One topic that is always on peoples mind when it comes to a body transformation is alcohol.
Can I have a few drinks?
Is it best to drink this type over this? We will cut the bull shit obviously if you want the best results you need to cut out the booze.
However we are not robots and sometimes as adults there are some occasions where we like to let our hair down and
knock back a cold one or 2. What we need to understand is what happens to the body when we drink so we can make the best decisions leading into, during and after a drinking session.
So today we will teach you some basic must knows about alcohol.
First things first what should you drink? Now you need to ask yourself why do you drink….. Generally because you enjoy it right?
So in my opinion there is no point in changing to vodka waters to try and save a few calories. Drink your favourite beverage (in moderation) and have a good time.
Understanding alcohol is an important point when it comes to a night on the turps, so understand that alcohol is a macro-nutrient. That’s right your body will use alcohol as a fuel source just like it will use carbs, fats and proteins.
Sounds good yes? Well… this is actually our first problem, when we consume alcohol, yes our body will use it for energy but the problem is it will use it at the expense of utilising other fuel sources.
Alcohol can not be stored in the body this means we have to metabolise it all before we will start to use other energy systems. So essentially alcohol will switch off all other metabolic pathways whilst it is still present in the body, leaving all other macros (carbs, fats and proteins) to be stored.
Eventually as fat like anything that the body can not metabolise, excrete or detoxify will be stored. Why is this important to know?
Think about what happens when you drink, many drinks will have mixers full of sugars, generally the cheese and biscuits come out or we hit the kebab shop on the way home. Not one of these things can be metabolised whilst alcohol is still present….. Time to make better choices!
Now that we know how alcohol works as an energy source we need to understand the impact it will make to our transformation by affecting hormone functions.
Besides messing with our insulin sensitivity by shutting off the ability to process carbs obviously playing with
our blood sugar levels it also has a major impact on our testosterone and cortisol levels.
Alcohol is a toxin to the body and the chemical we release to combat this also attacks testosterone, essentially killing our major muscle building hormone.
As testosterone is decreasing cortisol levels are increasing due to the extra stress we are enduring from the increased toxins, changing of metabolic pathways and more often then not interrupted sleep patterns (which has a ton of side effects hormonally itself).
So when we are drinking our ability to build muscle is hindered whilst our ability to store fat is improved.
Finally hydration. Alcohol will dehydrate you faster then you can say poor me another shot! This is a deadset obvious one that leads to numerous problems including fatigue, decreased cognitive ability and a build up of toxins all having an overall impact on how your body will react over the next couple of days.
Hopefully this has shed some light on what’s going on when we choose to drink and explains how much of an impact it can have on our transformation progress.
My take home points:
- Keep up the water; increase intake leading up to the event, whilst your drinking space
each alcoholic drink with a glass of water and, keep the fluids flowing the next day. - Make better food choices; get in a nice healthy meal before you start, make good
choices when you are out and avoid the greasy hangover meal the next day. - Drink in moderation; don’t hammer your systems by getting white girl wasted enjoy a few, not a few too many.
Get after it guys,
Corey
Do you find yourself drinking with friends fairly regularly? Are you training hard in the gym but not achieving the results you want? Sick and tired of trying diets, going to the gym and still not looking the way you want to?
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