From Party Saturday to Blame Tuesday

In my experience as a coach, one thing is clear to me: a session starts long before you walk into the gym. It also starts with how you slept, what you ate and what you took over the weekend. That's why, when someone shows up exhausted, irritable and frustrated because they can't perform the way they expected, I want to understand how they got to that workout.

The problem comes when that discomfort turns into blame: the routine feels unbearable, the results stop being convincing, and the coach ends up on the receiving end of a frustration that may have started outside the gym. Before jumping to conclusions, I suggest looking at the whole picture.

What you feel deserves attention. So does the way you treat others.

"Tuesday blues": what the evidence says

The slump some people feel after taking drugs at a party is often called the "Tuesday blues". It's a popular expression, not a diagnosis, and not a fixed appointment between the body and the calendar. The evidence about these following days is especially relevant to MDMA, known as ecstasy; the same mechanism shouldn't be attributed to every substance.

A 2025 study with 244 participants found, on average, a drop in psychological well-being during the three days after MDMA use. The association held after accounting for other variables, although sleep, other substances and mental health were also related to well-being. Because it is observational, the study alone doesn't show which mechanism explains each case. [1]

Nor does the evidence describe a universal experience: a smaller study, published in 2026, found a drop in mood mainly on Monday. That association weakened once the time people spent in bed was taken into account. To me, this reinforces the need to look at the person and their recovery, without turning the "Tuesday blues" into a rule. [2]

What about serotonin?

MDMA increases its release and alters its reuptake; it also acts on noradrenaline and dopamine. But explaining any slump by saying "you used up all your serotonin" is an oversimplification. We can't measure the state of those systems from someone's mood, or conclude that a complaint is the result of a chemical imbalance. [3]

On top of that, poor sleep can affect mood, attention and performance on its own. A systematic review of acute sleep loss found impaired physical performance. If drug use comes with sleepless nights and insufficient recovery, expecting your usual performance may be unrealistic. This guides my judgment as a coach; it isn't a specific medical protocol for training after drug use. [4]

Listening without diagnosing

I can review a routine, listen to criticism and fix what needs fixing. I also need my clients to be honest about how they feel. I don't diagnose drug use from a bad mood, and I don't dismiss a complaint because someone went out partying. But I also don't think it's acceptable to make the coach the target of a discomfort that needs a different kind of attention.

How to get through those days

To get through those days, these are the priorities I recommend as a coach, based on the evidence and on harm-reduction guidance:

1. First, decide whether you should train at all. If you still feel the effects of the substance, dizziness, palpitations, marked exhaustion, or you barely slept, my recommendation is to postpone the session. There's no universal number of hours that guarantees safety: the substance, the combinations, the symptoms and each person's health all matter. Persistent symptoms need a medical evaluation.
2. Catch up on sleep and get back to a routine. I prioritize regular schedules and enough time to rest. The general guideline for adults is seven to nine hours a night, but hitting a number doesn't guarantee you've recovered. Sleep quality and how you feel during the day count too. [5]
3. Go back to regular meals and hydrate without overdoing it. I recommend eating normally again, instead of trying to make up for the party with fasting or punishment workouts. I also don't advise drinking liters of water at once to "flush" your body: with MDMA, both dehydration and too much water can be dangerous. [6]
4. Come back with a lighter load once you've recovered. If the effects and symptoms are gone, you've slept, eaten and feel stable, a relaxed walk or gentle mobility work can be a first step. When you return to strength training, I prefer a short session, comfortable loads and plenty of reps in reserve. Personal records, intense intervals and training in the heat can wait. This is a cautious adjustment to training, not a validated formula for clearing drugs faster.
5. Don't try to cover up the slump with another substance. I don't recommend adding drugs, alcohol or stimulant pre-workouts to force yourself to perform. Nor self-medicating to sleep or looking for a so-called "serotonin recharge". If you have questions about medications or supplements, talk to a health professional. [7]
6. Talk, and ask for help when you need it. Telling me "I slept badly, I took something and I don't feel well today" lets me put your safety first. If your mood gets worse, the discomfort doesn't improve, or this cycle keeps repeating and affects your life, I recommend seeking help. Chest pain, trouble breathing, a very high temperature, confusion or seizures need urgent medical attention.

Train to sustain, not to endure

My goal isn't for you to come in and prove how much you can endure. It's for you to train in a way you can sustain without putting your health at risk. Sometimes that means lowering the load. Sometimes, resting. And sometimes, recognizing that we need help outside the gym.

I'm not going to promise that good nutrition, a walk or a night's sleep make drug use harmless, either. They are ways of taking care of yourself, not guarantees. If partying repeatedly leaves you feeling unwell for several days, it's worth looking at your drug use, not just adjusting your routine.

I can help you organize your training. Your recovery needs your participation.

Because discipline also shows when you tell the truth about how you are, accept an adjustment and take responsibility for how you treat the people who support you.

Progress is built by what you do inside the gym and by the care you give yourself when you leave it.

Ronald Medina, the Zar del Fitness.

Scientific references and sources

[1] Blankers et al. Three-day blues after ecstasy/MDMA use: Evidence from a longitudinal and daily analysis in the European nightlife scene. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2025. View source

[2] Medina-Kirchner et al. Monday mood decline after weekend ecstasy use: A retrospective analysis of daily diary reports. Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, 2026. View source

[3] National Cancer Institute. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Drug dictionary: MDMA mechanisms of action. View source

[4] Craven et al. Effects of Acute Sleep Loss on Physical Performance: A Systematic and Meta-Analytical Review. Sports Medicine, 2022. View source

[5] MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Healthy Sleep. Guidance on sleep duration, quality and habits. View source

[6] NSW Health. Ecstasy (MDMA). Effects, risks, hydration and warning signs. View source

[7] Alcohol and Drug Foundation. Alcohol, drugs, and partying – know more, be safer. Harm-reduction advice and after-use care. View source