If you enjoy maintaining a healthy lifestyle, regularly attending the gym, and keeping up with an athletic workout routine, this topic may interest you. Alcohol consumption and workout routines… Can the two mesh well or is the combination a recipe for disaster?
We’re glad you asked. No doubt your curiosity was sparked because you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Luckily, we have the answers here for you to peruse.
Alcohol Is Full of Empty Calories
There’s no fitness rule that states you need to count your macros down to the specific number; But if you’re into fitness, you likely count calories to ensure you get optimum results with your fitness gains.
We tell you that to tell you this: Alcohol is full of empty calories. There are zero beneficial nutrients inside alcoholic beverages. In fact, every sip, no matter how low-calorie it is, breaks down into sugar inside the body. It doesn’t matter if it’s a clear liquid like tequila or vodka, a seltzer with 5% ABV at 100 calories, or a lite beer that doesn’t feel heavy on your stomach. Alcohol is alcohol, and before you know it, a few drinks a day will add up to hundreds of unnecessary calories.
Bottom line: You’ll take in more calories than you burn.
Alcohol Reduces Nutrient Absorption
We’ve affirmed that alcohol is devoid of vitamins and minerals, but did you know that the liquid substance also stops the body from absorbing necessary nutrients? You know, the nutrients taken in through food and beneficial beverages.
A quick list is provided here:
- Thiamine: Alcohol inhibits vitamin B1 absorption, which is essential for metabolizing food.
- Vitamin B12: Alcohol messes with maintenance of healthy red blood cells and nerve cell functionality. If alcohol is consumed frequently and the B12 deficiency is not addressed, anemia may result.
- Folate: Alcohol can trigger a deficiency in folic acid, leading to a lesser new red blood cell production.
Zinc: Alcohol can negatively impact zinc absorption, which is crucial for keeping up with energy metabolism.
Bottom line: You won’t get the necessary nutrients your muscles need.
Alcohol Can Cause Dehydration and Fatigue
Weight training and cardio are two ways to optimize fitness performance and increase overall endurance. But, and this is a big but, you need to make sure you hydrate appropriately to meet goals.
You see, when you workout regularly, you automatically dehydrate your muscles by sweating. To reup, you need to get that H2O in. However, if you’re consuming alcohol on the reg, you’re almost doubling up on your dehydration efforts. Which leads us to this conclusion: Working out AND drinking alcohol can pose a huge problem. Exhaustion and fatigue can settle in and a bad hangover can leave you feeling defeated. Why would you want to go to the gym at that rate?
Bottom line: You won’t have the energy and endurance to make it through a workout.
Alcohol Can Temporarily Stop Muscle Building
The general gym population probably all have the same idea in mind: If I complete my fitness routine, I can have a little drinky-drink or snacky-snack. But in terms of alcohol, that’s just not true.
If you want to optimize gains, alcohol is not your friend. A little post-workout drink will only take away from your body and delay muscle recovery. Why? Because alcohol reduces muscle protein synthesis, meaning the time it takes to repair and rebuild muscles will double, maybe even triple. So if that drink is so important, be prepared to be sore for 1-2 days longer than expected.
Bottom line: You won’t repair and rebuild muscles normally.
Alcohol Can Put You at Greater Risk for Injury
Piggybacking off our previous point, regularly consuming alcoholic beverages while working out can lead to greater risk of injury. Because muscle building can temporarily be halted, and because your body is working to process the alcohol toxins out of the body, there’s no one around to repair the soft tissue. Soft tissue that’s fighting inflammation to rebuild. So, naturally, the strength you need isn’t readily available. Leaving you open to muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries. Leaving you open to both sprains and strains of any kind.
Bottom line: You may get injured, and therefore have to put all of your fitness goals on hold.