The University of Miami has conducted a certain study that states that people who exercise and work out have been found to drink more alcohol than people who don’t even exercise at all. Not all gym buffs are health conscious and only drink occasionally.
Fitness is a culture and has a consistent community surrounding it. It might be unorthodox to some health fiends, but drinking alcohol post-workout or post-game is more common than everyone thinks. And as far as culture goes, drinking alcohol has often been the prize to being successful in a game, workout, or even just any activity in general.
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The Effects of Alcohol
According to dietician and physiologist, Jim White, once alcohol enters our body and bloodstream through ingesting it, alcohol touches every other organ and system in our body. The body expends energy on detoxifying itself after drinking alcohol. Although there may still be advantages in drinking moderately, excessive consumption can definitely take a toll on the body. Alcohol can thin blood, kill brain cells, and have disadvantages in terms of cardiovascular related things. Alcohol can also dehydrate one’s body, which can cause poor protein synthesis. Replenishing and refueling the body is a crucial thing after a workout.
It’s still best not to drink after a workout, as it doesn’t bring any advantage in your everyday life. However, realistically speaking, drinking after a workout is definitely an experience that every person might experience, so let’s get to the question at hand: Is drinking alcohol after working out bad for you?
Post-Workout Booze
After working out endorphins are energetic and you are feeling ecstatic, that a reward for a long–day’s work is definitely an option. The safety of drinking after a workout does not have a definitive answer as it always depends on the situation, the amount of alcohol, how taxing the workout was, and what is the specific goal in both working out and drinking alcohol. A post-workout drink is not the same as drinking on vacation. And if ever you find yourself spending some time off for a vacation, here are some of the best luxury hotels in the Cotwolds, read more on Slingo.com.
Alcohol slows down the natural recovery process from the workout session by elevating the cortisol levels, depleting testosterone levels and inhibiting protein synthesis. If your goal in working out is to have the best body you can be, drinking may be disadvantageous in terms of the length of the process to reach the goal. However, having the occasional drink doesn’t have a long term effect. Alcohol also has high sugar and calorie count per intake. If losing weight is the main goal, it’s best to really pass on the drink. Although alcohol may be a stress reliever, and drinking with people you’ve worked out with can do wonders for one’s social life and mental health, there will definitely be a drop on one’s protein synthesis rates. Although it is not the biggest sin to drink a couple of beers, always remember the goal on which you set when you’ve started working out.
According to Suzie Wylie, a former professional Muay Thai fighter and Registered Nutritionist at the London Clinic of Nutrition, although alcohol consumption following a workout has been shown to impair muscle protein synthesis, it hasn’t been shown to have a long-term negative influence on performance.
With this being said, drinking booze may not be dangerous if done in moderation, however, another thing should be kept in mind. Drinking booze leads to poor decisions. Being intoxicated can lead to having poor food choices that could affect the hard-earned progress after the work-out. Also, poor choices can affect one’s cognitive ability. For instance, being drunk can result in being clumsier than usual, talking to the wrong people, going to places you shouldn’t be, or worse, injury. Everything is okay when done in moderation, but always keep in mind that even if intake of alcohol may not be dangerous, poor decisions can still result into serious physical consequences.
What are the Benefits of Alcohol Post-Workout?
NONE.
However, while there aren’t any benefits to this, should you ever catch yourself in a pub after your workout, make sure to choose your liquor wisely. Being hydrated after a workout is one of the most important things you need to think of.
Beer is perhaps the better option over spirits as beer contains carbohydrates and electrolytes. There might not be any evidence that highlights benefits from this, but instead of passing out, being hydrated is the best option to keep in mind. If one is already feeling dehydrated after a workout regimen, alcohol can make the feeling worse. Make sure to drink water every other glass of alcohol to make sure that the body is getting a proper refueling.
At the end of the day, moderation is key to everything.
What is the Shortest Amount of Time to Wait Before Drinking Booze?
The safest answer is: the longer the duration of time you can wait before drinking alcohol, the better.
The number one priority is to rehydrate and replenish electrolytes before doing anything else.
Nevertheless, should you ever see yourself wanting to have a drink after a workout, the shortest amount of time to regenerate and replenish electrolytes is one hour. That is the bare minimum and if you can wait, the longer the better.
Working out creates tiny microscopic tears in one’s muscles that the body repairs and grows back much stronger. Drinking alcohol can impact the rate of protein synthesis. So always make sure to think about it before engaging in alcoholic activities.
Think of your goal. Think of why you’re working out in the first place. Think of why you’re drinking alcohol after working out and make sure it’s worth it..
Conclusion
If you do your hard work at the gym, wait a few hours after working out, rehydrate and replenish electrolytes, before even thinking of drinking alcohol. You’re fine.
Moderation is key.