Alcohol and Its Effects on the Body

If a person is serious about losing weight as well as gaining muscle weight, it is important to keep in mind the effects of alcohol on their body.

Moderation is usually considered as having 1-2 drinks per day. If the aim is building muscle, it likely that moderation will not do much harm, and may even have some health benefits such as increased HDL. However, excessive alcohol consumption will compromise the results you'll get from a diet plan and training program. Hangovers tend to be result from dehydration; alcohol dehydrates the body since it draws water from the cells and increases water loss through the kidneys. For example running requires water within the body to keep you cool. If lack the proper hydration you are risking over heating such as heat exhaustion, muscle cramps, or even heat stroke.

Alcohol consumption hinders the body from the absorption of the proper nutrients for muscle growth during weight lifting. Alcohol tends to suppress the body's ability to burn fat. The main reason is that oxidation of the alcohol takes top priority over the oxidation of other macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, and fats. In other words, while your body is busy metabolizing alcohol it cannot properly utilize the fats, carbohydrate and protein. As long as the alcohol is in your system, your body will simply convert most of the calories you normally eat into body fat.

Due to alcohol beverages being high in calories, some people may think it's a good way to gain weight. However, due to the lack of nutritional value it provides, it just isn't worth it if you are serious about seeing good results and your health.