to stay in women’s bodies for a longer period of time. This is due to a variety of biological factors, including body composition differences and hormones.

Mental health and mood: Your mood often determines how you react to alcohol, and drinking may exaggerate existing feelings of depression and anxiety. Stressful emotions can also cause changes to your body that affect how alcohol is processed. For instance, feeling mentally exhausted or stressed can intensify the effects of alcohol and lead to a higher level of intoxication.

Fatigue: When you are physically exhausted, your body is not able to process alcohol as effectively. Since drinking alcohol and fatigue can have many of the same effects, combining them may produce magnified results. Consuming alcohol while fatigued can cause you to become intoxicated more quickly and may make your tiredness worse.

Tolerance: Tolerance, or the way your body adapts to alcohol’s effects, can vary depending on the person. Individuals with a high tolerance may seem sober despite consuming a large number of drinks, which can be a result of genetics or habitual drinking. On the other hand, you may have heard the term ‘lightweight’ used to describe someone with a naturally low alcohol tolerance.

Certain mixers: Carbonation can increase the rate that your body absorbs alcohol. Soda and sparkling water are examples of carbonated beverages that are often added to alcohol. Combining alcohol with sugary drinks and juice can also speed up alcohol absorption. When alcohol is absorbed quickly, you may become intoxicated faster.

Location: Drinking at high altitudes, or places high above sea level, can influence how alcohol affects your body if you are not used to the elevation. Until your body adjusts to the new altitude, the effects of alcohol can be almost twice as strong.

Expectations: Sometimes, your intentions can alter the effects of alcohol. Research shows that having the plan to drink heavily can actually play a role in the level of intoxication you feel.