Going back to the basics, it can be concluded that moderate drinking can be healthy (within reasonable limits and on condition that you choose the right alcohol), but excess alcohol consumption causes damage to internal organs, serious diseases and accumulation of unwanted fat.

Calorific value of alcohol

The front runner, when it comes to the number of calories, is whisky (250kcal in 100g), with clear vodka being the first runner-up (220 kcal). Subsequent positions in the list are taken by beer (67 kcal) and wines: white (66 kcal) and red (60 kcal). It is worth noting, however, that wine and beer contain vitamins and minerals.

The circumstances in which you drink alcohol are of paramount importance. These include the amount of alcohol consumed, the food eaten together with the alcohol (or lack thereof), the high-calorie drinks drunk, etc. Since alcohol is rarely drunk alone, as a solitary glass of vodka, the analysis should be comprehensive, encompassing the background and other calories consumed together with the alcohol.

How alcohol affects your training capacity

Detailed tests were performed on the effects of alcohol consumed after intense training and before working out. In the former case, the dose was high and equalled 1.5g per 1 kg of body mass, while in the latter, two variants were considered, i.e. training under the influence of alcohol and working out 13 hours after consumption (hangover).

The results showed bigger alcohol impact on testosterone in men than on production of the hormone in women.

Therefore, it can be concluded that when combined with training, the effects of alcohol differ depending on the sex. Men are definitely advised to separate these two pleasures in time. Nonetheless, it must be noted that occasional consumption of alcohol is not strictly contraindicated when in a workout routine.

Alcohol and muscle mass

Unfortunately, studies on protein synthesis after alcohol consumption are sparse. Still, however, experiments on rats clearly show that muscle protein anabolism is reduced when in contact with the alcohol consumed. Simply speaking, alcohol slows down the pace of muscle growth.

As the study was performed on rats, and not on humans, the scale of the phenomenon is difficult to assess and the results are difficult to differentiate based on weight, sex, age or the amounts consumed, and cannot be translated directly into the loss or hindered growth of muscles. Nevertheless, the existence of such a relationship is unquestionable.

Alcohol and testosterone

Having analysed the muscle mass, we can now move to the endocrine system, which has been proved to be alcohol-dependent as well. Studies performed on humans showed that alcohol did not significantly lower the levels of testosterone in women, with some of the subjects reporting growth of the hormone. The results concerning men, however, are quite different.

Men who consumed 40g of alcohol within 24h (which is not a high dose), had low testosterone concentration (ca. 6.8%). Increase of the dose to 1.5 g per 1 kg of the body mass (i.e. app. 128 g for a man weighing 85 kg) caused testosterone reduction by 23%. The scale, if large amounts of alcohol are drunk regularly, is huge.

The effects of alcohol on other hormones, such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, have been tested, too. The studies encompassed post-workout levels of these hormones in physically active men.  Analyses showed lack of differences between men who consumed alcohol and those who worked out sober.

This shows that occasional consumption of insignificant amounts of alcohol does not produce any problems and does not change the level of hormones, including testosterone, while regular drinking reduces testosterone secretion.

Alcohol and electrolytes

This is yet another aspect to be considered. It is no secret that drinking alcohol produces a diuretic effect, leading to dehydration and a considerable loss of electrolytes. As the above is true for working out both “under the influence” and before the body returns to form, training right after partying is not recommended.

Alcohol and fat tissue

Once oxidised to acetic acid, alcohol gets into the blood. Excreted in trace amounts only in sweat, while breathing and in urine, it circulates in the body. This is how alcohol digestion begins, with the substance becoming the major food ingredient used by the body to produce energy. In the digestion process, other energy sources (proteins, fat)  are marginalised. Most of the product is metabolised, while the rest (5%) is stored as fat. As can be seen, although considered to be rich in calories, alcohol tends to be demonised.

Enough of the numbers. What you should remember is that when drinking alcohol, we tend to eat more, first, because we usually drink during parties, sitting at tables laden with food and, second, because alcohol does not really inhibit the appetite.

Here, again, the results proved to be sex-dependent. Small, occasional portions of alcohol protect women against obesity, while excess consumption produces an opposite effect. At the same time, women who overuse alcohol are at risk of myopathy, a degenerative muscle disease.

When it comes to men, it was noted that those who drank more than 1 beer a day were more prone to developing abdominal obesity.

What we eat together with alcohol is not insignificant for fat reserve increase. This tendency was observed in alcoholics, in whose menus alcohol supplanted a number of high-calorie products, leading to weight and fat loss. Obviously, given the benefits and costs associated with alcohol, it should by no means be treated as a diet.

Alcohol vs. diet in a training plan

According to logic, occasional consumption of insignificant amounts of alcohol has basically no impact on diet as a whole. Nonetheless, you should never combine it with improper nutrients: with alcohol, the supply of proteins, fat and carbohydrates is lower, and your body receives fewer building blocks to use.

Furthermore, as body weight stabilisation depends on the appetite, you should not disregard alcohol in this respect. The research conducted showed that those who drank alcohol before meals ate bigger portions than those who only drank soft drinks. Plus, the first group felt satiated much later than the other group.

This seems insignificant for occasional drinking, but if you drink alcohol frequently, you will probably not avoid additional kilograms and nutrient deficiency.

Know where to stop

Basically, alcohol should not be demonised or brought down to the role of number one enemy of workouts. But only if used moderately and reasonably. Putting aside the numbers and statistics, it must be remembered that even if you have slept well at night, your general state after carousing will not help you do a good workout.

Table of Content:

1. Diet vs. Supplements

2. A Good Diet. How to Choose the Nutrients?

3. How to Properly Build Up Muscles?

4. Can Supplements Replace a Good Diet?

5. Diet Rich in Omega Acids

 

1.  Diet vs. Supplements

In our society, we tend to say that “chemicals” are harmful. Potentially harmful and banned chemical products are lumped together with legally sold, professional supplements , produced in pharmaceutical plants. This often causes misunderstandings.

Plant protection products, farm animals fed with synthetic foods, antibiotics, environment pollution, crossbreeds, genetically modified foods, etc. tend to make our diet far from being wholesome, healthy and nutritious. What is even worse, with such products we introduce into our bodies a number of potentially harmful ingredients, and never really know what we eat.

Supplements and nutrients by renowned companies are subjected to much stricter control (both at the stage of raw material selection and on the entire processing line) than the foods sold, for instance, at the market.

You can be sure that the ingredients listed on the packaging by a renowned producer are exactly what you will find inside (the Polish legal provisions define the issue exhaustively).

2. A Good Diet. How to Choose the Nutrients?

Our ancestors’ diet, in the dim and distant past, was mainly composed on meat and fish, eggs, edible roots, seeds, nuts, fruit and vegetables. This is where ancient people took vitamins and minerals from.

Modern man’s diet, in turn, mostly contains cereals, vegetables, milk and milk products, as well as fruit, meat and fish. Although eating fruit and vegetables is highly encouraged, cereals remain on top of the list [more about cereals, see “Perfect Body” issue 2 – editorial note].

But theory is one thing, and real life is another. If you compare the dietary recommendation with the diet of an average John Smith, you will not find the recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables.

So, no wonder so many people have deficiencies of microelements.
Supplementation with plant extracts or dedicated combinations of minerals and vitamins is often the best and most convenient way to eliminate such deficiencies.

Nonetheless, you need to remember that natural products contain many microelements that cannot be found in supplements or nutrients. This makes supplements an addition to, and not a replacement of, a reasonable diet.

3. How to Properly Build Up Muscles?

Many people find it difficult to build up muscles. To make the work effective, you need to eat more than you burn. And this is where supplements enter, to help you achieve your objective.

With high-protein nutrients you will easily and tastily supplement your diet, without force-eating subsequent food portions, up to the level when you will effectively increase your weight. Yet, you must be careful not to overdo, as then you will start to accumulate unnecessary fat. Remember that insignificant increase of fat mass is permitted.

 

Chicken breast or 1 portion of high-protein nutrient?

This is my favourite comparison, which I always use whenever asked about what a high-protein nutrient really is.

Let us have a look at the list of macroelements:

100 g of raw chicken breast, without bones and skin, contains (on average):

• 21 g of protein
• 3 g of fat
• 0 g carbohydrates

100 g of System Protein 80, a popular high-protein nutrient by Olimp, contains:

• 77 g of protein
• 5.7 g carbohydrates
• 3.8 g of fat

If you compare doses with the same protein content (27 g of System Protein 80), the results are as follows:

• 21 g of protein
• 1.6 g carbohydrates
• 1 g of fat

Assuming that an average physically active person should eat 2.2 to 2.5 g of protein per each kilogram of body mass every day, the daily dose for a person weighing 80 kg equals 176-200 g,

i.e. almost 1 kg of chicken breast, the bodybuilders’ favourite source of protein, every single day. Or 228 to 259g of the protein powder.

 

Rice or a portion of gainer?

Let us have a look at another important element of bodybuilders’ diet, i.e. rice, and a popular flavoured supplement for those who have problems building up muscles.

According to information on the packaging, 100 g of dry rice contains:

• 7 g of protein
• 1 g of fat
• 75 g carbohydrates

A very similar proportion is represented by Gainbolic by Olimp Laboratories: 100 g of the powder contains:

• 15 g of protein
• 1 g of fat
• 80 g carbohydrates

 

The main difference is considerably higher protein content in the supplement, with similar other values.

For this reason, we recommend breaking the dietary monotony from time to time and replacing rice with a portion of gainer.

4. Can Supplements Replace a Good Diet?

No, but they can make it more complex or fill the gaps.

The diet of our distant relatives (those from the first days of humanity) is often used as the diet of reference.

Our ancestors used to eat much more Omega-3 fatty acids, while cutting down on Omega-6. The proportion between these two varied, depending on the location of the early human settlements, from 1-3 to 1-6. Analyses show that in an average diet of today’s man the numbers equal 1-25 to 1-50. Some scientists explain many civilizational problems with these disturbed proportions.

Therefore, out of concern for our health, we should consider correcting the share of both in our diet.

5. Diet Rich in Omega Acids

Obviously, this can be done by eating more fish found in the deep sea, but not everyone likes their taste. Plus, there is also the issue of high content of heavy elements, including lead, in their meat.

Therefore, supplementation with Omega-3 capsules should be considered.