Is there a way besides experience to find out what your alcohol tolerance is?!
I'm _just curious_!. I have no desire to get hammered!. This is only a scientific question that popped in to my mind!. With that in mind, please don't preach at me after reading this question:
I'm 16, female, 5'10, and 115 lb!. (Everyone in my family is really bony in their teenaged years!. I'm not anorexic or bulimic or anything!.) Genetically I'm primarily Swedish and Hungarian Jew!. A few other Eastern Europeans probably snuck in at some point but that's my main ancestry!.
Is there a way to tell about how much I could drink before I got drunk, without having to experiment on myself!?
I'm probably going to be going to Germany over the summer and while I _do not_ plan on drinking myself in to a stupor, I do like beer -my dad sometimes shares some Heineken or Guinness with me- and will probably be occasionally drinking!. I don't want to end up tipsy or something and making Americans look bad!. (It will be a language-immersion thing with low supervision -and I'll be 17 once I'm there- so my dad won't be around for me to split drinks with, and usually he gives me like 1/4 of a bottle!.)
Again, I'm not planning on getting drunk and I'm primarily curious to see what the science is behind this; i!.e if there's a formula that you can use!.
Disclaimer: My dad does not drink heavily or often, I have never been drunk and don't want to be, and I don't hang out with people who drink!. Sorry if I seem overeager but I know that when people see "16 years old" and "beer" in close proximity they start whipping out the hangover cures!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I'm 16, female, 5'10, and 115 lb!. (Everyone in my family is really bony in their teenaged years!. I'm not anorexic or bulimic or anything!.) Genetically I'm primarily Swedish and Hungarian Jew!. A few other Eastern Europeans probably snuck in at some point but that's my main ancestry!.
Is there a way to tell about how much I could drink before I got drunk, without having to experiment on myself!?
I'm probably going to be going to Germany over the summer and while I _do not_ plan on drinking myself in to a stupor, I do like beer -my dad sometimes shares some Heineken or Guinness with me- and will probably be occasionally drinking!. I don't want to end up tipsy or something and making Americans look bad!. (It will be a language-immersion thing with low supervision -and I'll be 17 once I'm there- so my dad won't be around for me to split drinks with, and usually he gives me like 1/4 of a bottle!.)
Again, I'm not planning on getting drunk and I'm primarily curious to see what the science is behind this; i!.e if there's a formula that you can use!.
Disclaimer: My dad does not drink heavily or often, I have never been drunk and don't want to be, and I don't hang out with people who drink!. Sorry if I seem overeager but I know that when people see "16 years old" and "beer" in close proximity they start whipping out the hangover cures!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
not really!. It all depends from person to person!. But just so you know, anything above the limits in this link is dangerous: http://www!.drinkaware!.co!.uk/news-and-med!.!.!. also, german beers can be strong so always get small glasses and drink slowly!. When you start feeling slightly dazed, stop drinking before you actually get drunk!. It's also advised to eat whilst drinking so the food absorbs the alcohol!. That's how the French have such a wine-heavy lifestyle!. Good on you for being a responsible and sensible young person!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Mathematically it's probably
T = F(A,G,B,R)
where:
T = tolerance
A = age
G = gender
B = body mass index
R = probably an element of randomnimity, possibly specific to genes or something!.
Beyond that, such as the weights of each factor, I can't help!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
T = F(A,G,B,R)
where:
T = tolerance
A = age
G = gender
B = body mass index
R = probably an element of randomnimity, possibly specific to genes or something!.
Beyond that, such as the weights of each factor, I can't help!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Experience will be the only thing that can tell you how much you can drink!.!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Well, as you know you probably shouldn't be drinking any alcohol at your age but I found this article was interesting:
The ability of the body to eliminate alcohol is affected by several factors, with most relating to the water content and fat content of the individual's body:
Weight: In general, the less you weigh the more you will be affected by a given amount of alcohol!. Alcohol has a high affinity for water and one's blood alcohol concentration is a function of the total amount of alcohol in one's system divided by total body water!. In two individuals with similar body compositions and different weights, the larger individual will achieve lower alcohol concentrations than the smaller one if ingesting the same amount of alcohol!.
Level Of Fitness: For people of the same weight, a well muscled individual will be less affected by the same volume of alcohol than someone with a higher percentage of fat!. Fatty tissue does not contain very much water and will not absorb very much alcohol, hence more alcohol makes its way into the bloodstream!.
Gender: Generally women tend to have a higher percentage of body fat, and thus a lower percentage of body water, and if a man and a woman of the same weight ingest the same amount of alcohol the woman will tend to achieve a higher alcohol concentration!. This, of course, would not be true if the woman was very fit and the man was somewhat obese, but on average, this is the case!. The differences in alcohol concentration due to average body composition differences based on gender would be between 16% and 10% depending on age!.
Although not completely supported by clinical studies, another gender based difference is in the elimination of alcohol!. Studies appear to show that women eliminate alcohol from their bodies at a rate 10% greater than that of men which may counteract gender differences in body composition!.
Age: Total body water also tends to decrease with age, so an older person will be more affected by the same amount of alcohol!. Blood alcohol concentrations may be up to 10% higher in a 60 year old individual compared to a 30 year old individual where their body compositions are similar!.
Exercise: Strenuous exercise increases the body's metabolic rate on the one hand, while associated increases in breathing rates and air volumes increase the flow of alcohol across the lung membranes, caused the alcohol to be expelled through breathing at a greater rate!. In one study the blood alcohol content of subjects before and after running up a flight of stairs decreased 11-14% after one trip, and 22-25% after two such trips!. In another study, a 15% decrease in blood alcohol was reported in subjects following vigorous exercise or hyperventilation!.
Tolerance: Tolerance is the diminution of the effectiveness of a drug after a period of prolonged or heavy use of that drug or a related drug (cross-tolerance)!. There are two types of tolerance at work with alcohol!. The first is metabolic tolerance in which the alcohol is metabolized at a higher rate (up to 72% more quickly) in chronic users!. Because of the higher metabolic rate for alcohol lower peak blood alcohol concentrations are achieved by chronic alcohol users than the average drinker when the same amount of alcohol is ingested!. The second is functional tolerance in which there is an actual change in the organ or system's sensitivity to the drug!. Studies have shown that chronic alcohol users can have twice the tolerance for alcohol as an average person!. It is important to note however that even in light of these tolerance factors, it has been shown conclusively that even in heavy alcohol users functional impairment is clearly measurable at the blood alcohol concentration levels that are currently used for traffic law enforcement and safety sensitive job performance!.
Www@FoodAQ@Com
The ability of the body to eliminate alcohol is affected by several factors, with most relating to the water content and fat content of the individual's body:
Weight: In general, the less you weigh the more you will be affected by a given amount of alcohol!. Alcohol has a high affinity for water and one's blood alcohol concentration is a function of the total amount of alcohol in one's system divided by total body water!. In two individuals with similar body compositions and different weights, the larger individual will achieve lower alcohol concentrations than the smaller one if ingesting the same amount of alcohol!.
Level Of Fitness: For people of the same weight, a well muscled individual will be less affected by the same volume of alcohol than someone with a higher percentage of fat!. Fatty tissue does not contain very much water and will not absorb very much alcohol, hence more alcohol makes its way into the bloodstream!.
Gender: Generally women tend to have a higher percentage of body fat, and thus a lower percentage of body water, and if a man and a woman of the same weight ingest the same amount of alcohol the woman will tend to achieve a higher alcohol concentration!. This, of course, would not be true if the woman was very fit and the man was somewhat obese, but on average, this is the case!. The differences in alcohol concentration due to average body composition differences based on gender would be between 16% and 10% depending on age!.
Although not completely supported by clinical studies, another gender based difference is in the elimination of alcohol!. Studies appear to show that women eliminate alcohol from their bodies at a rate 10% greater than that of men which may counteract gender differences in body composition!.
Age: Total body water also tends to decrease with age, so an older person will be more affected by the same amount of alcohol!. Blood alcohol concentrations may be up to 10% higher in a 60 year old individual compared to a 30 year old individual where their body compositions are similar!.
Exercise: Strenuous exercise increases the body's metabolic rate on the one hand, while associated increases in breathing rates and air volumes increase the flow of alcohol across the lung membranes, caused the alcohol to be expelled through breathing at a greater rate!. In one study the blood alcohol content of subjects before and after running up a flight of stairs decreased 11-14% after one trip, and 22-25% after two such trips!. In another study, a 15% decrease in blood alcohol was reported in subjects following vigorous exercise or hyperventilation!.
Tolerance: Tolerance is the diminution of the effectiveness of a drug after a period of prolonged or heavy use of that drug or a related drug (cross-tolerance)!. There are two types of tolerance at work with alcohol!. The first is metabolic tolerance in which the alcohol is metabolized at a higher rate (up to 72% more quickly) in chronic users!. Because of the higher metabolic rate for alcohol lower peak blood alcohol concentrations are achieved by chronic alcohol users than the average drinker when the same amount of alcohol is ingested!. The second is functional tolerance in which there is an actual change in the organ or system's sensitivity to the drug!. Studies have shown that chronic alcohol users can have twice the tolerance for alcohol as an average person!. It is important to note however that even in light of these tolerance factors, it has been shown conclusively that even in heavy alcohol users functional impairment is clearly measurable at the blood alcohol concentration levels that are currently used for traffic law enforcement and safety sensitive job performance!.
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The truth is that there's simply too many factors to take into account to calculate tolerance!. Age, weight, drinking experience, race, sex, what you've had to eat and drink and even where you are in your menstrual cycle matter!
The best advice I can give to you is to take it slow!. Buy one beer and sip it over the course of a meal!. If you're ok after that, go for one more!. If you go slow enough you'll be able to stop when you've reached the maximum level of intoxication you want to be at!.
also, I wouldn't worry TOO much about making Americans look bad by getting a little tipsy!. I think you'll find that most people you meet in Germany will get quite tipsy themselves!. The only time it'd be a problem is if you started spouting offensive jokes and stuff when you got tipsy!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
The best advice I can give to you is to take it slow!. Buy one beer and sip it over the course of a meal!. If you're ok after that, go for one more!. If you go slow enough you'll be able to stop when you've reached the maximum level of intoxication you want to be at!.
also, I wouldn't worry TOO much about making Americans look bad by getting a little tipsy!. I think you'll find that most people you meet in Germany will get quite tipsy themselves!. The only time it'd be a problem is if you started spouting offensive jokes and stuff when you got tipsy!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
