alcohol + exercise
Touchy subject, I know. Don’t get me wrong I like a solid glass of wine or cider here and there, and by no means am I saying never drink again…..BUT it is important to know the effects alcohol has on your body both internally and externally.
Performance not so hot lately?
Packed on some secret lbs?
Trouble Sleeping?
The list goes on and on.
Let's dive in and see what exactly goes on when we have that drink.
Alcohol is a diuretic. Ever wonder why you are constantly urinating when you drink?
Your kidneys are working hard and producing more urine causing you to live in the bathroom.
Just exercised and want to enjoy some cold ones? Make sure to drink plenty of water, not only did you just sweat and lose fluids, but now add in boos and it’s a double whammy leading to crummy recovery and an achy body.
Alcohol and Metabolism
“When you drink beer, wine, or spirits, the ethanol in those beverages is given priority by your body in metabolism. It stops pretty much everything else and goes to work in a four step process that looks like this:
Ethanol → Acetaldehyde → Acetate → Acetyl-CoA
Acetate and acetyl-CoA can be used for energy by the body but it's costly. One gram of alcohol is said to contain 7 calories, but like protein, its conversion into energy is inefficient and 17 to 20% of its energy is lost. In other words, like protein it has a very high thermogenic effect.
Also like protein, and contrary to popular belief, alcohol is not easily converted to fat. That process is too costly. But all that acetate and acetyl-CoA showing up in the cells does signal to the body that no sugar or fat needs to be burned. So rather than a fat storer, alcohol is more of a fat burning suppressor.”
Alcohol and Muscle Building
In order to build those muscles you need to manage your calories as well as your hormones, unfortunately alcohol affects both of those things. Alcohol not only comes with a caloric price, it also can affect the signals sent between cells; Not only having an effect on protein synthesis, as well as muscle recovery. To put it simply, if you want to put on muscle, alcohol consumption needs to be taken into account. (insert talk about everything in moderation)
Alcohol and Fat Loss
Ever have a few drinks and catch yourself saying some crazy shit you wouldn't normally say? Well, drinking can have a similar effect on the calories you consume. Inhibitions are down, and you may find yourself elbow deep in the chip bowl. With alcohol, extra calories typically tend to tag along.
Overall, the message here is simple — everything in moderation.
Some tips to follow if you do drink:
Drink lots of water
Be mindful of your carb and fat intake, try to stick to mostly meats nad veggies
Avoid sugary mixers
Take your daily multivitamins
Keep your consumption light, under 3 drinks.
Hope that wasn’t too much of a buzz kill, just here to keep it real.