When it comes to drinking alcohol I have the belief that like most things (sweets, crisps, chocolate etc) it is fine to have it in moderation. I will gladly admit that even as a personal trainer and an endurance event enthusiast I usually enjoy a few glasses of wine with dinner with my partner at the weekends.
But there is a popular belief that "as long as you train its fine to drink as much alcohol as you want"... this is the same sort of belief as people thinking it is fine to eat as much junk food as you want "as long as you exercise"...I'm sorry to tell you folks but unfortunately is simply not the case.
First of all it’s no secret that most alcoholic drinks are extremely high in calories. (With the average pint of lager consisting of around 250 and about 140-150 for a glass of wine). So try to look at it this way. Most people will think nothing of going out on a Saturday night and drinking 4-7 (sometime more!!) alcoholic drinks...but in terms of calories that's almost the same as eating 4-7 bars of chocolate in one sitting! And that's something I'm sure most people wouldn't want to do! That is a lot of Calories to take in and you could easily undo all your hard work in the gym in a very short space of time...
We all know how tough it is doing a 30 minute run on a treadmill for example. But not even 2 pints in the pub and all the calories you burned during that exercise have gone straight back on!
Lots of alcoholic drinks are also mixed with very high calorie mixers or soft drinks that are very high in sugar. And on top of this drinking alcohol it is very often done alongside eating food and snacks such as crisps, dips, and nuts. So it’s no surprise that people who drink frequently can gain unwanted weight very quickly.
In certain high calorie foods and drinks there can also be a volume of vitamins and minerals meaning that although the food itself may not be the best thing for your waistline it still comes with a certain level of goodness.
Alcohol however is what we call "empty calories" it hardly contains any appreciable amounts of vitamins or minerals and it over loads the livers metabolic pathways. The liver diverts calories into making fat which is stored in the liver before being carried away to more permanent storage sites.
Sorry guys but here is some more bad news...the way alcohol is absorbed by the body can reduce the amount of fat you are able to burn by exercising. Unfortunately our bodies are not designed to store alcohol. It will try to get rid of it as quickly as possible so in turn this then gets in the way of other processes, including absorbing nutrients AND burning fat. So as well as adding lots of empty calories...which can then lead to an increase in body fat... it can also slow down the process of burning it!!!
But there is a popular belief that "as long as you train its fine to drink as much alcohol as you want"... this is the same sort of belief as people thinking it is fine to eat as much junk food as you want "as long as you exercise"...I'm sorry to tell you folks but unfortunately is simply not the case.
First of all it’s no secret that most alcoholic drinks are extremely high in calories. (With the average pint of lager consisting of around 250 and about 140-150 for a glass of wine). So try to look at it this way. Most people will think nothing of going out on a Saturday night and drinking 4-7 (sometime more!!) alcoholic drinks...but in terms of calories that's almost the same as eating 4-7 bars of chocolate in one sitting! And that's something I'm sure most people wouldn't want to do! That is a lot of Calories to take in and you could easily undo all your hard work in the gym in a very short space of time...
We all know how tough it is doing a 30 minute run on a treadmill for example. But not even 2 pints in the pub and all the calories you burned during that exercise have gone straight back on!
Lots of alcoholic drinks are also mixed with very high calorie mixers or soft drinks that are very high in sugar. And on top of this drinking alcohol it is very often done alongside eating food and snacks such as crisps, dips, and nuts. So it’s no surprise that people who drink frequently can gain unwanted weight very quickly.
In certain high calorie foods and drinks there can also be a volume of vitamins and minerals meaning that although the food itself may not be the best thing for your waistline it still comes with a certain level of goodness.
Alcohol however is what we call "empty calories" it hardly contains any appreciable amounts of vitamins or minerals and it over loads the livers metabolic pathways. The liver diverts calories into making fat which is stored in the liver before being carried away to more permanent storage sites.
Sorry guys but here is some more bad news...the way alcohol is absorbed by the body can reduce the amount of fat you are able to burn by exercising. Unfortunately our bodies are not designed to store alcohol. It will try to get rid of it as quickly as possible so in turn this then gets in the way of other processes, including absorbing nutrients AND burning fat. So as well as adding lots of empty calories...which can then lead to an increase in body fat... it can also slow down the process of burning it!!!
And when it comes to having a workout the day after a night on the beer, it can also be very damaging to your training performance. First of all if any of you have ever tried training or taking part in a sporting activity with a hangover you don't need me to tell you how hard it is!! I know from my own personal experience that it’s impossible to work or perform at the level that you would do normally. Alcohol is what is known as a diuretic (this is something that causes greater loss of fluids) this basically makes you urinate more, lose water and cause dehydration. Proper hydration before, during and after exercise is very important to create and ideal environment for building muscles and losing fat. It is also important to help achieving peak energy levels as well as absorbing and transporting nutrients.
Alcohol can also bring on exercise fatigue by increasing lactic acid production. In hot environments it can also increase sweating which of course will lead to even further dehydration.
As I spoke about in one of my previous posts, recovery is a vital part of any training regime. The better you recover the easier it is to train that bit harder in your next workout, which is how we progress to do more and get fitter and stronger. If you drink alcohol soon after exercising the alcohol calories can replace the carbohydrate calories usually eaten after exercise causing an improper or delayed recovery.
So you have to ask yourselves..... Is it really worth it?!?
Alcohol can also bring on exercise fatigue by increasing lactic acid production. In hot environments it can also increase sweating which of course will lead to even further dehydration.
As I spoke about in one of my previous posts, recovery is a vital part of any training regime. The better you recover the easier it is to train that bit harder in your next workout, which is how we progress to do more and get fitter and stronger. If you drink alcohol soon after exercising the alcohol calories can replace the carbohydrate calories usually eaten after exercise causing an improper or delayed recovery.
So you have to ask yourselves..... Is it really worth it?!?
Like I said guys and girls I believe that there is nothing wrong with drinking alcohol as long as it’s done in moderation. Most of us work hard and live busy lives and it’s nice to relax and socialise with our friends and family and enjoy a few drinks together. All I'm saying is that if you really are serious about getting the results you want from your training, whatever they may be, drinking too much alcohol will ultimately have a negative effect...
Until my next post....
Glenn
Until my next post....
Glenn
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