Remember when hangovers were just a minor bother? Back in your 20s, they could be easily swept away with a quick nap, a fizzy lemon soda, or a delicious meal. But fast forward to your 30s, and that martini you polished off last night starts to feel like a personal invitation to a throbbing headache and an upset stomach. Suddenly, the morning after doesn’t seem so friendly! Let’s explore why hangovers hit harder in your 30s than they did in your vibrant 20s.
Hangover In Your 30s: Reasons It Is Worse Now
Liver Slows Down In Processing Alcohol
As you age, your organs also age, and they slow down in their function. When you consume alcohol, your liver releases enzymes, particularly alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). This enzyme breaks down alcohol molecules. ADH then transforms alcohol into acetaldehyde, a toxic compound that causes many hangover symptoms. Another enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), transforms acetaldehyde into acetate. This compound is less toxic compared to acetaldehyde. Your body then breaks down the acetate into carbon dioxide and water.
With age, your liver slows down, ultimately slowing down the rate at which your body breaks down enzymes and produces compounds. ADH transforms alcohol into a toxic compound called acetaldehyde, which is responsible for many hangover symptoms. As your liver produces less ALDH, it can result in acetaldehyde building up in your body. This will result in worse hangovers.
Body Water Percentage Decreases With Age
As you age, your body fat keeps increasing, which contains less water and lean tissue. As the body contains less water content, alcohol is more likely to build up in your body, causing hangover symptoms. However, body water percentage mostly remains above 50% in most humans. When your body contains less water, you are more likely to experience hangover symptoms such as headaches, muscle cramps, dizziness, etc.
While drinking in your 30s, if you don’t consume enough water in between drinks, you are way more likely to end up getting dehydrated the next day. Plus, a dehydrated body is an open book for a severe hangover.
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Your Metabolism Starts Weakening
Metabolism plays a crucial role in how your body functions as you age. It includes a sum of all your bodily chemical functions associated with creating and breaking down energy. As metabolism starts weakening with age, your body also slows down in creating (and breaking down) energy.
A weak metabolism results in the body taking longer to process different chemicals, eliminate harmful toxins, and absorb useful nutrients. As a result, alcohol in your blood stream can stay circulating for a longer time as you age. Slower metabolism also means your body will take longer to recover from a hangover, thanks to the body slowing down the rate of metabolism. Moreover, factors like physical inactivity/fitness, mental stress, and dietary patterns can also influence your metabolism.
A Messed Up Sleep Schedule
Do you wake up randomly at 3 AM in the night? Do you face trouble falling asleep during the night and fall asleep instantly at a random time in the day? These are all the results of a messed up sleep schedule. Not many would assume, but your body’s reaction to alcohol also depends on how well-maintained your sleep schedule is.
The more uniform your sleep schedule is, the better your body will be at handling your occasional alcohol shenanigans. In your 30s, your body is much more likely to lose its grip on a well-maintained sleep schedule due to various reasons like skewed work-life balance, mental stress, and excessive screen-time among others. A shorter sleep after a night of drinking can only worsen a hangover, leading to dizziness, extreme headache, drowsiness, slowed down physical activity, and much more.
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Inflammation Stays Longer
Most of us are quite physically active in our 20s but as you inch closer to your 30s, your body doesn’t remain that active. Your body muscles become ‘stiffer’ and less flexible, bone density reduces, and problems related to the heart and liver can only make the post-alcohol inflammation last longer.
Alcohol metabolism generates reactive oxidants that can result in tissue damage and inflammation. With growing age, antioxidant systems start losing their efficiency, resulting in prolonged inflammation in the body.
Summing Up
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If you’re in your 30s, alcohol consumption becomes a tricky ball game. One miscalculated shot of vodka and you’re in bed for 2 days straight regretting your life choices. So, the next time you’re eyeing your third or fourth cocktail in the bar, remember that you’re in an age bracket where your body isn’t the body that once was the life of the party. It’s more like that grumpy friend who is always excited about booze but needs 8 hours of sleep, a no-disturbance recovery the next day, and a whole lot of water and food to combat a hangover. Drink responsibly!
