DOES ALCOHOL AFFECT MUSCLE BUILDING?

When celebrating with friends, on a relaxed evening in the beer garden or at the pub, a few glasses of wine with dinner – there are many occasions when most people consume alcohol in one form or another. But what if you're training at the same time and want to build or maintain your muscles? What does alcohol consumption mean for athletes and especially for us strength athletes? We will investigate this question here.

What alcohol triggers in the body

You have probably heard that alcohol can damage your organs and promote numerous diseases. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a limit of 24 grams for men and a limit of 12 grams of pure alcohol daily for "low-risk" consumption (which translates to only one or two small glasses of wine or 0.25l or 0.5l of beer!), actual consumption is usually much higher.

The German Central Office for Addiction Issues (DHS) reports that in 2014, an average of 9.6l of pure alcohol per capita was consumed in Germany. Converted, this means a bathtub full of alcoholic beverages per year!

But what happens in the body when you have had a drink or a beer? In principle: Alcohol is considered a neurotoxin and is treated accordingly by the body. This means that metabolism differs from that after consuming other drinks or after eating. To prevent poisoning, the digestion makes an effort to break down the harmful substance as quickly as possible.

Other metabolic processes are secondary during this detoxification and are neglected. Digestion and thus also fat burning are slowed down, more fat is stored. (This also explains the notorious and widespread "beer belly," the exact opposite of the six-pack ideal.) The crucial point here: even small amounts of alcohol cause these processes, so also the beer after training.

What this specifically means for your training...

You have probably already realized that consuming alcohol is not helpful when trying to lose weight. However, the detoxification that takes place in the body also hinders metabolic processes that are necessary for muscle building, such as protein biosynthesis. The carbohydrates and proteins that you consume to support your training can be processed less effectively when your body, especially the liver, is busy breaking down alcohol.

And that's not all of the negative consequences: Alcohol inhibits the production of testosterone, the hormone that is crucial for muscle building. Alcoholic beverages also dehydrate your body, which is also important for muscle mass building. Toxins can only be removed from the muscles to a limited extent, and nutrient supply is also disrupted. The result can be more frequent muscle cramps.

If you consumed alcohol the evening before, maybe even wake up with a hangover, it's not just the motivation for training that suffers. The risk of injury increases due to decreased coordination ability. Also, your performance is impaired. New Zealand scientists were able to demonstrate this influence in a study in 2009 after consuming just one drink of vodka and orange juice! This means that your muscles are less efficient even after moderate alcohol consumption, which is classified as low-risk by the WHO, and training effects are therefore negatively influenced.

You surely know that muscles need a break after training. These recovery phases are just as important for muscle growth as the workout itself. The poorer sleep quality after drinking alcohol is not conducive to these rest periods. The release of the stress hormone cortisol after consuming alcohol ensures that muscle regeneration is slowed down and growth hormones are inhibited. This also counteracts muscle building.

...and for your diet

For your diet plan, alcohol consumption means additional calories that do not cause a feeling of satiety, so they must be added to your calories from food and other drinks in any case. And this can add up quickly if you drink one beer after another with friends, or consume mixed drinks at a party that contain additional calories thanks to juice or lemonade.

So, if you want to lose fat, alcohol consumption is doubly obstructive: on the one hand, the additional calories add up without making you feel full and contributing to your nutrient supply. On the other hand, alcohol inhibits fat burning and promotes fat storage. This means negative consequences in all training phases, regardless of whether muscle building or fat loss is your main focus.

Conclusion: Is alcohol therefore taboo?

Do you have to completely abstain from alcohol to achieve optimal training results? Especially during intense competition preparations, the evening beer should be taboo. It is also strongly advised against drinking directly after training or the evening before. On the weekend, when you take a break, you can certainly allow yourself a drink or two, but always keep your diet plan and the additional calories in mind.

Make sure to really only drink in moderation and otherwise opt for non-alcoholic cocktails or a non-alcoholic beer. And of course, the same applies here: the calories you drink count towards your total energy intake, a conscious healthy diet is all the more important. If you do drink, make sure to drink enough water during and on the following days, and preferably avoid the gym the next day.