So anyone who knows me knows I’m not much of a drinker, but I do enjoy a nice glass of wine now and again. When I’m working towards a serious goal, I choose to remove alcohol from diet completely. Now I know there are studies and research out there that say alcohol has its own set of health benefits, but let me tell you why the negative or long-term side effects outweigh any positive benefits when it comes to losing weight, gaining muscle, and achieving your fitness potential.
Alcohol is a toxin. When you introduce toxins, or poisons, into your diet your body will begin to experience several abnormal behaviors and side effects. Among these side effects are a significant reduction in your strength, aerobic capabilities, recovery, endurance, muscle growth, and the ability to metabolize fat.
1) Poor Muscle Function
Let’s start with alcohol’s effects on the muscles. The cells that make up muscle in your body can actually die from lengthy exposure to alcohol, causing them to function less efficiently. Your muscles will actually be less able to contract appropriately and will also be exposed to an increase in soreness that takes more than the average amount of time to recover. Recovery is important. It is where your muscle makes gains. Without gains and proper protein synthesis your hard work goes to waste.
2) Dehydration
Dehydration is a serious side effect to consuming alcohol. You know it’s important to stay hydrated. Water is everywhere in the body and is the most abundant substance making up 55-75% of your total body weight. It has an important function for every nook, crevice, organ, and process in the body. When you consume alcohol, your kidneys and liver must work overtime to flush and detoxify the alcohol you are consuming. The more alcohol you drink, the harder your body has to work. When you are dehydrated your mental clarity, energy, blood flow, and focus are compromised.
3) Difficult Fat Loss
When alcohol is in your system several things can begin to happen to your digestive, gastric, and nutritional absorption processes. Your body will spare your fat and metabolize glycogen instead due to a high increase of insulin in your body. This means your body becomes less able to lose fat. Your body will also not be able to absorb some nutrients causing the depletion of essential vitamins and minerals that aid in fat loss and other bodily functions.
4) Raging Appetite
What happens when you go out for a night on the town drinking loads of empty alcoholic calories? You get extremely hungry and wash it all down with fried foods and burgers slapped with fatty oils, cheeses, and sauces. Am I right? Alcohol impairs your judgement to make healthy food decisions, but alcohol also contains a ton of sugar. And when you consume high levels of sugar your body becomes very unsatisfied and starts developing cravings. Have you ever seen someone order a healthy, well-balance meal of lean protein and veggies after a night of drinking?
Bottom line, with alcohol causing so many effects on strength, speed, reaction time, recovery, skill, mental clarity, focus, energy, organ function, nutrient absorption, nutrient depletion, water retention, dehydration, sexual irregularities, psychology, fat storage, cell damage, balance, coordination, endurance, muscle growth, the nervous system, and appetite…whew…I’d rather just skip it!
If you enjoy your wine or like having a drink every once in a while, that’s totally fine. You can have a social life and be healthy at the same time. Moderation with alcohol is key, though. Just make sure you rehydrate (SO important) and restore nutrients to your body. But if you’re looking to live up to your ultimate fitness potential, try steering clear and you’ll see the gains you make without alcohol totally worth it.
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