Many bodybuilders especially amateur weight lifters and bodybuilders enjoy the odd alcohol beverage now and then whether it be a glass of wine, beer or spirits. Here we ask just what affect this has on our body and is it ok to drink if we want to build up muscles.

Unfortunately alcohol interferes with many chemical reactions in the body that are productive in order to build muscle up. The effects of alcohol are felt by the body for at least a couple of days as it is processed very gradually and can affect performance negatively for up to 48 hours after you drank your last glass. 

Just two normal drinks of alcohol can reduce reaction time, lower strength levels, interfere with balance and hand eye co-ordination and increase fatigue. Clearly as a sportsmen all of these will directly affect your performance and as a bodybuilder these will only inhibit your ability to build muscle up.

The liver processes alcohol at the expense of glycogen which is the carbohydrate and fuel for the body therefore leaving the body with less energy and more fatigued. Fatigue is increased by this. The cellular functions of the body will decrease in efficiency when they are glycogen deficient when the body is not using glycogen efficiently.

Alcoholic drinks interfere with the fluid and electrolytes inside the kidneys thus causing dehydration. The kidneys function is to regulate the body’s cells with nutrients they can use for muscle growth and repair and also to take out of the body cellular waste.To process alcohol the kidneys have to filter water vast amounts of water from various parts of the body including the brain, this may dehydrate the body and scupper attempts at athletic performance and muscle building training sessions.

Tachycardia can be caused (which is an abnormally fast heart beat) when consuming alcohol as alcohol raises the individuals blood pressure. Whats more sleep is a time for the body to grow but this is disrupted by alcohol consumption. It also decreases how easily the body can absorb minerals and vitamins , these of course have crucial roles in chemical reactions for muscle growth.

The effect on the way the brain processes information will also be affected negatively. If not enough glycogen reaches the brain due to alcohol then slow disoriented thinking will be the result. Unfortunately alcohol may cause a reduction in your motivation and drive which of course is essential for success in any field!

So bearing all this in mind, clearly if you are seriously want to build up muscle then you are going to have to lay of the alcohol. Simply consuming the recommended daily amount of alcohol can negatively affect the body! There are a vast range of other effects on the body due to the presence of alcohol which are beyond the scope of this article.

 

Tags: alcohol, build muscle up, build up muscle, build up muslces
Filed under: Fat Loss