Do Hangovers Make Workouts Harder? New Clinical Study Reveals Surprising Effects on Fatigue

Does a Hangover Make Your Workout Harder? A New Clinical Study Says… Yes.

What really happens when you sweat it out after a night of drinking?

If you’ve ever powered through a big night out before a race, a game, or even just an early morning spin class, you may have felt unusually drained afterward. Sure, lack of sleep is an easy scapegoat—but could a hangover itself make you more fatigued during or after exercise?

According to a newly completed clinical study by Toast! scientific advisor Dr. Joris Verster, the answer appears to be yes.

Fun fact: Prior studies showed no major hangover impact on strength or short-term endurance. But long-term endurance? No one had tested it—until now.

The Study: A 10-Mile Hike With Nearly 300 Participants

In Dr. Verster’s study, just under 300 people completed a 10-mile hike. About 75% of them had consumed alcohol the night before, and nearly half reported experiencing a hangover.

Surprisingly, hikers performed almost identically across the board—whether they drank, didn’t drink, or were fully hungover.

So What *Did* Change?

  • No differences in hiking speed
  • No differences in break frequency or duration
  • No differences across levels of hangover severity

But here’s where it gets interesting: although hangovers didn’t slow anyone down, they did make people feel significantly more fatigued.

Hungover hikers consistently reported greater post-exercise exhaustion—even when accounting for age, fitness level, sleep, and other variables.

A Surprise Twist: You Don’t Need Much Alcohol to Trigger a Hangover

This study backs up another recent study from Dr. Verster showing that hangovers can occur at far lower levels of alcohol intake than most people expect.

On average, hungover hikers had consumed only three drinks—well below the “everyone gets a hangover” myth threshold. For many participants (middle-aged adults on vacation), those three drinks represented half their normal weekly intake.

This suggests something important: your personal tolerance matters more than the number of drinks.

The Takeaway

Even if a hangover doesn’t affect your performance metrics, it can make your workout feel dramatically harder. So the next time you lace up for a long hike, run, or ride after a night out, be prepared for a little extra fatigue—your body certainly is.

And if you *don’t* want your Sunday workout to feel like a slog… well, you know what they say about those who fail to prepare. 😉

Enjoy your drinks. And your mornings.

Restore key nutrients and support your liver with Toast! Before You Drink Gummies.

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