So I'm sure many of us had an Alcoholic beverage this weekend.
Want to know whether is effects your training in any sort of way?
Alcohol, or ethyl alcohol (ethanol), refers to the intoxicating ingredient found in wine, beer and hard liquor. Alcohol arises naturally from carbohydrates when certain micro-organisms metabolize them in the absence of oxygen, called fermentation
Alcohol is metabolized extremely quickly by the body. Unlike foods, which require time for digestion, alcohol needs no digestion and is quickly absorbed.
From a trainer's perspective excessive alcohol consumption can drastically increase our calorie intake, create blood sugar irregularities, and tilt our hormones to a more fat-storing, muscle-losing environment.
Once alcohol reaches the stomach, it begins to break down with the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme. This process reduces the amount of alcohol entering the blood by approximately 20%. (Women produce less of this enzyme, which may help to partially explain why women become more intoxicated on less alcohol than men.). In addition, about 10% of the alcohol is expelled in the breath and urine.
Not only is it easy to consume too many excess calories when drinking alcohol; alcohol also puts the body in a state not conducive for fat burning and muscle building. Alcohol intake spikes insulin levels (which can lead to fat storage), and then can quickly drop a person into a hypoglycemic state where they continue to crave sugary drinks and junk food.
Alcohol will also leave you with more muscle soreness after exercise making recuperation periods longer. Alcohol causes a release of insulin that will increase the metabolism of glycogen, thereby sparing fat making fat loss more difficult.
Because alcohol also can interfere with the absorption of many nutrients, you can become anemic and deficient in the B vitamins. Since your liver is the organ that detoxifies alcohol, the more you drink, the harder you liver has to work and the extra stress can damage and even destroy some liver cells.
If you must consume alcohol, do so in moderation and never consume alcohol right before exercise as this will impair your balance, coordination and judgment.
To sum it up a bit: Alcohol in moderation is okay. Although if your goal is to lose weight, cutting out alcohol would be more beneficial for reaching your goal. Also if you are wanting to increase your muscular size, alcohol would also be a detriment to your goal. Further, your endurance fitness levels decrease.
In conclusion, a drink or 2 would be fine, but if you are serious about your goals, dont drink!
References:
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/3545/1/How-Does-Alcohol-Affect-Exercise.html
(http://www.south-florida-personal-trainer.com/alcohol-fitness.html).
http://www.healthchecksystems.com/alcohol.htm
