1-2 drinks per day for the general public, is considered moderation. As a bodybuilder looking for the best possible muscle gains, maybe 1 drink per day or even 1 drink per week would meet your goals. However, 6-7 drinks would be detrimental to your muscle-building endeavours.
After a workout your body needs to begin rebuilding the muscle tissue that was broken down and torn. At the end of the day, moderate alcohol consumption is acceptable. Though excessive alcohol consumption following a workout is not. It slows protein turnover and increases fat storage.
Research shows that an acute bout of moderate alcohol intake does not accelerate exercise induced muscle damage and also doesn't affect muscle strength.
Alcohol and Muscle Growth
Muscle biopsies indicated reduced rates of muscle protein synthesis (MPS) following physical training. Alcohol consumed with protein reduced MPS by 24% and 37% when combined with carbohydrate.
On the Relentless Gains blog, they advise drinking a litre of water for every 1,000 calories burned. Which would mean 4 litres of water for someone burning 4,000 calories per day. That might sound a little arbitrary, but it does tie in with the much-lauded advice that bodybuilders should drink a gallon (4 litres).
Summary. You can enjoy a good beer in the evening while bulking. There's no reason to think it will reduce your testosterone, stunt your muscle growth, or cause extra fat gain. Just don't make a habit of binge drinking, staying up past your bedtime, or showing up to the gym feeling haggard.
Well, research has found that 9 glasses of alcohol after training can decrease muscle protein synthesis by a whopping 24%. So a male can go and train as hard as he likes, but if he goes and has a big night out with 9 plus drinks, he'll grow 24% less muscle.
Spirits. Vodka, whisky, rum and gin are the best places to start for low calorie alcohol. Lower proofs have lower calories with your average 80 proof drink costing you about 64 calories per shot. It's a good deal for a bodybuilder's night on the town.
“The most critical period for recovery is within a one-hour period after exercise, so you should definitely avoid drinking within this window and focus on replenishing electrolytes, rehydrating, and fueling correctly,” Mayer says. But ideally, one hour between workouts and booze is the bare minimum.
Research shows that moderate doses of alcohol – equivalent to around two beers – can actually increase testosterone levels. The downside, though, is that this increase doesn't last very long, making it therefore unlikely to significantly contribute to muscle gain.
Yes you heard that correctly. They don't drink alcohol! But they do drink plenty of water, which helps with their skin.
It's recommended to wait until alcohol has cleared your system before you start exercising. A single drink may take 1–2 hours, while multiple drinks may take several hours or more. If there is still alcohol in your body while you're exercising, you are putting yourself at risk for worsening dehydration.
Shambourger won a gold medal in bodybuilding at the Pan-American Games in Argentina in 1995. He also won the Mr. Universe title after representing the US at the World Amateur Body Building Championships. But, after battling injuries, Rhoden turned to alcoholism after his dad passed away.
The answer is yes, but that should be in moderation. There should be a balance between beer and bodybuilding. Beer is loaded with energy promoting B vitamins and absorbs carbs quickly, which can help you to stick to your fitness regimen via social strengthening, and will not impact your hydration.
Alcohol consumption affects your body's ability to rehydrate. Since you sweat when you exercise, you will typically be dehydrated afterwards. If you then drink alcohol after exercise, it'll take you longer to rehydrate and recover (which will leave you feeling sore for longer).
Studies found that heavy alcohol consumption results in reduced testosterone levels in the blood. Alcohol also impairs the function of the testicular Sertoli cells that play an important role in sperm maturation.
#1 Alcohol Disrupts Protein Synthesis
To BUILD muscle, we need to consume dietary protein. The process of building new muscle is called protein synthesis.
Drinking water encourages digestion.
Bodybuilders need to drink more water than the average person because they are eating and digesting more food than the average person. This means that their bodies– and bodily processes– are working hard to translate the extra calories into muscle growth.
There is no reason why you cannot have "six-pack abs" and still drink a six-pack a week. Once again, excessive beer drinking is not recommended by anyone in the health industry.
So is beer good or bad for bodybuilding? The answer is that it can be good, but only in moderation. Beer is rich in energy promoting B vitamins and quickly absorbed carbs, can help you stick to your fitness routine via social strengthening, and won't negatively impact your hydration.
1. Beer helps maintain muscle. Firstly, studies show alcohol decreases the amount of fatty acids in your blood, meaning you better preserve energy needed for muscle maintenance. That's right, your regular brewski cements a solid foundation of muscle to build your training goals on.
Simply stated, alcohol and protein synthesis don't mix. Alcohol hinders the protein synthesis process, thus negating any gains obtained through exercise.