YOUR ULTIMATE POST RAVE RECOVERY GUIDE
One of the moments that completely changed my life was back in 2017 when one of my friends introduced me to raving. I remember he took me to a basement where some of his friends were playing some totally weird really fast music that I’ve never heard of. I didn’t know it then, but this group of people would become my core friend group throughout all my university years and beyond. And Tekno (with the K) would become my favourite music genre to dance to.
Also during these years, I realized that Raving is one of the most fun things IF DONE RIGHT. Because there have been some instances where I actually felt like shit until I learned what it means to rave responsibly and also HOW TO RECOVER from a good night out. Because as we all know, dealing with sleep deprivation, hangovers or comedowns is not fun.
This science-based post-rave guide that I created for myself, and that I now want to share with you, saves me every single time.
WATER
Step 1: 500ml of water
I aim to drink at least half a litre of water right when I come home from a rave.
If you’ve been dancing for a prolonged period of time, the probability of you being a little dehydrated is high, given the combination of physical activity and (probably) alcohol or (less probably) other substances. Even though I rarely drink alcohol, being dehydrated AND sleep deprived is not fun. Also, did you know that dehydration is actually not the cause of a hangover? Although alcohol causes dehydration by inhibiting the secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) [1], and the symptoms might be similar, it’s still the toxic metabolites of ethanol and your immune system reacting to it, causing you to feel hungover after a night of drinking [2].
FOOD
Step 2: A bowl of fruit
Depending on whether you’ve consumed alcohol, stayed sober or enjoyed other substances, you’ll either be super hungry and craving some pizza or kebab (we’ve all been there) or have no appetite at all. In both cases though, giving in your cravings and eating some junk food or starving the whole day is gonna leave you feeling even more like shit.
In my experience, the best you can do is cut up some fresh fruit and eat that when you come home from the rave or when you wake up the next day. The best fruits to eat after a rave are definitely bananas, which contain a lot of potassium (the mineral that gets depleted by dehydration), then pineapple, orange, melon or other fruits high in vitamin C (more on the benefits of this one later).
Although not exactly a fruit, another food I’d recommend are pickles, which are really high in sodium, also a mineral that gets depleted by alcohol (and MDMA [3]). And lastly, my favourite ritual after a night out is having chicken Pho (Pho Ga) for lunch. I think it’s the combination of its really salty broth, really light chicken breast and carbs from the noodles that makes my body recover like nothing else. This is not really backed up by science but years of personal experience.
SUPPLEMENTS
Now is the time to consider taking a few supplements to help your body (and brain) deal with all the sleep deprivation and alcohol (or drug) toxicity. I usually take all these right when I come back home before going to sleep, to hopefully wake up a little more fresh.
Step 3: Making my “magic potion” that consists of mixing creatine and NAC in some water or juice.
N-ACETYL CYSTEINE (NAC)
First of all, what is this? N-acetyl cysteine is just the acetylated form of L- cysteine, which is an aminoacid that metabolises to glutathione. Glutathione is the main molecule responsible for the reduction of inflammation* and oxidative stress* in your cells [4].
All high-stress situations like sleep deprivation, listening to loud music, consuming alcohol and other substances lead to oxidative stress. This causes a rapid depletion of glutathione. This is where NAC comes useful: by contributing to the regeneration of glutathione, it combats the negative effects of drug toxicity and stress [5] .
Taking 600–1,800 mg daily (divided into two or three daily doses) could be beneficial for speeding post-rave recovery.
I usually take one scoop (around 1g) right when I come home from the rave. I mix it with juice though, because the taste is really unpleasant (and it smells like rotten eggs).
*Oxidative stress happens when oxidants outweigh the body’s natural antioxidant defenses, causing cellular damage and including damage to proteins, lipids, and DNA.
*Hangovers are often accompanied by elevated levels of cytokines [6], the messaging system for our bodies' immune responses, which cause inflammation. Inflammation is indeed the underlying mechanism of a hangover and symptoms like headaches, chills, fatigue, nausea or stomach upset.
CREATINE
We all know that creatine has positive effects on training intensity, but did you know it’s also a really strong antioxidant?
The underlying mechanism in the effectiveness of creatine is that it stores energy in the form of phosphocreatine. It basically helps turn ADP back into ATP, which is the body's and brain's main source of energy. Additionally, creatine also attenuates the formation of reactive oxygen species (which cause oxidative stress) by its coupling with ATP into the mitochondria.
Through this mechanism, creatine can reduce mental fatigue in situations of high stress or sleep deprivation and in some cases reduce the symptoms of depression [7][8].
The recommended dosage is 3-5g orally every day.
Although it must be said that these effects are the result of long-term consumption of creatine, therefore you should consider making creatine supplementation part of your daily routine. Also you don’t need a “loading phase" or take breaks from it.
5-HTP/ TRYPTOPHAN / GRIFFONIA SIMPLICIFOLIA
Step 4: Raising my serotonin levels back to normal- optional
How you’ll feel after a rave can be pretty varied depending on different factors- some people can have post-rave depression, some are totally hungover and can’t even move from their bed, some experience a comedown, and some of us have a post-psychedelic afterglow.
So depending on your substance of choice, you might experience some sadness the day after a rave. This is mostly due to your serotonin being depleted.
Serotonin, or 5-HT, is the main neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of happiness. Tryptophan is its precursor and Griffonia Simplicifolia is a plant rich in 5-HTP. You can take 5-HTP directly as a supplement, as it’s proven to be effective in raising serotonin levels [10], or you can try to eat foods high in tryptophan (you can google the list), or you can try Griffonia extracts.
The dosage for 5-HTP depends on weight and ranges from 150 to 800 mg/day, while Griffonia dosage is around 500 mg/day (also depending on weight). Though for maximum effectiveness it’s recommended to be taken daily for several weeks. So what I used to do when I was a lot into supplements, was that I took 5-HTP a few weeks leading up to the rave and then the following weeks (which now that I think about it, probably prevented a lot of brain damage from those years lol).
VITAMINS AND OTHER SUPPLEMENTS
Step 5: Enhancing recovery with supplements
I have to be honest, my use of supplements has never been consistent. I take them every day for like a month until I run out of some, and then I forget to buy them and stop taking them all together. And start taking them once again when I run out of protein powder, then order everything together. But anyway, here are other supplements I take and that are especially beneficial after a night of raving:
Multivitamin- in case you can’t get all your vitamins from food, I’d consider taking some form of multivitamin. Under conditions of high stress you might need more vitamins to improve your body’s immune system.
Magnesium glycinate- It generally helps your body with proper function of nerves and muscles, regulation of blood sugar and inflammation. Also, because magnesium is a cofactor of tryptophan hydroxylase, it helps the production of serotonin.
Probiotics- Given that both alcohol and MDMA have a negative effect on your microbiome, I’d suggest supplementing a probiotic that can reverse those negative changes of the microbiota [9].
Omega 3s- Also called fish oil is beneficial for its anti-inflammatory properties. It’s always better to consume omega 3s from your diet, but let’s be real, who eats seafood or fish three or more times a week in central europe?
Ashwagandha- The benefits of Ashwagandha include its anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and stress-relieving effects and reduction of cortisol levels. In addition it can improve total sleep time and sleep quality, which can help you after a sleepless night.
Vitamin C- Also called Ascorbic acid, can’t be synthesised by your body and needs to be ingested through food or supplemented. Its main benefit in this case is the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation by contributing to the regeneration of glutathione.
REFERENCES
[1] Harper, Kathryn M. (2018) “Vasopressin and alcohol: a multifaceted relationship.” Psychopharmacology, 235(12), 3363-3379, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-018-5099-x
[2] Mackus M. (2024). “Alcohol hangover versus dehydration revisited: The effect of drinking water to prevent or alleviate the alcohol hangover.” Alcohol, 121, 9-18, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.07.006
[3] Traub, S. J. (2002) “The "Ecstasy" Hangover: Hyponatremia Due to 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine.”Journal of Urban Health, 74(4), 549-555, https://doi.org/10.1093/jurban/79.4.549.
[4] Kerksick, Chad (2005) “The Antioxidant Role of Glutathione and N-Acetyl-Cysteine Supplements and Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2(2), https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-2-2-38
[5] Tenório, Micaely Cristina dos Santos (2021) “N-Acetylcysteine (NAC): Impacts on Human Health” Antioxidants, 10(6), 967, https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10060967
[6] Tharmalingam, Jayaraman (2024) “Impact of Alcohol on Inflammation, Immunity, Infections, and Extracellular Vesicles in Pathogenesis.” Cureus, 16(3), e56923, https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.56923
[7] Avgerinos, Konstantinos I. (2018) “Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials” Experimental Gerontology, 108, 166-173, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2018.04.013
[8] Forbes, Scott C. (2022) “Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Brain Function and Health” Nutrients, 14(5), 921, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14050921
[9] Fuenzalida, Catalina (2021) “Probiotics-Based Treatment as an Integral Approach for Alcohol Use Disorder in Alcoholic Liver Disease” Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12(24), https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.729950
[10] Turner, Erick H. (2006) “Serotonin a la carte: Supplementation with the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan” Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 109(3), 325-338, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2005.06.004
[11] Johnston, CS (1993) “Vitamin C elevates red blood cell glutathione in healthy adults” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 58(1), 103-105, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/58.1.103