Professional sport and alcohol - interview with Nike Lorenz
Today we leave the field to Nike Lorenz. As a national hockey player, she arrived at the Olympus of sports at the age of 24. As a professional athlete and German studies student, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate. But whether it's college or cabin party, Nike has a clear preference when it comes to drinking. "I could imagine toasting with a gin and tonic or sparkling wine, but then I would quickly switch to my beloved Laori Tonic."
Your number one party accessory is the Laori Juniper No 1 bottle. Because a good celebration is guaranteed not to be missed. As you know, being there is everything. This also applies to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, where Nike was at the start. Are the champagne corks popping in the Olympic Village? “In Rio at the Olympic Games, at the end of the tournament, there was a toast in the German house. Funnily enough, you could also see there that none of the athletes were used to or tolerated alcohol consumption.” So Nike is no exception in professional sports. But how does an athlete deal with alcohol and what is the importance of alcoholic drinks in a life that is characterized by training and discipline. We spoke to Nike about this on behalf of many athletes.
What role does alcohol play in the professional field?
"In sports, it sometimes appears at parties or at the end of major tournaments." However, this is the exception. "It is clear to me that I want to do without it as much as possible because I know that it has a negative impact on my ability to perform and recover." Just like their teammates, Nike is in top shape and feels super comfortable in their sporty body. "As it is right now, I would definitely consider myself the full helmswoman of my life." However, this was not always the case.
Top fit and with full control over yourself thanks to non-alcoholic drinks.
How has your life changed?
"It almost makes me angry when I think about how much effort I've wasted with alcohol. I trained a lot back then and was diligent, but the progress I'm making now with similar effort is enormously better than before. Physical development is simply severely held back by alcohol consumption.”
That's why Nike has formed a very clear opinion on the subject of alcohol. She has dealt more intensively with a healthy diet and the effects of alcohol. With some shocking insights. “Alcohol inhibits your ability to recover. This prevents the principle of supercompensation, the most important principle to improve performance. In addition, alcohol impairs your ability to react. Alcohol can also cause inflammation in your body, which is something you want to avoid at all costs. Above all, however, this is particularly important for injury prevention.”
Sport is murder? The neurotoxin alcohol clearly causes more damage in the body.
Why did you decide to give up alcohol as much as possible?
In their youth, Nike used to party during intensive training phases such as preparing for a tournament or the Bundesliga, in which they mostly spent Abstains from alcohol, but likes to sip her favorite drink gin and tonic when going out. With the result that she "was annoyed by the decision every morning and took this feeling with her to the next party evenings". So it didn't take the one crash for her. Rather, it was a gradual process in which she realized that she "didn't enjoy drinking so much alcohol anymore" and that she felt bad the next day.This has led to "it becoming less over the years"
Will you tell us your exit strategies for typical "drinking situations"?
Nike's success proves it right. If things continue like this, the next victory celebration will surely be coming up soon. She is well prepared for this. “Laori is my exit strategy. However, you will never avoid all unpleasant situations, because these are rarely influenced by you alone. My best exit strategy: smiling away at silly jokes.”
Have you been craving non-alcoholic drinks?
Then try our non-alcoholic gin & tonic as Nike enjoys it - without a hangover the next morning, but with full flavor. The recipe is this way.
Photos: Peter Bak
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