How Alcohol Destroys Muscle Gains

How Alcohol Destroys Muscle Gains

Anything you put into your body, reaches your brain. Your brain and body both react to anything that you consume, and this is why you should always pursue healthy, nutritious options.

There are many damages caused by excessive alcohol consumption. You may know many of the damages that alcohol causes to your productivity, relationships, happiness, and stability. You may also know about the health problems in the brain, heart, liver, stomach, and others that are associated with alcohol abuse. Here is how alcohol slows your muscle gains.

Alcohol Slows Down Protein Synthesis

Alcohol consumption will reduce protein synthesis—the process where amino acids join together to form complete proteins—and slow this process down by up to 20%.

Alcohol Lowers Testosterone Levels

Testosterone—the most important hormone for building muscles—is reduced by alcohol consumption. Also, alcohol increases estrogen—the hormone that makes women overly emotional.

Alcohol Drains Important Vitamins and Minerals From Your Body

Vitamins and minerals are important for keeping healthy functioning processes in your body, including (but certainly not limited to) muscle growth and maintenance. All of these vitamins and minerals are completely drained from the body when you consume alcohol.

Alcohol Dehydrates Your Body

Staying hydrated is an important part of your health, and especially for healthy muscle development. (Did you know that your muscles alone consist of 70% water!) Even slight dehydration creates a problem for healthy muscle development or maintenance. But when you consume alcohol, your kidneys need to filter large amounts of water to break down any alcohol consumed, robbing the rest of your body and causing severe dehydration.

Alcohol Increases Fat Storage

Alcohol can actually be very fattening, often containing 7 empty calories per gram. At the same time, alcohol consumption disrupts the fat burning cycle in your body.

In summary, your muscle gain is yet another factor of your health that alcohol consumption can affect negatively. So is it worth it?