The year-end is here and alcohol may be unavoidable from your social events, such as Christmas and the New Years. (Yes, it’s 2021 already! Where did all the time go?) If you have been exercising regularly and keeping your nutrition in check, it is important to understand the effects of alcohol on your fitness.

You probably already know that alcohol consumption can lead to weight gain, because of the extra calories. This is also shown in research. But there is actually a lot more reasons why alcohol consumption can prevent you from reaching your weight and fitness goals. Not having a balanced approach to consuming alcohol could be what is standing in your way of reaping the rewards of all the hard work you’ve put in so far.

Here I’ll be taking you through some of the ways how alcohol can cause weight gain and negatively affect your fitness. Not forgetting practical tips to manage your alcohol intake. If you’re serious about shedding your belly fat and putting on significant amount of muscle, make sure you reduce your alcohol intake, or even better, cut it completely!

*Alcohol and fitness do not come together.*

Alcohol is Calorie-Heavy

First and most obviously, alcohol has a lot of calories. 1 gram of alcohol contains 7 calories. Specifically, 100 grams of beer contain approximately 43 calories, 100 grams of wine contain 76 calories and 100 grams of hard liquor contains 200 calories. To put it in layman’s terms, a can of beer (330 ml) contains about 141 calories, a glass of wine (150 ml) contains about 114 calories and a shot of vodka (44 ml) contains about 88 calories. A simple night out with 3 glasses of wine can add up to 342 calories, which can significantly add to your daily calorie count. Or worse, on your heavy drinking nights, 5 pints of beer during happy hour can sum up to a whopping 1075 calories! Furthermore, these alcohol tend to come with mixers and sweeteners which can be very high in sugar. In fact, a study showed how consuming alcohol will increase abdominal fat.

Alcohol is also liquid calories, which are usually considered bad for weight loss as they do not make you full. In fact, they make you more hungry, which is elaborated in my next point.

*Cocktails can be even more calorie-heavy.*

Alcohol makes you Hungry

As an appetite stimulant, another obvious way how alcohol can cause weight gain is by non-stop eating. This is shown in studies. As your liver is busy processing the alcohol, your body glucose level starts to drop. This would mean that hunger signals are sent to your brain, causing you to crave for carbs and sugar. That is why the McDonald’s outside the club or Kebab store outside the bar is always packed with people at 2 am on a Saturday night.

In addition, alcohol inhibits your decision-making. As you get hungry, it’s harder to stop yourself. Research has shown that it makes you less aware of your food choices, more willing to eat and less concerned over nutrition. Before you know it, you’re busy munching down a big bag of Doritos after a long night out drinking. You’ve chugged 1000 calories outside and now you’re consuming another 1000 calories of high fat and high sugar food at home, basically maxing out your calorie count for entire day in 3 hours.

That’s not all! As you wake up the next day, you’re probably feeling tired from the night out. Your body will then crave for food to replenish its energy. You then proceed to order salty and sweet food to satisfy your cravings.

*Alcohol and snacks always come hand-in-hand.*

Alcohol affects your Metabolism

Calories in alcohol will be preferentially burned by the body. This is because alcohol is registered as a toxin, so your liver prioritizes in getting rid of it first. This means that if you consume 100 calories of alcohol and 100 calories of cake, your body will burn the calories from alcohol first. This means that the calories from cake will be stored in your body, instead of getting burnt off.

On the same note, as your body is focused on burning the alcohol, it doesn’t have time to burn fat. So where does the fat go? Well, it’s staying right there - on your belly, arms, thighs or face. Only until all the alcohol in your body is burnt will only then your body starts to burn those fat. In other words, your metabolism slows down. This has been shown in research.

Alcohol affects your Workouts

The morning after a night out of drinking probably will leave you with a headache, feeling exhausted and dehydrated. Staying in bed would surely be more appealing than getting up to head to the gym. Skipping your workout for the day is probably something that you would likely do.

Even if you make it to the gym, your performance will be greatly affected. As a diuretic, alcohol causes you to lose a lot of water. Being dehydrated would mean less strength and endurance, as there is reduced blood flow through your body. You might also be feeling very tired because your liver is focused on breaking down the alcohol instead of producing glucose. Without glucose, there is lack of energy for workout. Furthermore, alcohol reduces reaction, coordination and balance, which affects performance in the gym. You will also not be able to clear the lactic acid accumulated in your body fast enough. A study showed how your performance can be reduced by up to 11%.

And when you get back home after the workout, muscle recovery is affected, and again due to dehydration. Studies have shown how alcohol reduces muscle protein synthesis post-workout. As a result, your muscles continue to feel sore from poor recovery and you have to wait for a longer time for it to heal.

Research has shown how alcohol can also affect sleep quality, which is a key to recovery. Your body will spend more time in REM and light sleep, and less time in deep sleep. That’s the reason why you often wake up the next day feeling not well-rested. Poor sleep and excessive alcohol also affect hormone production in your body, which further impacts muscle growth.

*There are too many ways how alcohol can negatively affect your workout.*

Tips on how to Manage Alcohol Intake

1) Drinking from a larger glass has shown to increase the volume of alcohol consumption, as it gives you the impression that you have more to drink, so you tend to drink faster. Drinking from a smaller sized glass or cup might work. Drinking slowly also can help to reduce intake.

2) Drinking water and eating something before you consume alcohol can help curb the cravings from excessive drinking. Good food choices would be something with fiber and protein like vegetables, oatmeal or eggs. These food will stay in your stomach longer, allowing you to feel full throughout the night. Space alcoholic drinks with water can be another way to reduce alcohol intake.

3) It is important to choose the right drinks. Certain drinks like cocktails can be very high in sugar, which increases the amount of calories in the drink. Mixing alcohol with soft drinks can also increase the calorie count by a significant amount. Cut back on cocktails and mixed drinks. If you do want to mix up your drinks, diet coke or soda water with a slice of orange or lemon can be a good alternative.

4) Of course, the best way is to not drink alcohol at all. One way is to be the designated driver for the night.

*Being the designated driver for the night can be a way to curb alcohol consumption.*

Conclusion

We all know that alcohol causes weight gain. But it is so much more than the extra calories. Alcohol does not cause weight gain in the same way as how a cake or a bag of chips does. It makes you more hungry, affects your metabolism, and affects your workout.

If you want to lose weight and gain muscle more effectively, it is important to cut alcohol, or at least significantly reduce the amount you are consuming to 1-2 drinks per week.

P.S. - need more help achieving your fitness goals? Drop me a message!