Do you need to stop drinking if you want to build muscle?

For muscle to grow, you need to exercise and consume enough protein. Heavy training will kickstart the muscle building process, and protein will serve as a building block. These factors do not depend on alcohol - you can easily go to the gym, eat protein foods and still drink alcohol every night. Many athletes do this.

However, protein and exercise are only basic requirements. Muscle building is also affected by:

the ability of amino acids, the building blocks for muscles, to penetrate cells;
the rate of creation and destruction of protein in tissues;
the amount of hormones that help or hinder weight gain.

Alcohol influences all these factors, and below we will analyze how exactly.

How alcohol affects protein synthesis

Both high and low doses of alcohol inhibit the creation of protein in muscle cells - protein synthesis.

An hour after drinking alcohol, protein synthesis decreases by 23%, and after 24 hours - by 63%. Alcohol inhibits this process especially strongly in type II muscle fibers, which rapidly increase in size. That is, it is in those tissues that all bodybuilders pray for.

However, most of the research on the effects of alcohol on muscle has been done in mice that were given massive doses of ethanol. A large amount of alcohol is bad for people too. Alcoholics who consume more than 100 grams (2 liters of beer, 250 grams of vodka) per day often suffer from myopathy - the destruction of muscle tissue. One to two thirds of drinkers experience muscle atrophy, which leads to frequent falls and difficulty even walking.

Regarding moderate doses of alcohol, it is not known if they affect protein synthesis in humans.

conclusions

Ethanol reduces protein synthesis, but for this it needs to be consumed in large doses on a regular basis.
Alcoholism can cause myopathy - the destruction of muscle tissue.
Small doses of alcohol in the long term can slow down the formation of protein, however, the effect has not been proven.

How alcohol affects hormone levels

Effect on testosterone

Testosterone is one of the most important hormones for staying fit, building muscle and reducing body fat.

Alcohol lowers testosterone levels, but for significant changes you need to drink often and in large quantities. If you drink one and a half to two bottles of beer every day for three weeks, testosterone in men will decrease by only 6, 8%, while in women it will remain unchanged.

Larger booze is reflected in the level of hormones much faster: within 16 hours after taking 120 g of ethanol (this is more than five cans of beer, 300 g of vodka or almost a whole bottle of wine) testosterone in men decreases by 23%.

Smaller doses of alcohol have little or no effect on hormones. A single drink of one and a half cans of beer or 150 g of vodka after training does not affect the level of testosterone, luteinizing hormone and corticotropin.

Another thing is really hard training for strength or endurance and large doses of alcohol. 200-300 g of a strong drink after such loads will significantly reduce testosterone levels, slow down recovery and weaken muscles.

Effect on insulin

Insulin is essential for building mass. This hormone triggers protein synthesis in the ribosomes and prevents catabolism - protein breakdown. In addition, it helps glucose and amino acids to move from the blood to muscle tissue.

The higher the sensitivity of cells to insulin, the better it supplies them with glucose for glycogen storage and amino acids for building muscles.

Moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. But in order for it to increase, you need to drink alcohol in small quantities and periodically. A single small dose of alcohol does not change insulin levels.

conclusions

Small doses of alcohol slightly reduce the level.
Testosterone drops dramatically only after hard training and drinking a lot of alcohol.
Drinking spirits in moderation increases insulin sensitivity.

How to drink so as not to harm the figure

The only requirement is moderation. 30-40 grams of ethanol per day does not harm muscle building or fat accumulation. In terms of drinks, it will be 700-900 g of beer with a strength of 4.5%, 300-400 g of wine with a strength of 10%, 75-100 g of vodka.

Small doses of alcohol may even be beneficial. While both exercise and alcohol consumption on their own can cause oxidative stress, combining them has the opposite effect (of course, this does not mean doing "under the fly").

Ethanol combined with exercise reduces lipid peroxidation, which causes oxidative stress and increases the risk of atherosclerosis. So, if you cannot give up alcohol and are worried about your heart, go in for sports.

Moderate alcohol consumption - no more than 30-40 grams of ethanol per day - does not harm your physical condition.

Continue drinking your glass of beer or wine after your workout if it relaxes you. But do not forget that alcohol should not be a substitute for full meals c. Without dietary protein, your results will be more than modest.