Can I Build Muscles Up And Drink Alcohol?
Many bodybuilders especially amateur bodybuilders like to enjoy the occassional drink of alcohol whther it be in the form of beer, wine or spirits. Here we ask just what affect this has on our body and is it ok to drink if we want to build up muscles.
Unfortunately alcohol interferes with many chemical reactions in the body that are productive in order to build muscle up. The effects of alcohol are felt by the body for at least a couple of days as it is metabolised very slowly and can in fact affect performance up to 48 hours after the last glass.
Just two normal drinks of alcohol can reduce reaction time, lower strength levels, interfere with balance and hand eye co-ordination and increase fatigue. Clearly as a sportsmen all of these will directly affect your performance and as a bodybuilder these will only inhibit your ability to build muscle up.
The liver processes alcohol at the expense of glycogen which is the carbohydrate and fuel for the body therefore leaving the body with less energy and more fatigued. Increased fatigue is caused by this. The muscle growth of the body will inevitably suffer when the cellular functions of the body cannot operate efficiently.
Alcohol causes dehydration as it interferes with the electrolytes and fluid inside the kidneys. The kidneys are responsible for regulation of supplying cells with nutrients for growth and repair and also for cellular waste removal.To process alcohol the kidneys have to filter water vast amounts of water from various parts of the body including the brain, this may dehydrate the body and scupper attempts at athletic performance and muscle building training sessions.
Tachycardia can be caused (which is an abnormally fast heart beat) when consuming alcohol as alcohol raises the individuals blood pressure. Furthermore alcohol reduces the quality of your sleep which is when the body should be growing. It also depletes the amount of vitamins and minerals that the body can absorb, which in turn have important roles in enzymatic and metabolic functions for muscle growth.
Affected greatly will also be the brains thought processes. If the amount of glycogen that makes it to the brain is not adequate then slow dioriented thinking will of then be the result. Unfortunately alcoholic drinks can cause a decrease in your motivation and drive which of course is crucial for success in any field!
So bearing all this in mind, clearly if you are seriously want to build up muscle then you are going to have to lay of the alcohol. Even the recommended daily amount effects the body adversely! Beyond the scope of this article are the many and varied effects on the body of alcohol consumption.
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