Does alcohol really ruin muscle gains??

[HELLRAZAH]

Anyone know?

[Coreano]

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.




2) It lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen.

Testosterone is the most important muscle-building hormone in your body. One of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can gain is their level of free-flowing testosterone.




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.




4) It depletes the 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.




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 muscle-building results, 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.

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 muscle-building 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 an impressive physique and have a social life at the same time.

Usually I dont take training advice from body builders, but this was the most relevant thing I could find for your question. Aparently, its quite bad for muscle growth.

[HELLRAZAH]

yeh ive read that i wanted to see if anyone has had any personal experience with it

thanks

[Nacho_Analstain]

i drink quite alot on the weekends,have done for a while,and i dont really exerscise,apart from recently when i joined boxin,and even thou im not muscley or big,when i went to the gym 4 a while i didnt have any problem gaining muscle and toning up,but every 1s genes are different

[Exige Jr]

Go to a club and drink water... That what im gonna start doing from now on haha. It sounds really boring, but seriously, I dont need alcohol to have a good time. Im more serious about my boxing, than I am about my socialising. They say work hard, play hard... well im still playing hard im just toning it down a little so I dont **** up my career in boxing.

[USMCboxer]

That part quoted above is some of the best advice you can get. You should avoid alcohol completely. Nothing to be gained from it at all. Nothing.

[fraidycat]

Go to a club and drink water... That what im gonna start doing from now on haha. It sounds really boring, but seriously, I dont need alcohol to have a good time. Im more serious about my boxing, than I am about my socialising. They say work hard, play hard... well im still playing hard im just toning it down a little so I dont **** up my career in boxing.

When I go out, I order tonic water with a slice of lime in a rocks glass. Then it looks like I'm drinking. It makes interacting with people at parties or bars far easier if if looks like you're drinking, too. Here in the States, non-drinkers are looked at as prudish and uptight.

[Exige Jr]

When I go out, I order tonic water with a slice of lime in a rocks glass. Then it looks like I'm drinking. It makes interacting with people at parties or bars far easier if if looks like you're drinking, too. Here in the States, non-drinkers are looked at as prudish and uptight.

Yep, its the same here mate.

However, I dont care what people think of me. And I do care about my boxing. So im making that sacrifice.

[USMCboxer]

Well put. You shouldn't give two cents of care about what some jackass thinks about you and whether you consume alcohol or not. You should put more regard on your health and your sport/profession rather than some others' opinions. You're not going to educate them about why you're doing what you're doing, and believe me, they really don't give a damn about you (or your well-being), for the most-part, anyway. You should be the one looking out for yourself.

[Exige Jr]

Well put. You shouldn't give two cents of care about what some jackass thinks about you and whether you consume alcohol or not. You should put more regard on your health and your sport/profession rather than some others' opinions. You're not going to educate them about why you're doing what you're doing, and believe me, they really don't give a damn about you (or your well-being), for the most-part, anyway. You should be the one looking out for yourself.

Yep nobody else is looking out for me.

My mates may say "oh you're just doing it because you are boxing" and kinda like brush it off. But what they gonna say when im regional/national champion?