Should You Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine During Injury Recovery?
A patient recently asked a really smart question:
“Should I cut out alcohol and coffee while I’m healing from an injury?”
Short answer?
Yes—or at least, be thoughtful about both.
Whether you’re dealing with a sprain, tendon issue, nerve pain, or a post-surgical recovery, your body is doing the hard work of repair. And what you drink can either support that process—or slow it down.
Let’s break down how alcohol and caffeine impact healing, and how to make smarter choices (without being miserable from caffeine withdrawal and enjoying some spirits with friends).
How Alcohol Interferes with Recovery
Alcohol is one of the biggest sleep disruptors—and sleep is when your body does some of its most important repair work. Processes like muscle regeneration, inflammation resolution, and even bone remodeling happen all the time—but they’re most active and effective while you sleep. When alcohol disrupts those deeper sleep stages, it interferes and ends up being an indirect blocker to healing on multiple levels.
Disrupts Deep Sleep
Alcohol reduces REM and slow-wave sleep—the exact stages your body needs for repairing muscles, nerves, and connective tissue. Even one drink can throw this off.
Slows Muscle & Tissue Repair
Alcohol blunts muscle protein synthesis, which is your body’s way of rebuilding damaged tissues. It also lowers levels of key recovery hormones like growth hormone and testosterone.
Promotes Inflammation
Even moderate drinking can increase systemic inflammation, which can lead to more swelling, pain, and slower resolution of injury.
Impairs Bone and Nerve Healing
If you’re healing from a fracture or nerve-related issue, alcohol is especially problematic. It delays bone remodeling and impairs nerve regeneration—two things you really don’t want to mess with.
Caffeine: Friend or Foe?
Here’s where it gets a little more nuanced. Caffeine isn’t all bad. But the type, timing, and dose really matter.
The Good
Coffee and tea (especially in moderation and early in the day) may offer some antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Caffeine can boost alertness and mood, and even help with light rehab performance if used wisely.
The Not-So-Good
It Disrupts Sleep
Caffeine blocks adenosine, the chemical that helps you feel sleepy. If you’re sipping coffee, matcha, or soda too late in the day, it can reduce deep and REM sleep, which are crucial for physical and neurological repair.
It Can Heighten Stress
Caffeine increases cortisol, your body’s primary stress hormone. If you’re already feeling wired, anxious, or run down, caffeine can tip the scale toward “fight or flight”—when you really want to be in “rest and repair” mode.
It Can Mask Pain or Fatigue
Feeling better after your coffee doesn’t always mean you are better. Caffeine dulls your sense of effort and discomfort, which can make you push too hard and set back recovery.
It May Deplete Magnesium
High caffeine intake can reduce magnesium absorption and increase its excretion. Since magnesium is essential for muscle relaxation, nerve function, and tissue repair, a deficiency can slow healing and contribute to tightness or cramping.
Not All Caffeine Is Created Equal
| Caffeine Source | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | Rich in antioxidants, may support metabolism and brain health | Can disrupt sleep if consumed after noon, may deplete magnesium |
| Green/Black Tea | Lower caffeine, includes L-theanine (which calms the nervous system) | Still best avoided later in the day |
| Energy Drinks | Quick energy boost | Often high in sugar + stimulants, can spike cortisol, overstimulate nervous system |
| Caffeine Pills/Pre-Workouts | Concentrated performance aid | Easy to overdose, zero buffering compounds, high stress load |
| Soda | Low caffeine, but high sugar and chemical additives | No health benefit, contributes to inflammation |
What I Recommend
Avoid alcohol completely—especially in the early stages of recovery, post-surgery, or during active rehab.
Keep caffeine to morning hours—ideally before noon.
If you’re a regular coffee or tea drinker, support your system with magnesium (magnesium glycinate is a solid choice). There are several types of magnesium supplements so be sure to buy the glycinate.
Skip energy drinks and pre-workouts during injury recovery—they tend to do more harm than good.
Prioritize deep sleep, hydration, and nutrient-dense food. These are the pillars your body needs to rebuild.
Final Thoughts
Healing isn’t just about what happens in the treatment room. It’s also about what you do every day—how you sleep, what you eat, how you move, and yes, what you drink.
Alcohol and caffeine aren’t inherently evil, but during injury recovery, your body is in a vulnerable state. By minimizing the stressors (even the sneaky ones like that late afternoon coffee), you give your body the best chance to do what it’s designed to do: heal.
Let your choices support that process.
