Five major Reasons Why Athletes should not drink Alcohol
Every single day from aspiring athletes all over the world,
and one of the most common questions I’m asked is “does drinking Alcohol really
affect the muscle growth process?” I’m sorry to say it, but yes, too much
alcohol will almost definitely have a significant negative impact on your athleticism
results. Alcohol is far more harmful than most people think, and it’s very
important that you understand how this drug (yes, alcohol is a drug) is
affecting your progress. This is not an anti-drug speech, but if you’re serious
about achieving a truly impressive athleticism, you should definitely be aware
of the 5 main ways that alcohol is slowing down any athletes gains…
1) It negatively affects protein synthesis.
Protein synthesis is the process where amino acids are
joined together to form complete proteins. Excessive alcohol consumption slows
this process down by up to 20%, and since your muscles are made up of protein,
you can see how this is a problem for any athlete.
2) It known to lower testosterone levels and increases
estrogen in male athletes.
Testosterone is one of the most important hormones in your
body. One of the limiting factors that determine how much muscle a person can
gain is their level of free-flowing testosterone. For any athlete that is male or female, knows
that becoming a top athlete is hardest things to do without taking any type of
supplement that is not approved for sport.
3) It causes dehydration.
The kidneys must filter very large amounts of water in order
to break down the alcohol, and this can result in severe dehydration within the
body. Water plays an absolutely crucial role in the muscle-building process,
and being even slightly dehydrated is a recipe for disaster. The muscles alone
are comprised of 70% water. As an athlete you would not put yourself in
disadvantage.
4) It depletes your body of vitamins and minerals.
Alcohol consumption causes vitamins A, C, the B's, calcium,
zinc and phosphorus to all be drained at rapid rates. Vitamins and minerals
keep every little process in your body functioning properly, and many of these
processes involve muscle growth and maintenance. Without your vitamins and
minerals your body, it will leave you feeling hung over. Not a good feeling to
have if you’re an athlete!
5) It increases fat storage.
With 7 empty calories per gram, alcohol can actually be
quite fattening. Alcohol also disrupts the Kreb’s Cycle, which plays an important
role in fat burning.
It’s important to have fun in life, but too much fun can
lead to problems. If you’re serious about achieving significant athleticism,
you definitely need to monitor your intake of alcohol and make sure that you
are consuming it in moderation. A few drinks here and there shouldn’t be a
problem, but if you find yourself drinking every weekend you can almost
certainly kiss your muscle gains goodbye. And any athlete career good bye as
well.
If you do decide to go out and party, make sure to drink
plenty of water and to properly nourish yourself with vitamins/minerals and a
protein rich meal.
I don’t recommend revolving your entire life around your training
program, so don’t be afraid to go out and have a good time once in a while.
Just make sure to keep your drinking nights infrequent (no more than once a
month) and properly nourish yourself to lessen its effects. As long as you
monitor what you’re doing you can achieve any physique and have a social life
at the same time.
