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Can alcohol impair muscle growth and physical fitness? That is something several studies have focused on.
Adults enjoy an alcoholic drink once in a while to get over the hustle and bustle of life. However, does that mean their entire efforts at the gym get nullified if they do so?
Alcohol can have adverse effect on muscle growth and physical fitness
Studies have revealed that alcohol has an adverse effect on muscle protein synthesis. This is a metabolic process that uses protein to push muscle fibres into growing back thicker and stronger.
Unfortunately, while alcohol doesn’t take away all the effort at the gym, it does slow down the process. That results in slower muscle growth than what would happen without alcohol.
Additionally, can alcohol impair muscle growth while slowing down the body’s ability to burn fat for fuel?
It so happens that the calories from alcohol are empty calories, which means they have no nutritional value. When these calories are introduced to the body, the body burns these calories to flush out the toxins, which are introduced via alcohol.
In this process, the body halts burning fat for energy and instead burns calories from alcohol for energy. As a result, the fat remains stored, and the fat loss process gets slowed down. One of the areas that gets affected the most by that is belly fat.
Moreover, when you consume alcohol, you end up having a lot more than you would on a given day. In fact, that’s the time you stray significantly away from your diet. It’s not possible to be aware of every single good choice you’re making while under the influence of alcohol. Subsequently, you end up consuming more calories than you’re burning.
Finally, can alcohol impair muscle growth by affecting sleep? It’s well known that sleep is an important part of fitness routines, as it helps with muscle growth and tissue recovery. Alcohol, though, affects sleep, which results in drowsiness, fatigue and a huge drop in energy levels.
However, two drinks a day will not significantly impact muscle growth or fitness levels.
Should you cut alcohol completely to retain your fitness?
It’s not necessary to cut out alcohol completely to retain your fitness levels. There are several precautions and tips you can keep in mind to ensure alcohol does not completely negate your efforts at the gym.
Here are some of the ways how you can do so:
Use zero-calorie chasers: When you consume hard liquor, it’s usually with a chaser unless you’re going on-the-rocks or having it neat. It’s better to use a zero calorie chaser or water when mixing the drinks. That way, you can cut down on the number of calories consumed with the drink.
Keep yourself hydrated: If you constantly drink water when you’re consuming alcohol, it’ll cut down on the amount of alcohol you consume. That will help you in more ways than one: hydration will help with your fitness levels and restrict your alcohol consumption.
Moderate your overall calorie consumption: If you know you’re going out for an evening of drinks with friends and family, it’s better to moderate your overall calorie consumption. That will allow you to cut down on the calories consumed during other meals to strike a better balance in the overall calorie consumption during the day.
Go slow with your drink: When you’re on a fitness journey, it’s important to moderate your drinking. So instead of completely cutting out alcohol, you can go slow with each drink. That would essentially help in cutting down the number of drinks you’re consuming overall.
Bottom line
You don't need to eliminate alcohol from your life completely if you want to be fit. However, it is absolutely important that you moderate it. At no point should you be drinking every day and more than two drinks, if possible. It’s best to avoid alcohol every day, especially cocktails, as those recipes have sugar syrups.
If there is one thing you must keep in mind, it's that alcohol can go hand-in-hand when done in moderation, but hydration needs to be maintained throughout.
