The relationship between alcohol and fitness
When assessing your overall health, your exercise and your diet are two big factors that affect your fitness journey. And when we talk about diet this not only includes a cheeseburger, crisps and sweets after dinner. It also includes that a glass (or two) of wine, beer or any other alcoholic drink—both food and drinks—should be analyzed.
Alcohol is known for containing empty calories, or calories that provide little to no nutritional value. Drinking right after a workout could set you back from your weight loss goals.
Many times, when you reach for an alcoholic drink, you mix it with a sugary liquid, such as juice, to amplify the taste. Drinking sugary drinks after a workout actually stops the fat-burning process, leaving you back to where you were before you put all of that hard work in the gym.
Here are 5 reasons why you should limit the amount of alcohol you drink on a daily basis.
Causes Dehydration
Alcohol, of course, dehydrates us in a big way.
Our bodies depend on the H2O that we fuel ourselves with every day. Yet people often wonder about hydration and how much water is necessary daily. It’s recommended that we drink half of our body weight in pounds in ounces of water. This amount will keep you hydrated and support you through your work day as well as challenging and sweaty workouts. When alcohol is present in your system, there’s a likely chance of overheating and causing an increase in heart rate
Weight gain
We all know that drinks like beer wine and any alcohol mixed with juice or coke contain calories. However, alcohol can also increase your chance of immediate water retention. This results in both additional weight gain and long-lasting impacts on your waistline. And let’s be honest a few inches or your waist make a huge difference.
Prevents recovery
It’s common to feel nauseous after a night of drinking. But alcohol can also place other stressors on our bodies- alcohol depletes a broad range of vitamins, minerals, and necessary proteins that help our bodies recover post-workout. These all directly impact our ongoing training progress, as these nutrients play a role in acting as our body’s building blocks. One vital nutrient, in particular, magnesium, is lost in the presence of alcohol. Magnesium is responsible for relaxing muscle tension, lowering our heart rate, and reducing stress levels. All three support proper exercise recovery.
Stops or decreases muscle building
Alcohol intake has been shown to decrease growth hormone production. Growth hormone is responsible for producing and regenerating our body’s cells. This is very important for everyone who wants to build a fit, toned body, as it’s crucial for the development of our muscles. This hormone promotes muscle building, muscle repair, and can help heal muscle damage from training sessions.
Impacts your sleep
A good night’s sleep gives you so much, in terms of recovery, muscle rebuilding and even fat loss. Yes, a good night's sleep is crucial for everyone who wants to burn fat. There is no doubt that alcohol affects one’s quality of sleep. It can also alter sleep cycles by delaying rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. While alcohol may seem to initially aid in falling asleep, frequent sleep disturbances will occur. Your overall sleep quality will suffer as alcohol is a toxin, and once consumed, your body works to metabolize it so it can remove it from your system.