There was a moment in my ultra running journey when everything changed, and strangely enough, it began with a simple question: what am I asking my body to recover from? For years, I followed the typical rhythm that so many athletes fall into, training hard while occasionally enjoying a beer or two. It felt harmless. It felt normal. Yet when I started taking ultra running seriously, I realized my training and my choices were in direct conflict with each other. So I made a decision I never imagined I would make. I cut alcohol entirely for months at a time. What followed surprised me. The longer I stayed away from alcohol, the more obvious it became that my performance, sleep, recovery, motivation, and even my mood were drastically improving.

Today, the only beer I drink is non-alcoholic, and the more I learn about how alcohol affects the human body, the more committed I become to sharing this shift with others. If you want to feel your best, move your best, and live your best life, non-alcoholic beer is one of the most powerful replacements you can make. This is not a moral argument. It is a performance argument, a health argument, and ultimately an argument for living with far more clarity and intention. My body gave me the data. My performance sealed the deal. Now in this post (and in the YouTube video linked here and podcast episode linked here) I want to share that journey with you.

The Start of My Sobriety Journey

My shift toward non-alcoholic beer began when I started stacking multiple races on the calendar. These were not small events. We are talking back-to-back ultra races that required my body to rebuild itself week after week while logging 50, 60, 70, even 100 miles. Every long-distance athlete eventually confronts the reality that recovery is the quiet engine behind elite performance. When you stress your system to its limits, you cannot afford competing demands inside your body. Alcohol, even in tiny amounts, is a toxin that diverts your internal resources toward one priority: getting rid of it. So I made a choice. I wanted every cell in my body focused on healing, rebuilding, and preparing for the next challenge.

When I made that decision, I committed to going several months without drinking before each race. What was meant to be a temporary strategy quickly turned into a lifestyle. I felt incredible. I felt light, aligned, mentally sharp, and physically unstoppable. After stacking several races in a row, I ended up going 14 months alcohol-free. That was the year I won my first 100K ultra. I had no intention of making sobriety a long-term identity, yet the results were undeniable. Every part of my life benefited, including parts I never connected to alcohol at all. When I finally tried an alcoholic beer again, it hit me like a freight train. The flavor tasted like cough syrup. The brain fog lasted for days. The dip in motivation and productivity made me feel like a different person. That moment confirmed something that had been building for more than a year. I perform better without alcohol, and I feel better without alcohol. So the only beer I drink now is non-alcoholic.

NA Beer Benefit #1: Cutting Calories Without Losing Flavor

One of the first benefits of non-alcoholic beer is the simplest to understand and yet one of the most overlooked. Alcoholic beers, especially the ones I used to enjoy like hazy IPAs, often contain more than 200 to 300 calories per 12-ounce serving. For someone training as hard as I do, calories matter in both directions. You need enough to fuel high output, but you do not want empty calories that come with inflammation and metabolic disruption. Non-alcoholic beer, especially the high-quality craft versions from companies like Athletic Brewing, typically contains around 70 calories. That means I can enjoy the flavor I love without the caloric burden I do not need.

When people hear this, many assume that the flavor must be compromised. I had the same assumption at first. I loved IPAs, and I assumed a non-alcoholic IPA would taste thin or dull. But I was wrong. Over time, my taste buds adjusted, and now I genuinely prefer non-alcoholic hazy IPAs to regular ones. When you remove alcohol from your system long enough, your ability to taste becomes sharper. The complex notes of hops, citrus, and malt become more distinct. Instead of getting hit with that syrupy, medicinal undertone that alcohol brings, you get a clean, bold, refreshing flavor that is easy to enjoy. It feels like a win in every direction.

NA Beer Benefit #2: Understanding Alcohol Content

Beyond calories, the stark difference in alcohol content tells another important story. Most hazy IPAs contain between 6 and 8 percent alcohol. Non-alcoholic beer contains less than 0.5 percent. When you break that down mathematically, you would need to drink somewhere between 12 and 16 non-alcoholic beers to equal the alcohol in just one regular IPA. That means you can enjoy the ritual of beer, the taste of beer, and the social comfort of beer without any of the physiological penalties.

When I tried an alcoholic IPA after 14 months of sobriety, the experience was unpleasant. My body had no tolerance left, but it was not the buzz I disliked. It was the chemical feel of alcohol itself. My brain felt heavy. My coordination felt off. My sleep that night was terrible. The next morning, I woke up with brain fog and lower motivation than I had felt in months. That single experience reminded me that alcohol does not make my life better. It makes it noticeably worse. Choosing non-alcoholic beer over regular beer has allowed me to maintain high performance, reduce inflammation, and feel consistently clear and balanced. It is one of the simplest lifestyle upgrades I have made.

NA Beer Benefit #3: Avoiding the Hidden Negative Effects of Even “One Drink”

One of the most common arguments I hear is that one beer is harmless. I used to believe that too. But when I reintroduced alcohol after more than a year without it, my body’s reaction proved otherwise. Even one drink disrupted my sleep, and sleep is the foundation of every other part of my training. Alcohol also triggered cravings and blood sugar fluctuations that I had not experienced in over a year. Those tiny metabolic shifts compound. What begins as an occasional drink becomes a weekly setback, and weekly setbacks quickly become yearly patterns that cost far more than most people realize.

What surprised me even more was the emotional impact. Alcohol, even in tiny amounts, dampened my motivation. It dulled my desire to push harder, think creatively, and show up fully. It changed my mood in subtle ways that were easy to dismiss before I took time away from drinking. I only understood the difference after removing it completely. Once I experienced life without alcohol, everything became sharper. My intentions, my energy, my focus, and my sense of possibility all expanded.

NA Beer Benefit #4: The Freedom of Always Being at Your Best

Before sobriety, drinking required planning. I had to think about rides, responsibilities, sleep schedules, and whether I could make decisions afterward. It added unnecessary stress to events that were meant to be fun. With non-alcoholic beer, I get to enjoy the ritual without sacrificing clarity. I can show up for my fiancée, my family, my friends, and my students without compromise. I can go to a social event, bring NA beers with me, and participate in the celebration while maintaining my performance standards. That level of freedom is something I never want to give up again.

Being able to show up fully present, no matter the time of day, is one of the biggest benefits of replacing alcohol. It aligns my lifestyle with my mission. As someone who has asthma, a PFO in my heart, and a history of overcoming physical limitations, my health is my foundation. Non-alcoholic beer supports that foundation instead of undermining it.

NA Beer Benefit #5: The Placebo Effect

The placebo effect of non-alcoholic beer is one of the most fascinating parts of this shift. The taste, smell, and ritual can trigger a conditioned response based on years of drinking regular beer. When I first started drinking NA beer, I occasionally felt mild sensations similar to drinking alcohol. Not because of the alcohol content, but because my brain had built an association. Studies show that the expectation of alcohol can trigger dopamine and endorphin release even without ethanol present. The brain responds to cues long before it responds to chemistry.

This effect fades as your brain learns the difference, but understanding it helped me reflect on how much of alcohol’s appeal is psychological rather than physiological. It also taught me how to approach NA beer responsibly. For people with alcohol dependency, this effect can trigger cravings, which is why NA beer should be used intentionally and discussed with a healthcare professional if addiction is part of your history. For people without alcohol dependency, NA beer can become a powerful substitution tool that removes nearly every negative side effect of alcohol while preserving the experience.

Choosing the Life That Makes You Feel Stronger

My decision to stop drinking alcohol is not about perfection. It is about alignment with the life I want to live. I want to be the best athlete I can be. I want to be the best partner, son, friend, and business owner I can be. I want to show up for my community, my students, and my future children with clarity and intention. Non-alcoholic beer supports those goals. Alcohol does not. When something consistently makes your life better, you keep it. When something consistently makes your life worse, you let it go. My life is stronger without alcohol, and I feel grateful every day that I discovered this shift.

If you want to elevate your own life, I encourage you to try replacing alcohol with non-alcoholic alternatives for a period of time. Give your body and mind the chance to show you what they are capable of without the drag of alcohol. You may be surprised by what becomes possible.

DISCLAIMER: THIS INFORMATION IS MY OPINION AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER. PLEASE CONSULT A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER FOR GUIDANCE SPECIFIC TO YOUR CASE.