Drinking significant amounts of alcohol is one of he principal factors behind many men's loss of muscle tone and definition. Unfortunately, despite what nutritionists say, many people still drink excessively and wonder why they can't build muscle the way they would like. If muscle gain is not what you want, then this is ok; but if you are looking to build muscle then this article will give you the lowdown on the relationship between alcohol and muscle weight gain.
We've already established the need to be careful about your alcohol consumption if you want to get a six-pack (pardon the pun), but why exactly is this - what does alcohol do to your body and muscle mass?
1. Alcohol raises estrogen and decreases testosterone
Testosterone is the hormone that basically is the key to building muscles. If protein is the fuel for building muscle, then testosterone is the gas pedal. Guys with a lot of testosterone can build muscle faster than guys with less testosterone. Estrogen is another hormone, but one that you definitely want to minimise, as it can cause you to develop female characteristics (in other words, man-boobs!).
2. Alcohol lessens your ability to break down protein
Protein synthesis will be decreased by up to 20% in heavy drinkers. This means that you will not be converting protein into muscle, In other words, your hard workouts and body building routines will be wasted.
3. It removes key minerals from your body
Alcohol increases the excretion of natural vitamins and minerals inside your body. WWhen you drink a lot, the alcohol can remove some of the important chemicals that our body needs namely Vitamin A, B, C, zinc and calcium. These elements are lost quickly which can affect your body's natural balance. Maintaining a high level of minerals and vitamins inside your body will hugely improve muscle growth and quality mass gain.
4. Alcohol will dehydrate you
You can get dehydrated by drinking? Yeah right! That's a common response. But stop and think... have you noticed that every time you go out drinking you order water or soft drinks to quench your thirst? This is because alcohol is a diuretic - it increases the production of urine. And as you may have guessed, each time you go for a number one, some of those important minerals are lost down the John. If this goes on, the water in your body can’t satisfy the demand from your muscles - which are, believe it or not, composed of about 65% water.
5. It triggers fat storage
Most drinkers develop "beer bellies". This is because alcohol chemically trigger the storage of fat by your body. Alcohol has about 6-8 calories per gram and can therefore make you fat quickly, leading to a bloated look.
Maintining a moderate level of alcohol consumption is important, particulary if you are focused on muscle mass building. Drinking in itself isn't totally out of the question, but it must be controlle; otherwise you will struggle to gain muscle quickly and get the body image you want.
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