Wide glass, full glass: why we pour more than we think
An American study showed that people pour more wine into a wide glass, and when holding the glass in their hand. A good reason to keep an eye on quantities, especially when you do sport.
Our eyes are poor judges of volume: a wide glass always looks less full than it is.
The study
Researchers from Iowa State University and Cornell University asked 73 adults to pour themselves wine several times, into different glasses. Their observations:
- in a wide glass, participants poured about 12% more wine than in a narrow glass;
- they also poured more when holding the glass in their hand rather than leaving it on the table;
- with white wine in a clear glass, less visible than red, they poured about 9% more.
The reason: we mainly judge the height of the liquid, much less its width.
Why it matters for people who do sport
Alcohol dehydrates, disturbs sleep, slows muscle recovery and provides "empty" calories. There is no need to feel guilty at a festive meal, but it helps to know what you are really drinking.
A few simple tips:
- pour into narrow glasses, placed on the table;
- alternate with a glass of water;
- keep in mind the French public health guideline: no more than 2 drinks a day, and not every day, i.e. 10 drinks a week at most;
- avoid alcohol the day before a race or long run, and just after exercise.
Sources
- Walker D., Smarandescu L., Wansink B., "Half full or empty: cues that lead wine drinkers to unintentionally overpour", Substance Use & Misuse, 2014. See on PubMed
- Santé publique France (French public health agency), alcohol consumption guidelines, santepubliquefrance.fr and alcool-info-service.fr.
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