Beware: The 7 causes that make you get drunk faster

In almost every group, there is someone. While the rest can still walk in a straight line, there is one spinning in their chair. And strangely enough, it doesn't always have to be the same person. I also have days when I seem like a bottomless pit when it comes to alcohol (sounds fancy, right? That's how it feels too) and on other days, I'm already out after one and a half drinks. No idea why that is. Well, I didn't have any idea why that was. I went on a little investigation. It turns out there are a number of reasons why you might not look completely clear after that one glass. Read and learn, and especially keep these 7 things in mind if you want to make it to the end of the evening.

You drink from a round glass.

Um, what? Yes, this can actually have an effect on how the alcohol hits you. It seems that people who drink from a round glass drink twice as fast as those who drink from a long drink glass. That's quite a significant difference, yes. It has something to do with estimating how full your glass is. So next time you order a gin and tonic ; request a long drink glass. Beer drinkers shouldn't drink from flutes, but from vases.

You've hyped yourself up for a night (or afternoon, no judging) of drinking.

How much you look forward to those glasses of alcohol beforehand also has quite an influence. This is due to your own perception that plays tricks on you. You look forward to the evening and to drinking, resulting in getting tipsy, so you feel that way faster. Just like people who drank non-alcoholic drinks but thought there was alcohol in them behaved as if they were drunk. It’s all in your head.

You have too little muscle mass.

Ouch... Another reason to visit the gym a bit more often. Well, alcohol tends to hit your fat mass more than your muscle mass. So people who lift weights more often notice less of the same number of drinks as someone who hangs out at McDonald's more often. Unfortunately, that's the truth.

You have too little fat in your body.

I hear you thinking: but you just said that... Yes, I know, but it does make a difference if you've consumed something fatty beforehand. Dishes with a higher fat content take longer to digest, which means it also takes longer for your body to absorb the alcohol consumed. Nothing wrong with a Big Mac before you start on the wine, then. Luckily.

You're getting old.

This one hurts a bit, given my thirties dilemma. But yes, it's really true. The older you get, the faster you get drunk. The worst part is that I already notice that now. Where I could drink anything at eighteen and not enough shots  and drinks, I really can't handle that anymore now. Well, your metabolism slows down and you retain less fluid as you get older, which means you get tipsy after much fewer drinks.

You mix your drinks with a light soda.

This was completely new to me. I thought I was being super smart by mixing my vodka with 7Up light, because: fewer calories. Well, apparently I was also being smart if I wanted to get drunk quickly, at least. Multiple studies show that light versus regular soda actually makes a difference in the alcohol content of your blood. Crazy. The cause of this has not yet been proven, but be careful if you go for the light variants.

You find the taste too delicious.

Okay, this last one is a bit of a shot at an open goal, but still. When you find your wine, beer, or cocktail really tasty, your brain is immediately triggered to drink more, more, and more. Not even because you want to get tipsy, but because that taste works somewhat addictively. Recognizable, because how delicious does that first drink on Friday afternoon taste when your weekend has officially started? Yes. More, more, more.