Details

Written by Marcel Gemme C.C.D.C

Alcohol Abuse and Your Muscles

For those of you who are working hard to lose weight and gain muscles, you should know that excessive alcohol drinking can damage your muscle tissues. When you drink, alcohol can affect your muscles in several ways:

Growth Hormone – this hormone plays an important role in muscle building and its release is actually prevented by too much alcohol in the body. Aside from building muscle, the growth hormone works to stimulate cell development for optimal growth of the bones. Lack of growth hormones in your body will make it hard for you to reach your muscle gain goals. Also, growth hormones are usually released at nighttime and chronic drinkers are prone to sleep disorders, which will make it difficult for your body to have enough growth hormones.

Testosterone – another important hormone for muscle growth and development. When you drink too much alcohol, your liver, which is responsible for releasing this hormone, will have problems doing so because of the toxic substance in the alcohol.

Protein Synthesis – drinking alcohol could slow down manufacture of proteins by as much as 20 percent. Muscles, as you know, are predominantly made up of proteins. Decreases protein synthesis can also lead to muscle atrophy and alcoholic myopathy .

Dehydration – alcoholic beverages are considered to be diuretics and without sufficient water in your body, your muscles will be so much weaker.

Fat Storage – losing weight will be much more difficult with excessive alcohol consumption as most alcoholic beverages contain a high amount of calories. Metabolic functions, particularly those involved in fat burning, are also disrupted.

Recovery – considering that you need much energy to build your muscle, alcohol drinking will make it harder for your body to recover the lost energy. Instead, your body will be occupied with removing the toxins from the alcohol you consumed.

Considering the detrimental effects of alcohol on your muscles, avoiding excessive consumption is vital if you want your fitness program to work. Couple it with proper diet and you will achieve all your weight loss and muscle building goals.

^{References
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/133/4/1154
http://www.squidoo.com/Alcohol-Will-Destroy-Your-Muscle-Gains
http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_200/218b_fitness_tip.html}