Why Non-Alcoholic Beer Is a Sports Drink in Germany
I think I’m speaking on behalf of all Americans (except Mike Pence ) when I say: What the hell is the point of non-alcoholic beer? But it turns out that in Europe it is popular as a sports drink . Which, frankly, is no stranger than how many athletes here swear by chocolate milk.
Non-alcoholic beer is almost the same as it sounds : you brew the beer and then heat it up to evaporate most of the alcohol. Some beers close to beer contain up to 0.5% alcohol by volume, which is low enough to be legally sold to children.
The two drinks are similar in their semi-scientific basis: studies funded by beverage companies show the benefits of beer or chocolate milk. A study funded by Erdinger Weissbrau found that marathon runners who drank non-alcoholic beer had fewer colds and slightly lower blood levels of the marker for inflammation, compared to marathon runners who drank non-alcoholic beer with polyphenols removed. (Polyphenols are naturally occurring chemicals found in beer and include tannins.)
It’s not entirely conclusive proof that O’Doul’s makes a good sports drink, but you’ll probably get thirsty when you’re done exercising, so if you like the taste of beer, why not?