Alcohol and Exercise

You may have wondered how detrimental your drinking habits really are on your muscle-building progress. Is it really that harmful to go out with the guys or gals and have a few beers after work on a Friday?  If you’re trying to get lean, does this mean you should forgo all alcohol for the next month or two?  Or, if you are really diligent with the rest of your diet, can you indulge on the weekend with a few cold ones?

Many people would rather have a few drinks on the weekend than cheat with food that’s not a part of their diet plan. While some struggle to cut out foods, for others, cutting out drinking is the real challenge.  Not only does long-term alcohol use diminish protein synthesis resulting in a decrease in muscle build-up, but even short-term alcohol use can impede muscle growth.

In order to build bigger and stronger muscles, your body needs sleep to repair itself after workouts.  Because of alcohol’s effect on sleep, however, your body is robbed of a precious chemical called “human growth hormone” or HGH.  HGH is part of the normal muscle-building and repair process and the body’s way of telling itself your muscle needs to get stronger.  Alcohol, however, can decrease the secretion of HGH by as much as 70 percent!  Also, when alcohol is in your body, the production of a substance in your liver is triggered that is directly toxic to testosterone, a hormone essential to the development and recovery of your muscles.

Speeding the recovery of sore muscles and injuries is integral to optimal performance.  Alcohol is a toxin—a toxin that travels through your bloodstream to every organ and tissue in your body, thus slowing your body’s ability to heal itself.  Additionally, once alcohol is absorbed through your stomach and small intestine and finally into your cells, it can disrupt the water balance in muscle cells, thus

altering their ability to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is your muscles’ source of energy.  ATP provides the fuel necessary for your muscles to contract.

So, next time you’re contemplating whether or not you should have that drink, keep these factors in mind.  Definitely, alcohol and muscle building are not a good pair, as stated by all these points, but if you aren't training for any major athletic event or getting ready to step on stage for a bodybuilding competition, chances are that you can afford yourself one or two drinks once in a while without having to worry too much.

Just keep moderation in mind and try your best to consume extra water with the alcohol, eat more vegetables during the rest of the day (to increase nutrient content in your diet while decreasing calories) and allow for a little extra sleep time if you can after you've had a few drinks.