Alcohol is a part of our daily lives. It is around in practically every social situation we partake in. Quite frankly, nowadays I have to avoid it because it’s so common. This is in essence because I have created some fitness goals for myself. After doing my due diligence I have realized that alcohol cannot be part of those goals.
Drinking has many short-term effects as well as long-term ones. Some of them are beneficial, others are detrimental. Recent research suggests that alcohol can actually be quite good for your health if you drink it in moderation. However, it’s those who suffer from alcohol addiction and abuse that suffer the negative consequences.
When I set my fitness goals for myself, I had to take liquor out of the equation. Even though alcohol has now been proven to have positive impacts on the body, some things just don’t go hand-in-hand. Fitness and exercise are two of those things.
So, exactly how does drinking affect your body when exercising? The results can be the immediate, and even long term. Drinking makes it harder for your muscles to recover, and it dehydrates your body. Furthermore, your muscle growth is slowed due to empty calories, and your sleep patterns are disrupted. Let’s take a look at these 5 repercussions in more detail:
1. Alcohol Makes Muscle Recovery Difficult
Yes, there are ways to have a successful workout recovery and still be able to drink. The way that your recovery is affected all depends on your post-exercise procedure. If you combine hydration with a meal that is rich in carbs and protein, you shouldn’t have a problem.
Yet, if you try to get your calories from an alcoholic beverage such as beer, you are delaying your recovery. The bottom line is that a drink or two at the end of the day won’t change much. On the other hand, if you party hard, you’re setting yourself up for disaster.
2. Your Body Dehydrates Fast When Exercising
Alcohol is a diuretic. When you drink, your kidneys produce urine to pass the toxins out of your body. If you drink before you go to the gym, your body will dehydrate faster. This is due to the combined effects of exercising and liquor.
When you’re dehydrated, you can’t perform at your optimal rate. It’s normal to sweat a lot while exercising, which makes you tired. But when you have outside substances included, it makes things much harder.
3. Alcohol Reduces Muscle Growth
Protein synthesis is the main factor contributing to the growth of your muscles. It is the process that aids in repairing the micro tears you make in your muscles when you pump weight. Without this, your muscles have no ability to heal themselves.
With such an essential, natural procedure, it makes sense that it works to the best of its ability. Research has suggested that alcohol actually impairs the body’s protein synthesis. Thus, making it more difficult for your muscles to grow.
4. The Calories You Get From Drinking Are Empty
Empty calories provide no nutritional value whatsoever. And guess what, alcohol is full of them. Because liquor contains so many, we can easily surpass our daily calorie intake with a few drinks.
In addition to no nutritional benefit, alcohol can also slow the absorption of other essential vitamins and minerals. Depending on your situation it can cause weight gain or weight loss but in an unhealthy way. Starving yourself is not a good way to lose pounds.
5. Alcohol Disrupts Sleep Patterns
Many times, we are tempted to have one or two drinks before heading to sleep. In fact, it even has a term of its own, coined as a nightcap. Even though it may make you drowsy, that doesn’t mean the quality of your sleep will be good. In fact, the result is the opposite.
According to researcher Irshaad Ebrahim, as reported by WebMD,
“Alcohol may seem to be helping you to sleep, as it helps induce sleep, but overall it is more disruptive to sleep, particularly in the second half of the night. Alcohol also suppresses breathing and can precipitate sleep apnea.”
Sleep apnea is defined as a condition when your breathing is interrupted during sleep.
So there you have it. If you don’t do your research, the only noticeable effects of alcohol on your performance would be due to a hangover. However, lots of things happen below the surface that impede our ability to gain muscle and recover from exercise. It also stops us from getting good sleep, which happens before or after your workout. Then you also have the dehydration which doesn’t allow you to perform well. Finally, you feed your body with empty calories which leads to unhealthy weight gain.
If you combine all of these effects together, what you have are repercussions pre-workout, during a workout, and post-workout. If your goal is to be fit, then make the right choice and cut alcohol out for good.
Have you noticed any of these effects in your workout routine? Let us know in the comments!
Guest Blogger
Andy Macia can be reached at aspiringfreelancewriter@gmail.com
