Impact on the Body 9

Gender, Metabolism, & Fatigue

Women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men and usually have a higher BAC after consuming the same amount of alcohol.  This difference has been attributed to the fact that men have more body water than women.  An additional factor may be that women have lower activity of the alcohol-metabolizing enzyme ADH in their stomach, causing a larger proportion of the ingested alcohol to reach the blood.

Each person reacts differently to the amount of alcohol that is consumed.  Metabolism (the rate at which a person breaks down food and drink) plays a major role in the BAC of each person. 

Another factor that affects individual rates is fatigue, which can increase the rate at which a person becomes intoxicated.