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Posts Tagged ‘alcohol and muscle growth’

There are many people that want to know if drinking alcohol negatively affects muscle gains. The answer is yes!

No, this will not be an anti alcohol speech. I’m definitely not against alcohol. I enjoy a few drinks myself sometimes.

But, if you’re on a muscle building program, drinking too much alcohol will definitely have a negative impact on your efforts.

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 too much can slow this process down by 20%.

Your muscles are mostly water and protein, so you see how this might be a problem!

#2 It Lowers Testosterone

You need maximum testosterone production 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 adversely affects many functions within your body, including repair and growth of muscle tissue.

#5 It Causes Fat Storage

Alcohol can also be fattening. For one, the calories contain no value nutritionally. Two, alcohol disrupts your body’s Krebs Cycle. The Krebs Cycle has a role in processes that burn fat. If you gain body fat, your muscle will be less visible.

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

Drinking alcohol sometimes won’t hurt too much. If you wanna get drunk a few times a week, please realize that it’s going to slow down your ability to build lean muscle.

Before you begin drinking, drink a lot of water, have some extra vitamins and minerals and eat a meal rich in protein.

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