Look, I’m no fitness guru. I’ve done the couch-to-5K thing, flirted with CrossFit, and yes, I own more than one foam roller (mostly gathering dust). But I do try to keep myself in decent nick. Lift a bit, run a bit, eat like I know what quinoa is.
Thing is—I used to treat training and drinking like they were teammates. Smash a leg day, then smash a pint. Group ride, group pub. “Work hard, play hard”, right?
Turns out, I was doing it all backwards.
The Beer Belly of the Beast
Let’s talk about the sneaky sabotage alcohol pulls on your fitness goals.
I used to think, “It’s just a drink or two, what’s the harm?” But once I dug into it (read: fell down a late-night research rabbit hole), I realised booze isn’t just empty calories—it’s like throwing sand into the gears of recovery.
It dehydrates you (bad), messes with hormones like testosterone and growth hormone (very bad), and absolutely trashes your sleep (catastrophic). One minute you’re floating on Friday night vibes, the next your Saturday training session feels like lifting weights underwater.
And don’t get me started on calories. A pint of beer has about as much nutritional value as a glazed doughnut—but at least doughnuts make you happy and don’t ruin your REM cycles. Add in late-night snacks and it’s a recipe for gains going straight out the window.
SENTIA: A Smarter Way to Toast Your Progress
Eventually, I started looking for something that wouldn’t mug my mitochondria while still scratching the social itch. That’s when I found SENTIA—a functional alcohol alternative designed by actual neuroscientists (like, white-coat, brain-lab geniuses), not some random wellness influencer who sells mushroom coffee out of a yurt.
And here’s the twist: SENTIA isn’t about pretending to be booze. It’s about supporting your GABA system—the bit of your brain that helps you chill out without faceplanting your nervous system.
So when I’m in “game on” mode?
GABA Black: My Go-To for Focused Energy
This one’s my pre-workout wingman or post-work hustle-helper. Ginseng and Ginkgo give me stamina and mental sharpness, without that anxious edge I sometimes get from too much coffee. It’s calm energy, not chaos energy. Think: locked-in, not wired-up.
Great for when I need to crush a session, then hold a conversation after without sounding like a breathless maniac.
And when I’m trying to shake off the day and not doom-scroll until midnight?
GABA Red: For Chill Vibes and Actual Recovery
GABA Red is the bottle I crack open when it’s time to wind down and let my body do its thing. It’s got Ashwagandha (say that five times fast), which has solid creds for muscle recovery, strength, and even testosterone support. I’d never heard of it before, but now I’m a full convert.
It also has Passionflower and Magnolia bark, which help nudge the nervous system into wind-down mode. Not in a lights-out, sleep-aid kind of way—more like, "Hey mate, let’s start shutting things down for the night."
All I know is, I sleep better, feel less frazzled, and don’t wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a gluten-free truck.
Skip the Crash. Keep the Cheers.
I still go out. I still raise a glass. I just swapped what’s in it.
With SENTIA, I’m not undoing all my hard work with one ‘cheeky’ drink. I’m staying present, staying clear, and waking up feeling like I actually recovered. It’s not magic, it’s just clever science (that someone else did, thank God).
So if you’re trying to stay strong, stay sharp, or just stop sabotaging yourself every weekend—give it a shot. Or better yet, a pour.
