Since there is acute tolerance to the effects of alcohol on motor performance, it would be expected that following repeated elevations in blood alcohol that even more tolerance would develop. This is exactly what occurs – heavy drinkers consuming over 6 drinks/day demonstrate marked tolerance to unsteadiness produced by elevated blood alcohol levels compared to occasional drinks and abstainers.
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Chronic Tolerance to Alcohol.
Following a single dose of alcohol, heavy drinkers needed higher blood alcohol levels to produce unsteadiness than moderate drinkers or abstainers. Abstainers received 0.63 - 0.8 gm/kg, moderate drinkers 1.0 -1.42 gm/kg and heavy drinkers 1.2 - 1.35 gm/kg alcohol and unsteadiness was measured by tracing movement with one foot in front of the other. Abstainers took alcohol 1-2 times per year, moderate drinkers took occasional drinks or up to 1-2 liters of 40% alcohol per month, heavy drinkers took over 250 ml of 40% alcohol per day. (Constructed from data in Goldberg L, et al, Acta Physiologica Scandanavica Supplementum, 5: 1-128, 1943)
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