INFLUENCE OF SEVERAL FACTORS ON BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATIONS AFTER DRINKING ALCOHOL

The influence of several factors on the blood alcohol courseafter drinking diluted ethanol was studied in young, healthyvolunteers under strictly standardized conditions. These factorswere sex, dose and concentration of the alcohol, physical exerciseimmediately after drinking, meal consumption before drinkingand energy content and composition of the meal. In 18 bloodsamples, taken within 6 hr after alcohol ingestion, blood alcoholconcentration (BAC) was determined enzymatically. Concomitantlybreath analyses were performed. In general, both methods gavesimilar results. Peak concentration and area under the bloodalcohol curve increased with increasing dose. With the sameamount of ethanol, peak concentration and area under the curvetended to be greater in women than in men. Consumption of ameal had an attenuating effect. The area under the curve wassmaller after a high-energy meal than after a low-energy meal.Peak concentration depended on meal composition, increasingin the order high protein < high sucrose = high complex carbohydrate< high fat. A similar trend was observed for the area underthe blood alcohol curve.