Limited evidence suggests increased muscle strength at low doses of alcohol. But the negatives far out weigh the minor benefit. An athlete who drinks before competition will have lower muscle sugar levels, poor temperature regulation; have to pee like a racehorse, and have bad chemicals in the heart, all of which impair athletic performance. For unclear reasons, alcohol can increase VO2 at submaximal exercise intensity but has no effect on VO2 max, resulting in a shorter exercise time to exhaustion and decreased performance in middle-distance running events.

Athletes engaged in activities that require precise fine motor control, such as archery and shooting, believe they are more calm and relaxed as a result of alcohol, but the actual effect is decreased hand-eye coordination and impaired judgment and tracking; this results in a less smooth release in archery, increased reaction time, and confusion. Alcohol is banned by the NCAA for riflery and by the international federations that govern the modern pentathlon, fencing, and shooting. (Psychoactive Drugs and Athletic Performance  THE PHYSICIAN AND SPORTSMEDICINE - VOL 25 - NO. 1 - JANUARY)