It’s the weekend and you’ve just finished working out. You’re tempted to have a night out with your friends where you’re sure you’re going to have a beer or two. The consequences of drinking alcohol after an intense workout is not as dire as you may think. However, the effects of alcohol can negate your training efforts while upsetting your muscle recovery and your body composition as well.
Alcohol is Toxic to Your Workout Regime
Cutting your drinking habit is easier said than done, especially if you are always socially active. Saying no to alcohol while you watch your friends indulge in gulping beer and wine can be stressful. However, if you truly want to stay healthy and have a better body, you should think of your fitness goals as your motivation to stay away from alcohol.
Alcohol is toxic when you consume it right after working out. It forces the body to utilize the energy you have stored and this can have a negative effect on your recovery. You will feel that you are more sore than you normally are the next morning. Since this is what happens, you won’t have as much energy as you want to, giving you a hard time to concentrate and work you efficiently the next day.
Alcohol Can Cause Dehydration
Men should be aware that drinking alcohol after working out can decrease their testosterone levels. This hormone is important when it comes to building muscle mass. As a result, muscle recovery is hindered or at least slowed down.
Instead of drinking beer, you should simply go for water after you work out. Beer and other alcoholic drinks can cause dehydration, which can affect your performance and the outcome of your workout. This is particularly true if you have just performed intense weightlifting and cardiovascular sessions. Staying hydrated is very important, so drink water after exercising to fuel your muscles to repair themselves.
Additionally, when you drink alcohol, you will feel the need to go to the toilet more often. This is because it acts as a diuretic, which can suck the water you have in your body. As you keep urinating, you will eventually feel more tired. Plus, muscle definition is greatly reduced, particularly if you turn alcohol drinking into a habit after working out.
Alcohol Adds Fat to Your Belly
Drinking alcohol is not only disadvantageous for your health, but it also adds more fat to your midsection, therefore contradicting your fitness goals. You probably have heard about beer belly, which is the product of consuming alcoholic beverages on a regular basis. As you continue drinking alcohol, you add more pounds instead of losing weight because of the empty calories the beverage contains.
Some people are prone to acquiring more fat than others due to their genes. If you are one of them, you should definitely avoid drinking alcohol after your workout sessions.
Alcohol Can Result to Medical Conditions
Aside from a fat belly, you can actually develop diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes when you consume alcohol regularly. The extra fat deposited in your body can cause severe illnesses, particularly in men who naturally store their fat in their belly.
You don’t have to completely cut alcohol out of your life. As long as you limit your consumption of beer and other alcoholic beverages during special occasions, you will be just fine. Still, if you have just worked out, it is better to stay away from alcohol since does not offer any health benefits at all.