5 Reasons Why Alcohol Will Destroy Your Muscle Gains

I get emails every day from aspiring muscle-builders all over the world, and one of the most common questions I asked myself "not drinking really affect the muscle growth process?" Sorry to say, but yes, too much alcohol is almost certain that there will be a significant negative impact on the muscle-building results.  

Alcohol is far more harmful than most people think, and is very important to understand how this drug (yes, alcohol is a drug) is affecting your progress. This is not an anti-drug speech, but if you are serious about getting an impressive physique, you should definitely be aware of the 5 main ways that alcohol is slowing down your gains ...

1) It negatively affects the synthesis of proteins.
 Protein synthesis is the process in which the amino acids are joined to form complete proteins. Excessive alcohol consumption slows this process down to 20%, and since your muscles are made of protein, you can see how this is a problem.

2) Reduce the levels of testosterone and estrogen increases.
 Testosterone is the most important muscle-building hormone in your body. One of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can have is their level of free-flowing testosterone.

3) causes dehydration.
 The kidneys to filter large quantities of water to remove the alcohol, and this can cause severe dehydration in the body. Water plays a crucial role in the muscle building process, and be a bit 'dehydrated is a recipe for disaster. Muscles are only comprised of 70% water.

4) the body is depleted of vitamins and minerals.
 Alcohol consumption causes vitamins A, C, B, calcium, zinc and phosphorus to all be drained at rapid speeds. Vitamins and minerals keep every little process in your body functioning properly, and many of these processes involve muscle growth and maintenance.

5) is increased fat storage.
 With 7 calories per gram, alcohol can actually be quite fattening. Alcohol also disrupts the Krebs cycle, which plays an important role in fat burning.

It is important to have fun in life, but too much fun can lead to problems. If you are serious about achieving significant muscle-building results, you definitely need to control alcohol intake and make sure you are eating in moderation. A few drinks here and there should not be a problem, but if you are taking every weekend you can almost certainly kiss your muscle gains goodbye.

If you choose to party, be sure to drink plenty of water and eat properly with vitamins / minerals and a protein-rich meal.

We recommend against running for life around your muscle building program, so do not be afraid to go out and have some fun from time to time. Just be sure to keep drinking nights infrequent (no more than once a month) and eat properly to reduce its effects. While you monitor what you are doing you can get a physical and have a social life at the same time.