Alcohol Consumption vs. Gainz
July Newsletter by Amanda Leonardi
Fun Fact: Drinking five alcoholic beverages in one night can affect your cognitive function and physical activities for up to three days.
The affects of alcohol on a person depend on the amount consumed and individual tolerance. However, alcohol consumption can be detrimental to your gainz and performance in four main ways:
1.) Alcohol negatively affects protein synthesis: In layman’s term, you will not be riding the “GAINZ TRAIN” since alcohol will disrupt your body’s ability to absorb protein.
2.) Alcohol is a diuretic meaning drinking excessively can lead to dehydration: An athlete that is experiencing dehydration is at a greater risk for musculoskeletal injuries such as cramps, muscle strains and muscle pulls.
3.) Alcohol interferes with energy: Once alcohol is absorbed, the water balance in your body is disrupted. This makes the ability of your muscle cells to produce adenosine triphosphate(ATP), your fuel source, that much harder. A reduction in your body’s ATP can result in a lack of energy and loss of endurance.
4.) Alcohol prevents muscle recovery. Because drinking excessively affects your sleep patterns, your body is robbed of the human growth hormone, or HGH, when you drink. HGH plays an huge role in building and repairing muscles – The crazy thing is alcohol can decrease the secretion of HGH by as much as 70 percent!
Everyone loves a good turn-up but as an athlete but you have to really consider if a couple drinks in one night are worth a couple of days or weeks of poor WODs in the long run.
