We all loved a good indulgence from time to time, but too much of something can be dangerous. You may want to reduce your big nights out if you want to hit peak performance or achieve your fitness goals. A swirling hangover, for one, saps your energy leaving little to nothing in the tank to get out of bed let alone train. You may have heard alcohol is bad for fitness, but what you may not know is how. Our article today gives you the answers and explores why you should cling for dear life atop the wagon if you aim to ensure the best fitness and physical outcomes. Let’s get started. 

1. Alcohol can cause dehydration and consequently reduced performance potential

After one too many mojitos, you may notice an overwhelming feeling of thirst the next morning. Your throat may be akin to the Chihuahuan Desert, and this may be accompanied by a feeling of lightheadedness and dizziness. That’s because, at the heart of it, alcohol is a diuretic property. 

When it gets to your liver, alcohol transforms into acetaldehyde which can be lethal in high concentrations. To keep you safe, your liver works overtime to break it down into a less harmful form and eventually get it out of your body. 

Additionally, alcoholic dehydration occurs as well due to vasopressin suppression. This hormone takes charge of water retention in your body, and you can think of it as an antidiuretic. In the presence of large amounts of alcohol in your body, its levels reduce and so too does your body’s ability to hang on to its water. That’s why when you’re three sheets to the wind, your frequency of trips to the john goes up. 

And with dehydration comes reduced muscle capacity or strength. You’ll lose control over your body temperature while electrolyte insufficiencies mean the faster onset of cramps. In simpler words, you’ll get tired faster. In fact, research finds that you can lose up to 30% of your work capacity from just 2% of lost body weight due to dehydration.  

2. Too much alcohol can accelerate muscle fatigue

Beyond dehydration, one gym in San Diego that we consulted says that alcohol messes with your body’s secretion of lactic acid. This is produced during physical activity as your body obtains energy by breaking down glucose during insufficient levels of oxygen. It generally causes a burning sensation and is your body’s way of telling you that you need to stop before you hurt yourself. 

So how does alcohol affect lactic acid levels? Well, the ethanol component of alcohol interferes with normal metabolism in a way that leads to the overproduction of lactic acid, a condition known as lactic acidosis. Some of the consequences of this are: 

  • Stomach pain
  • Nausea
  • Accelerated respiratory action 
  • Muscle aches

Overall, these uncomfortable symptoms can impair your workout endurance. You’re less likely to do the distance and hence won’t hit your stride. 

3. Alcoholism can delay muscle recovery as well

According to some personal trainer San Diego, and other experts we consulted, we damage muscles on a microscopic scale whenever we work out. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it is an important part of the muscle-building process. This damage catalyzes muscle hypertrophy, which in the long run means damaged muscles grow back bigger and stronger.   

However, alcohol is once again among the culprits in terms of slowing down this muscle recovery process. So how does drinking affect muscle recovery? San Diego fitness experts had the following to say: 

  • Increased blood flow to soft tissue injuries, due to the action of alcohol, can slow down healing
  • Moreover, alcohol affects nervous system functioning which means you may exacerbate damage as you’re less likely to treat injured muscles cautiously due to heightened pain tolerance
  • Inhibited protein synthesis. Animal studies have also shown a correlation between excessive alcohol consumption and a reduction in the secretion of growth hormones

Ultimately, slower muscle recovery means you’ll need extended periods of rest away from your workout, and increase your risk of injury whenever you hit the gym and you aren’t at 100%.  

4. Alcohol can lower sleep duration or quality  

Any San Diego personal trainer will go to great lengths to emphasize the importance of getting a good night’s sleep for your workout. So how much does lack of sleep affect gym performance? Here’s what happens when you don’t get enough shut-eye. 

  • Your muscles have lesser time to recover and grow 
  • You’ll fatigue quicker and your sessions are bound to get shorter 
  • Concentration levels or focus drops, thereby elevating the risk of injury

These are but the tip of the iceberg on how insufficient sleep compromises your workout. Now, let’s talk about how alcohol disrupts your sleep pattern. So can alcohol cause sleep problems? It affects everyone differently but, for some, it may cause insomnia due to its low metabolism rate. 

What’s more, alcohol also compromises your quality of sleep. Even though many people rely on it as a sleep aid, heavy drinking ensures more time in deep sleep and lesser time in REM, the latter of which science argues is the most restorative part of our sleep cycle. 

5. It can decrease your reaction times

There’s a reason why drunk driving is illegal when BAC is any larger than 0.08% (for drivers aged at least 21 years). For drivers under this age limit, a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.02 is enough to land them in hot water.

That’s because of the sedative effects alcohol has on your body, which can lower reaction time as your brain, in this state, experiences slower processing capabilities  These effects can last for up to 3 days, which is why binge drinking isn’t just bad news for your driving but your workout sessions as well. Your reflexes will be out of sorts, thus increasing the risk of you hurting others and yourself. 

The Final Verdict: To drink or not to drink? 

Alcohol is often portrayed as the bid bag by many workout aficionados, and for great reason, as we’ve discussed today. However, one female personal trainer San Diego advises moderation. The occasional indulgence should be nothing to worry about but, if you can, avoid alcohol like a plague if you want maximum results from your workout. Instead, prioritize healthy fluids like water, tart cherry juice, chocolate milk, coconut water, and sports drinks. For more workout tips from the pros, be sure to stop by the IronOrrFitness website.