F. E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- F.E. Warren AFB members received an in-depth presentation on how to maximize athletic performance and readiness in the base theater Jan. 19 and 20.

John Underwood, director of the American Athletic Institute, spoke to Airmen about achieving optimal physical and mental performance, and specifically about the adverse effects alcohol has on accomplishing these goals. He came to F.E. Warren AFB as part of the Under 21 Responsible and Resilient program.

"Airmen, like athletes, should want to perform at their best," said Underwood. "If you surround yourself with highly motivated, focused people, it will rub off."

Underwood's presentation focused on alcohol's effects on the central nervous system, which he says is the largest factor in performance. He referred to this approach as "central nervous system readiness."

The presentation included Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography scanned images of different brains showing various levels of damage and inactivity due to heavy alcohol use.

Underwood said the most significant time period for brain development occurs between the ages of 12 and 21, and heavy drinking during this developmental time can cause irreversible damage.

Airmen also learned how heavy drinking can vastly decrease the benefits of their workouts; even canceling out the training completely.

Underwood said the body, heart and lungs can recover in 24 hours after a hard workout, but the brain takes twice as long; adding heavy drinking to the equation can lead to incomplete recovery and residual effects.

According to the American Athletic Institute's Web site, drinking to intoxication can negate as much as 14 days of training effect, and drinking alcohol after training negates the training effect.

"We can't stop everyone from drinking, but maybe we can get them to think about how much they drink," Underwood said.

He said it takes three to four drinks in one sitting for measurable residual effects to begin in the body, and five to six drinks can have serious residual effects.

Underwood also presented tips on how Airmen can maximize the benefits of their gym time. His suggestion for maximum gain and recovery after a difficult workout is to immediately drink four to six ounces of a sweet drink; then 12 to 16 ounces of protein in liquid form; consume 75 grams of carbohydrates; and eat a meal within one hour of finishing the workout.

"People can't make better decisions until they understand the reasoning behind those decisions," said Underwood. "That's why we do these presentations."