At one point, rat poison was a sports drink.

Yes, really.

Let’s rewind to the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, a glorious disaster in which one athlete won the marathon by ingesting a literal endurance cocktail made from strychnine (a.k.a. rat poison), brandy, and sulfates. His name was Thomas Hicks. His reward? A gold medal, probable brain damage, and being carried over the finish line hallucinating the whole way.

Back then, coaches believed strychnine helped performance by increasing muscle contractions. Technically not wrong—strychnine does do that, right before it causes convulsions and stops your lungs. But science in 1904 was mostly just vibes and Victorian bravado. What didn’t kill you made you faster, apparently.

And this wasn’t a one-time fluke. In fact, using alcohol for athletic performance goes way back. Ancient Greek athletes chugged wine before the discus throw. Imperial Chinese wrestlers downed rice wine as part of their pre-match rituals. And during the rise of pedestrianism (a Victorian-era endurance footrace spanning 450 miles), doctors straight-up prescribed Champagne for stamina. Imagine running 80 hours straight and then shotgunning Moët like it's a protein shake.

By the 1908 Olympics, alcohol-spiked “boosters” were standard for long-distance runners. One Italian competitor, Dorando Pietri, crossed the finish line with a wine cork in hand like a victory cigar. Albert Corey credited Champagne for his Chicago marathon win. And yes—many of these guys needed to be physically restrained or stretchered off the course afterward.

Need more madness? Cyclists in the Tour de France once favored cocktails made from alcohol, caffeine, chloroform, and cocaine. Because why not throw a sedative and a stimulant in the same bottle and call it hydration?

Of course, not everyone handled their poison like a champ. Canadian runner Tom Longboat passed out after his “performance cocktail.” Charles Hefferon dropped from first to third after his stomach revolted mid-race. Turns out rat poison doesn’t pair well with cardio.

Even as late as 2016, athletes were still getting caught using strychnine. That year, Kyrgyz weightlifter Izzat Artykov lost his Olympic bronze medal after testing positive for it. Three years later, Kenyan marathoner Felix Kirwa was banned for nine months for the same reason. Some habits die hard.

Thankfully, these days the performance-enhancing cocktail has evolved. The Marathon du Médoc lets runners sip 23 wines throughout the course—still reckless, but at least now you’re pairing Cabernet with camembert, not convulsions.

So next time you reach for a pre-workout? Maybe skip the strychnine. Maybe just enjoy a crisp brandy after the finish line. Preferably while still conscious.