Is it possible to drink alcohol after the gym? Is it possible to drink alcohol after training?

Still hoping it's safe to combine fitness and drinking parties? In this article we will try to explain simply and clearly why alcohol is incompatible with a sports lifestyle. It will make you weaker, reduce your stamina, slow down recovery from workouts, and cause additional problems for your figure. About Negative influence A lot has already been said about health, but we’ll remind you of something!

What happens when you drink?

This is enough difficult process, which is not easy to understand without “half a liter”... Just kidding! In fact, when you drink alcohol, your body (liver) converts it into acetaldehyde and then in acetate. Acetate is a derivative acetic acid. His body decomposes into carbon dioxide and water - the final products of decomposition.

Before 10% alcohol is excreted unchanged - with exhaled air, sweat, urine. Not yet most of (up to 5%) is stored as fat.

Poor health is associated specifically with high levels of acetaldehyde and acetate. For our body, these are even more toxic substances than alcohol. The problem is often aggravated by the fact that low-quality alcohol contains impurities - fusel oils, organic acids and aldehydes.

When our body processes alcohol, energy is “forced” released - 7 calories per 1 g of ethanol. Other energy sources (carbohydrates, fats) are not used at this time. Your body responds to a dose of alcohol the same way it would on a high-carbohydrate diet. Obviously, this will not be beneficial for your figure! Then what's the point of drinking during Friday night parties? Perhaps in this way you are trying to wash away your suffering from lost wages. Or you’re trying to muster up the courage to start a conversation with the girl you like.

Of course, it's hard to argue that alcohol is an excellent antidepressant. At the same time, it reduces your libido. No, not at the moment when you “flooded the headlights” and not even in the morning, but in the following days. Repeated studies confirm that alcohol reduces testosterone production in men. But this hormone is necessary not only to maintain libido, but also for your athletic performance.

According to a study conducted by New Zealand scientists, along with a decrease in testosterone levels, there is a decrease in muscle endurance. 11 healthy men took part in the study. Each of them performed 300 quadriceps contractions on an isokinetic dynamometer. After drinking alcohol and sobering up, the subjects performed the same exercise. The average drop in endurance was more than 20% ! So, if you drink every week or even every 2 weeks, what kind of athletic performance can we talk about? How can the body recover from both training and alcohol poisoning?

Now, a little about the good. As you know, any poison is dangerous only in a certain dosage. For alcohol, a safe dose for health is 10-30 g of alcohol per day. In this case, it is even possible positive impacts, such as:
improvement of lipid profile ( bad and good cholesterol)
normalization of blood pressure
decreased tissue resistance to glucose
increase in hemoglobin level ( dry red wine)
reducing the likelihood of osteoporosis and arthritis
reducing the risk of developing non-alcoholic steatohepatitis ( dry red wine)
reducing the likelihood of age-related brain decline

At one time, scientists from the German Institute of Preventive Medicine proved that people who drink up to 200 ml of quality red wine a day live on average 7 years longer than abstainers. Just don’t think that a liter of vodka or beer will give you more best result.

How many people know how to derive pleasure from the taste of wine, and not from the state of intoxication? How many people can afford to buy quality wine rather than “ink”? So it turns out that only a few get practical benefits from drinking alcohol. The majority are only capable of “getting drunk.”

So let's get back to reality. Do you want strong and voluminous muscles?

According to British scientists, alcohol reduces the ability of skeletal muscles to absorb glucose and amino acids. Need I say that this has an adverse effect on energy supply and worsens muscle metabolism?

Studies have also shown that strong drinks slow down protein synthesis. This is guaranteed to slow down the process of hypertrophy (increase in muscle volume).

Alcohol, by depressing the central nervous system, can also interfere with building strength. Your brain simply won't be able to send strong enough nerve impulses to produce maximum muscle fiber contraction. And given that strength is also associated with muscle hypertrophy, you have even less chance of getting stronger.

Need strong bones? The researchers concluded that excessive alcohol consumption leads to decreased concentrations of minerals in the bones. What a paradox! Safe doses protect against osteoporosis, but abuse, on the contrary, harms bones.

Want to stay healthy? Alcohol is not good for the immune system. It is a fact! Have you probably had cases when, after a good drinking session, you caught a cold in the following days? And that, in turn, led to loss of training time and disgusting nutrition due to loss of appetite and general mood.

Do you dream of losing weight? Let us remind you once again that alcohol (pure alcohol) contains 7 calories per 1 g. If you decide to lose weight, drinking alcohol will interfere with your plans. You should strictly limit its use, and it would be preferable to refuse it altogether. Your body will immediately notice the daily caloric deficit. For example, a bottle of beer adds 250 calories, one large sip of liquor can contain more 200 calories! Remove any bun from your diet and you already have minus 500 calories per day!

Want to sleep better? Research has proven that it is very important for good rest phase REM sleep impaired after drinking alcohol. Adequate sleep is very important for the recovery of muscles and the nervous system. Blood alcohol levels as low as 0.1% disrupt REM sleep. A man weighing 90 kg only needs to drink 200 g of vodka to achieve a concentration of 0.1%.

Want to avoid a hangover? A hangover is a phenomenon whose essence has not yet been fully revealed. Researchers believe that a hangover is associated with a high concentration of toxic substances, which we wrote about at the very beginning of the article. This seems quite true. Moreover, additives used in the production of alcoholic beverages can worsen hangovers. Naturally, the more poisons you have pumped into yourself, the more suffering awaits you.

The situation is also greatly aggravated by:
dehydration
disruption of brain nerve cells
leaching of useful elements: magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, vitamin C

The effects of a hangover can last for days, leaving you without the energy and energy you need to perform vigorously.

You expect from your brain normal operation? If your working day does not consist of watching television series and sites with jokes, then you will have to really strain your brain so that it can decide more or less complex tasks. After drinking alcohol, a person’s brain activity noticeably decreases. Many people who are “hungry” even find it difficult to talk – words seem to not want to form into sentences.

Let's sum it up

If building muscle mass, strength and/or endurance are among your priorities, we see no reason to drink alcohol regularly.

Are you a true connoisseur of good wine? Well... try drinking no more than 200 ml at dinner. At the same time, monitor your well-being and the dynamics of changes in sports results.

Celebrating any victory or holiday? Do not stir drinks. Pay attention more attention communication and fun, and not pouring alcohol into yourself. Do you need to drink a bucket of vodka to dance and laugh? Have you tried it differently?

Don't have competitions for how much you drink. Don't have the courage to skip toast or drink an incomplete glass? Do they tease you about this? Maybe this is not the right company to be in!!!

Can you truly relax only when you're drunk? OK, then don't snack. You will need less alcohol to “get a drunken high” and there will be no hangover in the morning.

Before you go to bed, force yourself to drink 0.5 liters of water with aspirin and a double serving of multivitamins.

Alcohol is evil! It's amazing how many people deny or don't want to understand this. Well, time will put everything in its place.

Alcohol and sports are two, at first glance, completely incompatible concepts. In practice, many athletes allow themselves to relax with a glass or two of beer, and some even stronger.

Moreover, if you consider yourself a drinker, then moderate exercise is simply necessary. Physical education increases the body's resistance to various harmful influences, including the negative effects of alcohol.

In short, if you ski a couple of times during the winter, a small amount of alcohol, of course, will not have a significant effect. But what about professional downloaders? Is it possible to drink alcohol and play sports? Can the body cope with double load? Let's try to figure it out.

Is it possible to exercise after drinking alcohol?

Drinking alcohol affects the central nervous system and can lead to poor coordination and serious injury during exercise. A decrease in reaction is normal in this condition. Strictly forbidden combine alcohol and exercise, if you are a cyclist or climber, do bodybuilding or powerlifting. In all other cases, in general, the same.

• Systematic “libations” lead to dehydration, the blood thickens, load on most internal organs becomes more tangible. The heart suffers greatly.
• If you have recently been injured, the bruise site will take longer to heal- alcohol consumption increases blood vessels, the wound will bleed and swell.
• Alcohol negatively affects endurance and strength during training.
• Alcoholic drinks do not help you lose weight. Besides the fact that alcohol itself is high in calories, don’t forget about snacks. Beer is especially dangerous in this regard - it is with it that the most unhealthy and heaviest foods are absorbed - pork knuckles, shish kebab, chips, crackers. Have you already realized that alcohol and sports are incompatible? No? Then let's continue!

Alcohol after exercise

Alcohol after sports also does not bode well. Yes, you won’t get injured when you’re already at home on the couch. But the danger is this: after drinking a glass of beer in the evening, you practically nullify all the efforts expended earlier.

• Drinking alcohol before or after exercise reduces the production of protein-synthesizing amino acids, which means you won’t get the desired muscle growth. It will be greatly slowed down. In other words, you are not progressing. You can read more about the effect of alcohol on muscle growth .
• Normal sleep is very important for muscle growth, and it is violated if you continue to drink alcohol. Remember, the most intense recovery of muscle fibers occurs at night.
• Alcohol provokes hormonal changes. In men who like to drink, there is a decrease in the level of testosterone, which is responsible for the increase in muscle mass. At the same time, the level of female sex hormones increases - one alcohol party can “inflate” estrogen many times over, and the “effect” lasts for more than 10 hours.

To admire your reflection in the mirror, you need to monitor your calories and hormonal balance. Alcohol, by the way, affects both “components” (as we have already found out). However, if you take tiny portions of alcohol on days off from training, there won’t be much harm. Foreign researchers came to this conclusion.

If you are from " small dishes"don't drink, the alcohol stays under strict ban. You don't have to read any further. For everyone else:

• definitely try to do it bad influence alcohol is minimal. Of course, it is better for competitive athletes to avoid alcohol altogether. In all other cases, one hundred grams of good cognac or dry red wine is allowed (a glass or a glass, no more). Plus, it has to happen. very rarely. More is recommended on party days clean water and protein, vitamins, nuts.

About how everyone specific a strong or low-alcohol drink affects the athlete’s body, we will publish it a little later. Do not miss. It will be interesting!

Well, just for fun, here are signs that show how long it takes to remove alcohol from the body.

How much is a glass of beer removed from the body?

How long does it take for cognac to leave the body?

How long will a glass of wine (100 ml) be excreted from the body?

Your weight	Withdrawal time
less than 60 kg	2 hours 37 minutes
60 – 70 kg	2 hours 14 minutes
70 - 80 kg	1 hour 22 minutes
80 - 90 kg	1 h 44 min
90 - 100 kg	1 hour 34 minutes

In our society, alcohol consumption is often considered quite acceptable norm. Even people who maintain a healthy lifestyle and play sports on a regular basis can relax with alcohol. But can alcoholic drinks and active physical activity be combined?

Is it possible to drink alcohol after training, how does alcohol affect hot muscles? Will there be consequences of such frivolity or will the health of those who engage in amateur training not suffer in any way? This issue is worth studying in more detail.

Alcohol and sports are not allowed

The active substance of any intoxicating drink is ethyl alcohol. With his penetration into human body and those effects for which a person drinks alcohol are associated. Moreover, euphoria, a slight and pleasant dizziness comes to a person regardless of the strength of alcohol.

The most powerful drinks contain 40-70% ethanol, while the weakest (wine, beer) contain only 3-12%.

Emotions

Surely every alcohol lover knows that the stronger the alcohol, the faster intoxication occurs. And the intoxicating effects of the psycho-emotional level come faster. Some become deliberately cheerful, others fall into depression or torment others with aggressive attacks.

By the way, the emotional coloring of intoxication does not depend on the strength and type of alcohol. These feelings are driven by one’s own “I,” which ethanol frees from “sober” boundaries. Sometimes deeply hidden antisocial tendencies of the individual spill out.

How does alcohol affect the nervous system?

Well-being

But in addition to the emotional aspects of intoxication, there are many physical aspects that are far from the most in the best possible way affect the human condition. Ethanol carries with it:

• migraine;
• weakness;
• stomach pain;
• dizziness;
• nausea and vomiting;
• speech problems;
• lack of coordination;
• muscle and joint pain.

All such effects clearly indicate that ethyl alcohol is a strong poison that negatively affects a person at the cellular level. But most negative impact ethanol is brought to the liver, an organ that is directly involved in the breakdown, neutralization and removal of alcohol metabolites.

Internal organs

How does alcohol affect people who play sports? How does the liver work in athletes? The main “cleaner” of the body is already overloaded with work. After all, athletes experience increased physical exercise, and the diet of those who like to work out in the gym is specific (especially for those who build muscle mass). Let's take a closer look at the work of the “sports” liver:

1. The liver is also actively involved in metabolism involving fatty acids. But it is from them that steroid hormones and membrane cells of the nervous system consist.
2. Glucose metabolism also occurs in the liver organ. By the way, in the gym its production occurs at an accelerated pace, thanks to active muscle contractions.
3. The diet of athletic people is rich in proteins. This is required by high physical activity. When a large number of protein food is broken down, the level of nitrogenous products increases. The liver has to work harder to process excess nitrogen. Although some part of the nitrogen compound goes to the formation of amino acids, most remains.

The athlete's liver works hard for the benefit of its owner. And this organ works under increased loads, regardless of the type of sport that a person is interested in. What happens if you mix alcohol and exercise? In this case, the liver will have to actively neutralize toxic ethanol.

Alcohol negatively affects the functioning of all internal organs

The liver, in the process of its work, acts on the principle of priority. That is, the organ will begin to primarily engage in the breakdown of more toxic compounds, which include ethanol.

But this requires nutrients and energy. As a result, the body will be deprived of the necessary nutrition, which it urgently needs after intense exercise. This leads to exhaustion and suppression of the immune system. As a result, a person weakens much faster and is attacked by harmful microflora. Frequent infections and prolonged colds are what alcohol brings after sports.

The effect of alcohol on muscles

To neutralize alcohol metabolites, the liver actively uses one compound, which is represented by ATP-adenosine triphosphate molecules. Thanks to the breakdown of this substance in the body, the necessary energy is formed. The same connection is necessary during muscle contractions and intense exercise. But what happens when alcohol gets involved?

1. The growth of muscle tissue stops.
2. There is a persistent tendency towards weakening of working muscles.
3. The effect of anabolic hormones disappears (most of them will leave the body unchanged). The expected benefit from taking them will not come.

So, drinking alcohol after intensive training, the athlete will simply reduce the entire effect of the exercise to complete zero. Indeed, because of alcohol, the metabolic processes of cells are significantly affected, energy supply is disrupted, and the synthesis and absorption of anabolic hormones significantly decreases. And all because the liver works intensively to neutralize ethanol; it simply has no time to do anything else.

Alcohol and fat mass

Why are people overweight? They have too much fat (or subcutaneous fat). By the way, fatty compounds can accumulate not only in the epidermal layer. Fat successfully concentrates in various body cavities, significantly compressing organs, depriving them of normal blood and oxygen supply.

Alcohol, especially beer, is associated with excess weight

Alcohol greatly contributes to an increase in fat mass. And even intense training does not help normalize weight if combined with alcohol.

How exactly does alcohol work on a person’s height? Or is this just an unfounded statement? Let's look at this process in more detail:

Increased appetite

When alcohol ends up in the stomach, it begins to actively irritate the mucous membrane of the organ. The bitter taste of alcohol intensely stimulates the appetite. As a result, a person really wants to eat. Plus, self-control is lost, again due to the negative effect of ethanol on brain neurons. What's the result? Excessive eating and excess weight that is difficult to manage.

Fluid retention

Fluid retention in the body, which occurs due to the action of alcohol metabolites, also actively contributes to extra pounds. Ethanol increases tissue dehydration (increased fluid consumption). It is not without reason that one of the symptoms of a hangover is dry mucous membranes and excessive thirst.

With regular consumption of alcohol, the formation of antidiuretic hormone in the body sharply increases. This compound is responsible for preserving fluid in the bloodstream.

An excess amount of this substance entails a number of unpleasant symptoms, in particular, the load on the heart muscle and blood pressure sharply increases. What will happen if in such conditions a person begins to train intensively? Incredible stress on the heart, which will lead to various cardiovascular pathologies.

Is it possible to exercise after drinking alcohol?

Even one bottle of low-alcohol beer is extremely undesirable before starting a workout. After all, any exercise (not to mention strength training) puts increased stress on the heart, muscles, joints and liver. And almost everything internal organs begin to work with increased activity. But, if the body is already saturated with alcohol, all its efforts are directed towards neutralizing toxins.

The main effects of alcohol

So what's the point of exercising while intoxicated? Only increased stress on the internal organs and a strong weakening of one’s own health. Are these the kinds of consequences we expect when we go to the gym? You should not test the body's strength by plunging it into intense and dangerous overloads.

Exercising the day after alcohol is also dangerous, because it takes about 2-3 days for all alcohol metabolites to completely leave the body and for the internal organs to return to normal physical condition. But another question arises: how long does it take to relax with alcohol? This is especially concerning for people who play sports regularly and not periodically.

How to combine alcohol and exercise

To answer this question, let's look at what processes occur in the body to neutralize and cleanse the body of ethanol. Alcohol metabolism has three pathways. Alcohol is processed:

1. Liver catalases.
2. Using cytochrome P450.
3. Liver enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase.

More alcohol is broken down by liver enzymes. Alcohol dehydrogenase is produced in response to ethanol entering the body. With its help, alcohol molecules are broken down into acetaldehyde, which subsequently breaks down into water and carbon dioxide. During this transformation, hydrogen peroxide is formed.

Hydrogen peroxide belongs to the group of free radicals. This compound is the direct culprit of cellular damage.

Over time, an excess amount of oxidized products of alcohol metabolism accumulates in the blood of a drinker. This:

• acetaldehyde;
• acetic acid;
• hydrogen peroxide.

All these compounds negatively affect the acid-base balance, significantly shifting it towards oxidation. This is an extremely bad time for the body. Acidosis occurs (pH shift towards oxidation).

Alcohol and sports are incompatible things

Acidosis stops all metabolite processes, which negatively affects the state of the brain. Hence the feeling of euphoria, problems with coordination, thought processes, and gait. In severe cases (with severe intoxication), massive death of neurons (brain cells) begins.. And a sharp inhibition of metabolic processes sometimes provokes loss of consciousness.

So what to do if you recently had a fun holiday with alcohol, and a person has classes in the gym ahead? An adequate option is to skip training, since drinking alcohol on the eve of physical activity is simply unacceptable. Instead of exercise, you will have to stock up on a few bottles of mineral water and kefir. And relax, putting yourself in order with their help.

Experts advise taking alternately mineral water and kefir. They should be drunk in small sips and in small portions.

Don't forget to diversify your diet with a heavy dose of vitamins. Focus on taking vitamin B12. Why? There are explanations for this:

• non-carbonated mineral water will perfectly replenish the deficiency of ions and liquid, relieving the symptoms of acidosis;
• kefir products will compensate for the lack of lactate in the body (it is this substance that is actively consumed during alcohol intoxication);
• vitamin B12 successfully helps to revive nervous system and brain function.

It is also advisable to include cottage cheese, lean meat and vegetables of any kind (stewed, steamed, boiled, fresh) in the athlete’s diet throughout the day. Training after mild intoxication can be resumed for the next 1-1.5 days. Keep in mind that the body is still in a weakened state.

Therefore, the load on it should be small, limiting it to limited training on small muscles. Ideally, you should start training with:

• arm muscles, their stimulation will help restore blood circulation to the brain;
• abdominal muscles to normalize liver function and increase the supply of oxygen to it.

Remember, it doesn't matter which one sporty look you get carried away. Alcohol and intense sports are not allowed. Ideally, it is better to completely abstain from alcohol that destroys the body and health. Especially if your goal is to gain a beautiful body shape, strong muscles and excellent health.

Is it possible to exercise with a hangover? IN Lately the craze for a healthy lifestyle leads to the flourishing of various fitness clubs and gyms. Having a slim, fit body is now fashionable; it is an indicator of consciousness and, if you like, social status. Playing sports at an amateur level allows you to maintain your health with regular exercise. However in life active person There are not only sports and work, but also recreation, and this often involves drinking alcohol.

Friday get-togethers with friends and girlfriends summer veranda your favorite cafe with cocktails or going to a club and tasting strong drinks - all this happens to everyone from time to time. The category of people who train intensively for competitions and fundamentally do not drink alcohol in any form is small; the majority still allow themselves to go out of their healthy lifestyle once a month and have a little fun. Is it possible to exercise with a hangover? How to behave after heavy drinking and do you need to take emergency measures to come to your senses and not miss training on Saturday after Friday fun?

Positive effect of training

If you look at the situation in general terms, the occasional consumption of alcoholic beverages and the combination of this lifestyle with sports is much better than the absence of sports in a person’s life at all. Light amateur sports, such as morning jogging in the park, hour-long bicycle rides, roller skating and skateboarding, have a positive effect on the body.

In moderation, light sport is an excellent adaptogen; it enhances the body’s ability to resist harmful effects. environment, including alcohol. Surely many have noticed that athletes can drink significantly larger doses compared to an ordinary person and don't get drunk. Sport leads to tolerance, but this is more of a focus than a recommendation.

The positive news is that light sports activities are really beneficial for the body, as they allow you to carry out and speed up your metabolism faster. During a half-hour light morning run with a hangover general state improves, blood circulation increases, fluid excretion by the kidneys increases, intestinal function starts, and saturation with blood goes away.

Negative aspects of loads

But this process also has back side: With alcohol in the blood, muscle growth slows down to zero. It has been proven that regular consumption of a glass of red wine reduces the rate of muscle glycogen production by 20%. Since it is glycogen that is necessary for the growth of muscle mass and supplying the body with energy during sports, the answer to the question about the compatibility of alcohol and sports is obvious.

With a hangover, there is a risk of exceeding the load; the body, which is under stress, does not send the necessary signals. When exercising in the gym, you can get seriously injured, because in addition to broken reflexes, the body can fail. A hangover is characterized by a disorder of the vestibular apparatus. It is impossible to exercise in such a state.

Exercising while hungover will at least not bring any benefit, and cardio exercise is completely dangerous for the cardiovascular system. In small doses, alcohol can increase endurance and strength, this is achieved through.

However, it is not worth exposing the body to such stress regularly; the heart is under enormous stress. For the young, healthy people As a one-time action, such a technique will be beneficial. In addition, during a hungover run and a feeling of heaviness combined with a headache, you can make a promise to yourself never to drink again. People over 40 years old should not treat a hangover with sports at all, as the additional load on the heart can become critical.

Why doesn't working out with a hangover give you the results you want?

Alcoholic drinks contain alcohol, which interferes with proper protein synthesis. So far, which was treacherously slipped into her, does not enter the muscles construction material. Until the processing process is completed, muscle processes will not start, which means power training It just won't make sense. The load is only useful for removing toxins and accelerating blood circulation; muscles will not be able to grow in such conditions.

With a hangover, the body is dehydrated and needs a day to restore the water-salt balance. Any workout is accompanied by sweating, this is well known, so sports take even more fluid from the body dehydrated by alcohol.

And this is already harmful. It is impossible to recover by drinking 3 liters of water; this is a long process that takes time. Therefore, it is advisable to just give your body a rest after a party with alcoholic drinks. In some cases, it is better to skip a workout rather than attempt it for the sake of your health.

Exercising with a hangover often leads to injury. It’s easy to miscalculate the load, drop the weight on your leg, or hit yourself or, worse, the person standing next to you in the head with dumbbells. Running along the path is completely dangerous; a second loss of concentration can result in a fall. The fact is that ethyl alcohol reduces susceptibility to pain, so with special desire and effort, you can seriously damage ligaments and muscles. Partial tissue ruptures take a long time to recover.

If the desire to attend a training session is extremely high, then you should give preference to light types, without the use of heavy equipment. It is best to focus on working with your own weight and stretching. This will help you recover faster and remove toxic substances from the body without the risk of injury.

What sports can you do with a hangover?

The best option for a hangover would be Pilates, stretching and other activities that do not involve a high heart rate and the use of heavy objects.

I am glad to welcome everyone! I think you have often wondered - alcohol and bodybuilding, are these activities compatible, how does one affect the other, and in general, is it worth taking on the chest? I myself was interested in such questions, and I decided to collect all possible (and impossible) information and bring it to you.

So, today we will find out what role alcohol has on muscle structures, which alcohol is preferable to drink if it’s really “unbearable,” and how to reduce its effect on the body as a whole.

Well, take your seats, we're starting.

Alcohol and bodybuilding: theory

We are all human and live according to the laws of the society that surrounds us. For Russia, these laws are as follows: every day is a holiday (let’s take at least the month of May with its long weekends), and every holiday there are noisy festivities and feasts. Well, where there is a feast, there it is true friend and comrade - general alcohol. Of course, over time, professional athletes have developed a kind of immunity to this green serpent, although sometimes they, no, no, and give themselves some slack. What can we say about mere mortals :). Conduct a small experiment on yourself, answer the question: “when am I in last time did you take intoxicating drink on your chest?” I think the answer will be a time interval of the order of 2-3 a month, no more.

This brings me to the point that if you do not live on a desert island, then no matter what regime you adhere to, no matter what willpower you have, you are, to one degree or another, susceptible to the influence of “bad things,” including alcohol. It’s a paradox - but as soon as you make a vow to yourself that at least within 2-3 For months you can’t touch alcohol, weddings, name days, christenings and other various events begin immediately. What to do in this situation? Of course, the first thing you need to do is “know the enemy by sight” and draw the appropriate conclusions. This is exactly what we will do now.

So, by alcohol we mean any internal solution that contains ethyl alcohol. Ethanol is a psychotropic substance and, despite its lower toxicity (compared to other alcohols), has a significant psychoactive effect that depresses the human central nervous system. However, this is not the only negative effect it has on the body, in particular on bodybuilding results. (muscle growth, strength indicators) alcohol also has a negative effect.

The athlete must always remember that:

1. degree of mild intoxication (1-2 glasses of wine) corresponds to missing one workout in the gym;
2. degree of moderate intoxication (1-2 bottles of beer) with matches the pass 1-2 weeks of training;
3. Constant consumption of alcohol (every other day) in small quantities (a glass of beer) leads to stagnation 80% athletes and a significant decrease;
4. the body needs 48 hours to withdraw every 30 gr. alcohol;
5. vodka contains “empty calories” that are slowly absorbed (on average at a speed of 10 g/hour). 200 ml will be processed only for 8 hours!
6. 30 grams of alcohol is contained in 0,5-1 liter of any beer, the latter contains phytoestrogens (female sex hormones), which easily turn into fat;
7. Ethyl alcohol is very quickly absorbed from the small intestine ( 80% ) and stomach ( 20% ) before other nutrients have a chance to be digested.

Alcohol and bodybuilding: effects on muscles

If we consider physiological processes effects of alcohol on muscles, then it:

• Reduces growth hormone levels.

After drinking alcohol for the next two days on 40% hormone secretion decreases IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) And ;

• Inhibits muscle protein synthesis.

Alcohol, due to the release of a catabolic (destruction) hormone, slows down 20% the process of muscle protein synthesis;

• Reduces (by 25% ) the level of the male sex hormone - and increases the level of female estrogen. Alcohol also causes the rapid conversion of androgens into estrogens;

• It has a toxic effect on fast (white) muscle fibers, which produce the greatest increase in muscle mass.

• Reduces glycogen reserves, the main energy source of muscles.

• Destroys the body's aerobic capacity and negatively affects endurance.

• Causes dehydration.

Water is bound due to intense fluid secretion by the kidneys. Thus, a water deficit forms in the body, muscle growth stops, and the speed of their recovery decreases;

• Starts fat formation processes.

Besides the fact that alcohol is a high-calorie compound (1 g contains 7 calories), it also disrupts the Krebs cycle - the process of fat oxidation. It has been proven that 24 alcohol reduce lipolysis of fats by 70% . This means that it is so difficult for the body to absorb alcohol that it simply forgets about the processes of fat burning;

• Increases appetite, everything flies without being chewed.

• Leads to depletion of nutrients such as minerals.

There is a deficiency of calcium, zinc, iron, as well as vitamins such as A, C, B, which play a key role in the processes of muscle contraction and relaxation, as well as their growth;

• Disturbs sleep functions.

A disorder of the fast and slow phases of sleep occurs, as a result of which its restorative effect on the muscles is reduced. It turns out that after taking “fire water” the body will direct all its resources to neutralize toxins, and only then (what remains) to restoration processes.

So, from all this we can draw an unambiguous conclusion: bodybuilding and alcohol are two opposites that should not only attract, but even come into contact. It's like white and black, like yin and yang. Why sweat at the gym if all the results are after a little Saturday revelry with friends? (and a couple of glasses of alcohol) will be reduced to nothing, and we can start all over again?

Alcohol and bodybuilding for non-professional athletes

All this, of course, is true, but again, it is worth understanding that if you are not a competitive athlete, then you are unlikely to adhere to a total “prohibition” law. Therefore in ordinary life, if you just regularly go to the gym, eat right and generally look after your physique, then small alcohol indulgences have a place for you. The key word here is “small”, for example, a glass of wine a month is small, a bottle of beer ( 0,5 k) once every two weeks is already too much.

Now let's look at how you can still reduce the negative effects of alcohol on the body if there is no other way out, and you understand that you'll get a little screwed tonight :).

Alcohol and bodybuilding: reducing the harmful effects

In order to protect your muscles from the consequences of drinking alcohol, remember the following rules:

• drink plenty of water before the banquet;
• take a double dose of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), near 500 mg;
• eat something protein-rich before bed (egg white, cottage cheese);
• forget about training 2 days from the moment after drinking alcohol;
• immediately after “skipping” a glass, lean on the snack (lean meat, cheese, poultry);
• after the banquet (The next morning), drink a glass of orange juice and 2 glasses of mineral water;
• take before breakfast 5-10 g glutamine to prevent muscle catabolism;
• breakfast should consist of foods rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus and iron - buckwheat with milk, a banana and a plate of cottage cheese - this is the best option.

In general, if we consider the mechanism of alcohol’s effect on the body, it is quite primitive. After drinking, alcohol is quickly absorbed from the small intestine, enters the bloodstream and easily passes the blood-brain barrier. Further, alcohol has an intoxicating effect on the cerebral cortex, resulting in clouded rational thinking. It then reaches the limbic system with its “primitive” parts of the brain, and it takes over the functions of rational thinking. Thus, it turns out that a person begins to think not with his head, but with “emotions.”

Calorie content of main alcoholic drinks

For the most part, alcoholic drinks also contain calories from other sources that add to the total caloric intake. Almost all canned cocktails contain fat; wine and beer are high in “empty” carbohydrates. Beer contains more carbohydrates and a lower percentage of ethyl alcohol than wine. Due to its high energy content, beer contributes to more active accumulation of excess weight.

Long gone are the days when alcoholic drinks were a curiosity; now in any store you can see only one beer of several dozen varieties. Therefore, if you have already decided to “sin” and venerate the green serpent, then it will be useful to know the percentage of alcohol, calorie content, etc. in various strong drinks.

So let's start with...

Beer (ethanol content 5%) (see table)

Wines (ethanol content from 6 to 12%) (see table)

Strong alcohol (see table)

From all of the above, the following conclusions can be drawn. If you still decide to “treat yourself”, then:

• It is better to drink alcohol with a low calorie content and a high percentage of alcohol (i.e. wine is preferable to beer);
• It is better to avoid high-calorie liqueurs that taste good;
• When drinking, always keep a snack on hand;
• drink plain water between alcohol intakes.

Uff-f, well, that's all, our topic - alcohol and bodybuilding - has come to its logical conclusion.

Afterword

The lecture on how alcohol and bodybuilding combine is over. To drink or not to drink is up to you to choose. But remember that attractive (in the eyes of the opposite sex) A beautiful body makes you and high level male hormone, and not excess weight and constant shortness of breath. Conclusion - if you want to get drunk on fun, try to get it from sources alternative to alcohol. In the most extreme cases, you can organize a “warm-up” for yourself, but please, work this innocent prank to the fullest in the hall :).

All the best, dear comrades, see you in touch!

PS. Don't forget about comments, it's always nice to hear from you.