Did you know that drinking on the weekends can significantly affect your training? Alcohol and training are, let’s say… incompatible.
Alcoholic beverages hinder physical development for many reasons, including impaired absorption of vitamins and minerals, effects on testosterone production and, of course, dehydration.
That’s why this article aims to raise awareness and explain the risks of EXCESSIVE alcohol consumption.
Why does alcohol get in the way of your results?
Frequent alcohol consumption impairs muscle recovery after your workout. Why? Alcohol can interfere with the production of certain hormones, including GH (growth hormone) and testosterone, which are important for building muscle.
Alcohol also increases cortisol production, speeding up catabolism, the metabolic phase in which the body starts using its own reserves. During this process, you lose lean muscle mass and your physical performance declines.
Women are more sensitive to alcohol because of the water content in their bodies. Men have about 55% to 65% water in their bodies. For women, that number drops to 45% to 55%.
Because water is important for diluting alcohol, men are more resistant to its effects. But this is only a concern for people who want to drink excessive amounts!!!
Alcohol + energy drinks increase the urge to drink!
This may not be news to many, and it’s no longer just a “partygoer’s myth”—it’s now scientifically proven: ALCOHOL + ENERGY DRINKS INCREASE THE URGE TO DRINK
An increasingly common combination at parties and bars, mixing energy drinks with alcoholic beverages can dangerously prolong the fun, putting partygoers’ health at risk. According to an experiment conducted by Australian researchers, the mixture increases the desire to keep drinking.
They believe this effect may result from the action of substances in the drink and warn that the research findings already provide a basis for discussing possible changes to the sale of these stimulants. Scientists have long suspected that mixing energy drinks with alcohol increases the desire to drink. The caffeine in these drinks significantly increases the stimulant effects of alcohol intoxication. The study was published in the American journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Some bad news for women…
Alcohol dilates blood vessels, increases levels of inflammatory agents in the bloodstream and can speed up skin sagging over time. Weak, spotted nails and hair loss can also be caused by alcohol, which inhibits the absorption of vitamins and minerals important for keeping hair and nails healthy…
How to minimize alcohol’s effects on your training
1 – Avoid low-quality drinks, which contain various impurities due to poor filtration and force your liver to work twice as hard.
2 – Eating right before drinking can slow alcohol absorption by the body and also prevent catabolism…
The next day, you also need to eat properly and, above all, avoid junk food (fatty foods, fried foods, etc.), because drinking has irritated much of your digestive system, and on top of that, your poor liver is still busy trying to metabolize the alcohol.
3 – Don’t keep pace with other people! Know when it’s time for YOU to stop drinking!.
And most importantly! IF YOU DRINK, DON’T DRIVE!
4 – Don’t keep pace with other people! Know when it’s time for YOU to stop drinking!.
And most importantly! IF YOU DRINK, DON’T DRIVE!
Conclusion
The key is to find a middle ground and keep everything in balance.
The relationship between alcohol and muscle growth is only negative when you overindulge and do so several days a week. In these cases, it’s not just your muscle growth that suffers—your health does too. So keep these tips in mind and remember that moderation and balance are the best approach!
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