Alcohol & Building Muscle – The 5 Ways That Alcohol Affects Muscle Gains

Many people wonder if drinking alcohol can affect muscle growth. The answer is yes!

This will not be a lecture about the values of not drinking. I’m not against alcohol at all. I like to toss back a few sometimes.

If you’re on a muscle building program, consuming too much alcohol will have a bad impact.

Here are 5 ways that alcohol abuse can slow your muscle gains…

#1 It Slows Protein Synthesis

Amino acids have to band together to form proteins. This is protein synthesis. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can slow this process down by about 20%.

Your muscles are made of water and protein, so you see how this can be a problem!

#2 It Lowers Your Testosterone Levels

You need plenty of testosterone if you want to maximize your muscle gains!

#3 It Dehydrates You

To break down the alcohol, your kidneys must filter a lot of water. This can cause major dehydration

Your muscles are about 70% water, so even slight dehydration is a problem.

#4 It Depletes Your Body Of Vitamins And Minerals

Excessive drinking causes vitamins A, C, B, calcium, and other minerals to be drained at fast rates.

This affects a lot of functions within your body, including processes that help repair and grow muscle tissue.

#5 It Causes Fat Storage

Alcohol can also be fattening. For one thing, the calories are empty and contain no nutritional value. Two, alcohol disrupts the Krebs Cycle. The Krebs Cycle has a role in processes that burn fat. Body fat will cover up muscles you worked hard to build.

If you want to build muscle fast, monitor your alcohol intake and drink in moderation.

Having some drinks sometimes won’t hurt too much. If you like to get drunk every weekend, just know that it’s probably going to slow down your ability to gain muscle mass.

Before you begin to drink, down lots of water, have a multi vitamin (or two) and eat a high protein dinner.

Terrence Banks has a site on how to build muscle and tips on the fastest way to build muscle.