Sober or Not, You Still Learn: Implicit and Explicit Motor Learning Unaffected by Moderate Alcohol

We investigated the acute effects of moderate alcohol consumption on implicit and explicit motor learning in young adult male social drinkers. Two experiments used the Serial Reaction Time Task to test whether alcohol intake before practice (Experiment 1) or immediately after practice (Experiment 2) affects implicit and explicit motor learning. Participants (<i>n</i> = 160) were randomly assigned to eight subgroups defined by learning type (implicit vs. explicit), condition (alcohol vs. placebo), and experiment, with 20 participants per subgroup. Alcohol groups ingested vodka mixed with orange soda (Fanta^®, 1:4; 0.4 g/kg ethanol), whereas placebo groups received orange soda sprayed with vodka. Explicit groups memorized the repeating sequence before practice and were informed when repeated-sequence blocks began; implicit groups practiced without declarative knowledge. Participants completed seven practice blocks and a one-week retention test. Performance was quantified by a Change Score (response time difference between repeated and pseudorandom sequences), and declarative knowledge by sequence identification/recognition. Alcohol intake did not affect performance improvements or retention whether consumed before or after practice, regardless of learning condition. We conclude that moderate alcohol consumption does not impair motor memory encoding or consolidation under implicit or explicit motor learning mechanisms.