Does beer get in the way of building muscle?

There’s nothing like a cold beer after an intense workout. However, there are varied opinions to consider on alcohol and bodybuilding. Usually we’re told to eat a (relatively reasonable) healthy diet, but could beer and fitness really be friends after all? Or should drinking beer and working out be considered total enemies? The problem is, fitness fanatics will never recommend the combination of drinking your body weight in beer and working out (we wish). But could beer and fitness go well together in moderation? We take a closer look.

How bodybuilding works

Before we delve deeper into the question of whether bodybuilders drink alcohol and the relationship between beer and fitness, we first need to understand how muscle growth works. During exercise, our muscles are damaged and deprived of oxygen, sending numerous signals throughout the body. Over a short period of time, our muscles respond by repairing the damage, resulting in muscle growth. In order to measure this response, we need to look at the rate of muscle protein synthesis. Of course, your testosterone levels play a huge role here, as does performance. But what about beer? How is alcohol part of our diet?

The history of beer

Produced by extracting raw materials (malt, barley) with boiling water (usually with hops) before fermenting it with yeast. Fermentation occurs when bacteria, yeast, or other microorganisms break down a substance, giving your favorite cold drink its bubbles and alcohol. Ice cold beer has long been a staple after a tough workout or just a stressful work week. However, as with most things in life, moderation is key.

Alcohol and bodybuilding

But even though we know everything about the type of foods we should get maximum gains, what about beer and bodybuilding? Could that bitter cold post-workout really lead to beer-fitness tension? Or could drinking beer be beneficial for your muscle gains? According to research, excessive post-workout alcohol consumption quickly suppresses protein synthesis. This effect even occurred when alcohol was consumed after 25 grams of protein, revealing that no even the anabolic effect of protein can combat excessive alcohol consumption. With evidence Suggesting that excessive alcohol consumption impairs recovery times and muscle growth, if you hit the bar post-workout you could be suppressing your efforts. As we’ve already discussed, moderation is key. Although excess alcohol and bodybuilding are certainly not a good combo – could beer and fitness work together in small amounts? While there is still much room for further research in the area of ​​beer and bodybuilding, the limited evidence we found suggests that a few beers won’t undo your hard-earned gains at the gym.

Do bodybuilders drink alcohol?

Competing bodybuilders will probably tell you that they follow a strict diet to achieve their goals and win competitions. But that doesn’t necessarily mean all bodybuilders avoid alcohol at all costs.

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However, again, we’re not talking about drinking gallons of beer, just enjoying a cold one after the gym. If you are wondering, do bodybuilders drink alcohol? The answer is probably yes, on occasion. But saving your occasional treat for a night of drinking could cost you.

Alcohol and testosterone

As the primary male sex hormone, testosterone is essential for the development of muscle mass. The more free T you have, the easier (and faster) it is to build muscle. So, in a roundabout way, do drinking beer and exercising coincide with stunted muscle growth? Since beer can affect your T levels, the answer is: Potentially. Drinking too much alcohol can have a short- and long-term impact on your body’s hormones, including your testosterone. In order to produce testosterone, three main glands must work together. However, alcohol can disrupt your body’s production of T, by interfering with these glands. Of course, a few beers won’t do you any harm, studies showed that acute alcohol abuse can lead to long-term testicular damage. Therefore, when your T levels take a hit, alcohol and weight training will definitely not be effective, as testosterone is crucial for muscle growth. In addition to bodybuilding and beer conflicts due to your testosterone levels, even moderate levels of alcohol (3-4 beers) have been shown to slightly suppress your T.

Does alcohol have health benefits?

While the majority of fitness gurus would never recommend alcohol and bodybuilding, or drinking beer to achieve your fitness goals, some research showed positive links between heart health and alcohol. While drinking beer and working out (with beer in moderation) won’t significantly impact your muscle growth or goals, consuming too much alcohol can impact your gains by suppressing your testosterone. In addition to heart health, alcohol has the potential to have a positive impact on cholesterol. The research has watch that alcohol can increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, considered the “healthy” type because it removes “bad” cholesterol from tissues.

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