Alcohol affects training; we all know that! Today, we’re going to dig a little deeper and talk about some more long-lasting impacts. Don’t worry though, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Alcohol affects testosterone levels. A low dose of alcohol for three weeks straight has been shown to cause a negligible dip in testosterone at around 6.8%. HOWEVER, “high dose” alcohol consumption (yes, even the one-nighter) can decrease testosterone 20-40% the following day! Yikes! For all you moderate drinkers out there (nine consecutive days), your nightly secretion of growth hormone can drop as low as 75% after your nine day bender. (Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15166654/)
Alcohol can have long-lasting effects on reaction time and skill execution. While drinking may not affect your next-day strength, it can affect your next-day coordination and reaction time. All you Olympic lifters and TTG athletes, be careful!
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So you want the gains but you’ve got FOMO, or you just like taking the edge off after a long day. Here’s some healthy alternatives!
Take your CBD (of course!).
Supplementation with a full spectrum CBD product has been shown to decrease anxiety and have a calming effect.
Try a non-alcoholic (N/A) craft brew.
Gone are the days of O’Douls. Next time you visit a liquor store, check out the N/A cooler. Some of our favorite companies are Athletic Brewing and Gruvi.
Explore the hidden world of botanicals!
There are a lot of N/A infusion options out there to help you perfect the refreshing “mocktail.” It’s easier than you think to put a new twist on the Moscow Mule or Mojito.
Now, there are some ideas I'll drink to! Maybe you CAN have your cake and eat it to…🤔
3. Alcohol can decrease muscle building. Sorry folks, but alcohol can affect growth hormone production over the long term, which is crucial for development of our muscles. Growth hormones promote muscle building, muscle repair and can help heal muscle damage.
4. Alcohol Prevents Proper Recovery. Alcohol can cause dehydration and depletion of vitamins and nutrients we need to recover properly. We all know the name of the game is recovery! Failure to optimize your recovery will lead to failure to achieve maximum gains.