Alcohol is a toxin we put into our bodies BECAUSE it is a toxin. It bonds itself to cell membranes as it spreads throughout your body, and when it gets to your nerve cells, especially the ones in your brain, it keeps them from working correctly. You get intoxicated. The toxic effects of alcohol are not limited to the "buzz," though. Alcohol is a great way to ruin your muscle-building efforts as well.
Fat
Alcohol has empty calories, about seven per gram of alcohol or around 150 total in a glass of beer or 85 in a glass of wine. With two or three glasses, you will have already gotten a meal's worth of calories. While your body is breaking down the alcohol, it disrupts your fat-burning metabolism, so you are more likely to store fat than burn it. More fat will hide the muscle you were trying to show by training.
Dehydration
Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it decreases water absorption in the body, so if you are not drinking at least as much water, you may become dehydrated. Dehydration makes it harder for your muscles to function, because it slows ATP production, so you have less strength and stamina when you exercise. When there is less water in your blood, glucose levels rise and capillaries shut down, resulting in less oxygen and nutrients to the muscles.
Energy
In addition to disrupting ATP production, breaking down the alcohol also disrupts glycogen synthesis, another energy source for the muscles. Glycogen is the stored form of glucose, which gets released and burned when you need a sudden burst of energy. Your body stores more glycogen immediately after strenuous exercise, so if your body is still breaking down alcohol when you have your post-workout carbohydrates, they will become fat. You will find it harder to get energized for your workouts.
Hormones
Alcohol also disrupts the production of two important hormones needed for muscle growth: testosterone and human growth hormone or HGH. During the first few hours of sleep when HGH is normally secreted, alcohol interferes with your natural sleep rhythm and can decrease HGH production by up to 70 percent. In the process of breaking down alcohol, the liver releases cortisol, which actively inhibits testosterone production. You need testosterone to even maintain muscle tone you already have.
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