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Alcohol and bodybuilding: what are the effects?

Alcohol and bodybuilding: what are the effects?

 

Drinking alcohol while exercising

First, let's talk calories. If you're in the lean phase, alcohol isn't going to work in your favor. Not only is alcohol very high in calories, on the order of 7 calories per gram (only oil reaches 9 calories per gram...), but on top of that, if you add a mix - sugar, cream, soda or whatever, you're making the situation much worse.

In fact, it's not unusual to see cocktails with more than 300-400 calories per glass, so if you consume just 4 in an evening, do the math, you're putting some serious obstacles in the way of a clean slate

alcool et musculation

Stop lipolysis (fat melting)

The next magical effect of alcohol combined with bodybuilding is the fact that it is either a toxin to the body (this is nothing new, we know), all fat loss processes will stop the moment alcohol enters your bloodstream. The body is now on high alert and will try to expel this toxin from the body as quickly as possible.

Fat burning stops entirely until all the alcohol you've just consumed has been oxidized.
So, basically, if you drink alcohol while bodybuilding, think of it as putting the brakes on fat loss for a few days.

If you multiply your drinking opportunities, can you still consider yourself lean?

Extended recovery phase

Finally, the last big problem is the fact that alcohol will considerably hamper your ability to repair muscle tissue. When you go out for a night of drinking, your body isn't "focused" on rebuilding muscle tissue. As a result, you'll be in advanced catabolism, with all the consequences we know about.

If your muscle recovery is sacrificed, this means more downtime between workouts. So results will be slow, even very slow!

So, as you can see, alcohol, bodybuilding and your body are not what you'd call "friends".
So if you really want to sculpt your body, maybe you should find a way to have fun without alcohol.

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Posted in: Sports nutrition