Alcohol Effects on muss gain. Really ?

What harm will one pint do? Fosters is basically lemonade anyway. And as for wine, well, that counts towards your five-a-day, right?

We get it. You like a drink. We all do. Well, most of us. After a hard day at work, it’s all too easy to pop in the pub for a quick sharpener – a glass of wine on a Saturday night with your take-out almost becomes second nature.

But what affect is this having on your muscles and most importantly, your hard earned gains? Sure, the odd glass of something here and there might not seem like much, but it all adds up. And it all has to go somewhere. But where is it actually going and what is it doing when it gets there? 

Full of nothing 

While Sambuca may shoot down nerves enough to help you break the ice with the girl across the bar, note that what you're drinking has absolutely zero nutrients. (OK, no one has ever thought about that whilst necking a Sambuca. Still, worth a try).

Yes, alcohol has a caloric value of seven calories per gram, but they are empty calories. They’re about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

All alcohol will do is make you fat.

Why? Well, it’s all down to the Kreb’s cycle, but that can wait for another day. In a nutshell, your body becomes so obsessed with clearing out the alcohol that’s pumping throughout your body, it completely forgets about breaking down fat. And the process stops altogether.

Forgot about your beer belly, too? These two exercises will burn it away in no time at all. 

(WATCH: Calorie core-crushing combos)

160104_CalorieCrushingCombos_v3Play Video

No sweat 

Alcohol is a diuretic, which is a fancy word for something that makes you pee – a lot. You’ll be familiar with the feeling after the third pint or so. Broken seal, anyone?

Not only does dehydration contribute to a pounding head the morning after, also known as the hangover, but it will also have a huge affect on your muscle cells. Muscles grow best when they are in a hydrated state. In fact, protein synthesis will only work when there is enough water in the cells of the muscle. A reason why it's so important to stay hydrated during your gym session. 

But here’s the really bad news: a lack of fluid can increase the speed of protein breakdown. Yes, you heard us. We’re off to get a gallon of water.

Want to know how much water you should be drinking during exercise?

And another thing

So far, we know that a) alcohol makes you fat and b) inhibits protein synthesis. It’s not looking good is it? But if you thought we’d leave some good news till last, think again.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but a number of studies have shown that alcohol lowers testosterone and increases estrogen. Yes, estrogen. As you well know, it’s all about the testosterone. Like, literally, it’s all about testosterone. Without it, well, it’s best not to think about it.

So let’s make it abundantly clear:

1. Alcohol stimulates the brain to release certain endorphins. They may make you feel relaxed but they have a negative effect on testosterone synthesis.

2. Alcohol consumption can cause oxidative damage and ‘destruct’ testosterone molecules already in circulation.

(Related: Testosterone cuts your risk of stroke by 80%)

3. High alcohol consumption – like Phil Mitchell level – can increase estrogen due to a boost in activity of the aromatase enzyme. You don’t really need to know the name of the enzyme, but it works by converting testosterone into estrogen.

Worried that you might have low T-levels ­– here’s our 10 top foods to give it a boost.

A final word

We like to keep things balanced here at Men’s Health, and we would never suggest cutting something out of your diet unless it was absolutely necessary.

And you know what, cutting alcohol from your week isn’t absolutely necessary – despite what we’ve just told you. The odd drink here or there is perfectly fine. It’s a great way to unwind, socialise and dare we say it, have a laugh – just don’t depend on it to have a good time.

(Related: Six things every man should know about beer)

The issue comes from drinking too much, where you can’t stand up or control yourself. Again, once in a while won’t cause much harm, but if you are constantly drinking, heavily, during a workout programme, don’t be surprised if your gains aren’t where you expected them to be.

If you are heading to the pub this evening, stick to a couple. Or at least, take a look at our healthy beer guide. Cheers. How Alcohol Diminishes Muscle Gain

I used to drink heavily on party nights too, until a couple weeks ago when I realized just how much getting drunk was hurting my gains. I'm hoping that after you've read this article, for those of you that drink, you will see just how detrimental alcohol is to building muscle and hopefully cut down on drinking.

Empty Calories

Alcohol is empty calories. It doesn't have any nutrients, but does have a caloric value of 7 calories per gram. In just one shot (1.5oz) of 80 proof vodka there's nearly 100 calories. For those of you trying to lose fat, forget it if you are drinking. Not only will the high calorie content of alcohol have a negative effect on your total calorie intake, but it also slows down your metabolism by disrupting the Kreb's cycle.

Since the Kreb's cycle isn't working correctly, fats cannot be broken down. In short, your body is trying so hard to digest and metabolize the alcohol, that fat burning stops all together.

Dehydration

Alcohol consumption also hurts muscle growth. Not only due to hangovers lowering your workout intensity, but it actually lowers protein synthesis by 20%. Twenty percent! There are several reasons why it does this. For one, it dehydrates your muscle cells. As many know, hydrated and even over hydrated muscles (like when you take creatine) allows for a much higher anabolic environment.

Because your cells aren't holding as much water, it becomes much harder to build muscle. The second reason why alcohol can severely hurt muscle growth is because it blocks the absorption of many important nutrients that are key to muscle contraction, relaxation and growth including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and potassium.

"Alcohol consumption also hurts muscle growth. Not only due to hangovers lowering your workout intensity, but it actually lowers protein synthesis by 20%."

Slows Down Protein Synthesis

OK, so above I lied, there's actually a third way that alcohol slows down protein synthesis, I just wanted to dedicate a big part of this article to it. For those of you that don't already know this, alcohol lowers testosterone and increases estrogen! Yes, you read that right. In one particular study, men's testosterone levels were measured before and after consumption of alcohol.

Lowers Testosterone Levels

At the most intoxicated state, testosterone levels had dropped to an average of 25% lower. It was also interesting to note, that when blood alcohol levels were the highest, testosterone was at its lowest. Alcohol has also been shown to cause a quicker aromatization of androgens into estrogens, which would explain why heavy drinkers often get gynecomastria (bitch tits) over a period of time.

For those of you taking andro (and I'm sure you already know my views on andro) I would absolutely avoid alcohol since you already are in risk for gynecomastia with the high androgen levels in your blood. By drinking, you are further putting yourself in risk for aromatization. We should also note, that in a study done with rats, alcohol reduced Insulin like Growth Hormone-1 (IGF-1) by up to 42%. That's a huge drop in IGF-1.

One thing I found unusual due to the drop in testosterone while drinking is that most guys get really horny. Beyond getting beer goggles, why is it that drinking makes you horny? What I found out is that because alcohol lowers testosterone levels so significantly, the body is struggling to bring them back up by releasing LH, in very large quantities.

What's also interesting to note is that LH is just as responsible for arousal as testosterone. Unfortunately alcohol reduces testosterone levels at the Leydig cell, not the pituitary, so the LH is ineffective in raising testosterone levels.

A Personal Problem

Rather than just spitting facts at you, I'd like to take the time to talk about how drinking has affected my lifting. Before coming to college I drank maybe 3-or-4 times in my entire life. My diet was always perfect, every day of the week, even on weekends. On the first night of college however, I discovered just how tasty (and fun) beer was.

After that I'd drink every weekend, never on the night before a workout, but none-the-less every weekend. My diet was decent during the week (well, the best I could do with college food), but on weekends I'd wake up late missing at least 2 meals, and often only get 3-4 meals in on those days. Because of the lack of protein, reduction in test levels on those drinking nights and the catabolism due to the alcohol my gains suffered.

I went into college last year at about 185 lbs and came out around 205. After cutting up for the summer, I was a lean 195. Had I not drank every weekend, I think I could have added about 10 more pounds of mass.

This year I refuse to make the same mistake. As bodybuilders we are always learning. One thing I've learned is that alcohol affects your gains, and in a negative way. This year I will stay sober. I still plan on drinking, but I'll limit myself to a beer an hour, and no more than 3 or 4 a night. I suggest those of you in college who are serious about improving your physiques do the same. Maybe once a month I'll allow myself to get trashed.

5 Helpful Tips

So, what if it is that time of the month where you hand the keys to someone else and get bombed? Here are some simple hints as how to keep as much muscle as possible from that week while still having fun:

1. Bedside Water

Leave at least 2 liters of water by your bedside to drink when you get home before you go to bed. Not only will this prevent a hangover, but it will also help to hydrate your muscles.

2. Protein

Drink a protein shake or eat something dense in protein before climbing into bed as well (if you can still stand). This will help curb the catabolism occurring inside your body, not to mention you always need protein.

"Drink a protein shake or eat something dense in protein before climbing into bed. This will help curb the catabolism occurring inside your body."

3. ZMA And Glutamine

45 minutes to an hour before breakfast have a serving of ZMA and 5-10 grams of glutamine. The ZMA will naturally raise your testosterone levels that were lowered from your night of drinking, and the glutamine will help stop catabolism.

4. Big Breakfast

Eat a big breakfast filled with foods that are rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus and iron. Your body is craving these key nutrients since the alcohol diminished them the night before.

Conclusion

Let's face it, alcohol is fun, real fun. It makes fat girls attractive, gets ugly guys laid, gives the skinny, shy kid confidence to stand up and make a fool of himself, and helps uncoordinated, white guys like me dance. Unfortunately, it also reduces testosterone among all the other negative things mentioned earlier in this article. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have fun, don't be afraid to go out and have a good time. I've seen way too many bodybuilders who stay in on weekends. Go out, drink a few beers, have a good time, just keep it in moderation.