The effects of alcohol depends on how much is consumed as well as an individuals tolerance level, but, even a few drinks, no matter what your tolerance levels, can have a negative effect on the hard work you've put into your training sessions/workouts, your endurance levels and mental strength.
The health of your muscles is key when it comes to your athletic performance & alcohol can have a serious impact on muscle development & recovery, and here's why...
It can impede your muscle growth, as well as increasing the likelihood of injury if you are working out still under the influence of alcohol.
Long term alcohol use can result in a decrease in protein synthesis which results in a reduction in muscle growth & even short term use can have some impact.
If you're someone looking to optimise your performance then staying adequately hydrated before, during and after physical activity is highly important. Alcohol can slow down the recovery process due to it being a powerful diuretic, causing electrolyte imbalances as well as dehydration. When dehydrated, you're more prone to muscle cramps, pulls & strains....Not Ideal!
Looking to become stronger & build your muscles then getting enough rest & good quality sleep is an essential part of the puzzle. Alcohol however negatively impacts your sleep patterns and can decrease the amount of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) secretion, which is an integral part of the repairing & building of muscle, by a whopping 70%! Binge drinking can also cause the levels of serum testosterone to decrease, which is associated with a reduction in lean muscle mass & recovery, leading to impaired performance.
Despite the fact that alcohol provides 7 calories per gram, these calories can't be used as fuel by our muscles as it's unable to be converted into glycogen. It is instead converted to fatty acids and stored in fat tissue, increasing fat storage and having an adverse effect on your body fat percentage.
The nutrition value of alcohol is very limited due to the fact that it usually lacks vitamins & minerals but it can also stop your body absorbing Thiamine (Vitamin B1), Vitamin B12, Folate and Zinc from other sources, all essential for optimum performance, the metabolising of foods into fuel & endurance.
So whether you're a top class athlete or someone who takes part in sport & training regularly and you want to make sure you're reaching optimal levels in both your performance & recovery, alcohol is something you need to take into consideration. That doesn't mean that alcohol can't be part of your nutrition moving forward but look to keep it to a low level, and remember to rehydrate adequately & eat before consuming alcohol post exercise.
FOMO? All your friends & family are sat in the garden/ at the pub (remember them?!) sipping on some ice cold alcoholic beverages but you want to keep your alcohol intake in check....fear not! There are some amazing alcohol free/low alcohol alternatives available nowadays so you too can be enjoying your favourite cocktails or a pint.
Listed below are a few of my favourite ones along with a link to their websites so you can take a look for yourself.
Crossip
0% Alcohol Spirits
(Personal Favourite Here At GWTF HQ)
Big Drop Brewing Co
Clean Co
1.2% Alcohol Gin & Rum
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