Alcohol vs Muscles: Effects of Alcohol on the body

Effects of Alcohol on the brain; long term effects of alcohol:

Alcohol has a diuretic effect on the body; it makes us urinate more and thus keeps us dehydrated. Increased levels of Acetaldehyde and electrolyte imbalance in our bodies will cause what is known as the 'hangover'. Acetaldehyde is classified in the group 1 carcinogen along with tobacco, processed meat, asbestos, etc. Dehydration will cause you to be fatigue, sluggish, & confused which will lower you chances of working out. Research shows that low alcohol consumption (~40g/1 drink) has no direct change in your testosterone levels; however, as you increase your drinking rate this changes. Nine to sixteen hours after consuming 120g of alcohol (3 drinks) reduces testosterone levels in your body by ~25%. The worse your hangover is, the lower your testosterone levels will drop.

The drop in testosterone will return to normal levels not before ~1.5 days later. Sadly, that is ~36 hours of reduced protein synthesis for muscles. Alcohol has also been connected to decreasing leucine oxidation which is also crucial for building muscles. Moderate amounts of alcohol has shown to hinder Leptin levels (increased cravings). Alcohol will also affect how your body uses energy (metabolism). If your body is using fat (oxidative pathway) & glucose (glycolytic pathway) for energy, consuming alcohol will shift to breaking it down for energy instead. The average drink contains 7 cal/g; your body will break it down into Acetic acid, Acetaldehyde, and then Acetyl CoA (usable energy source). Until this process takes place, your body will not be utilizing other energy sources, which means all calories consumed while intoxicated will most likely be converted into stored fat.

We all know the importance of sleep in relation to muscle gains & recovery. Alcohol will lower the quality of our sleep. We do fall into a deeper sleep faster, but this is quickly interrupted, and therefore the overall REM sleep stage is reduced.

Lesson learned: Alcohol consumption should be your enemy when trying to build muscle and(or) lose fat. If you do decide to drink, do so moderately & choose the healthier/lower in calorie drinks instead.

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