Question:
Does alcohol prevent muscle gain?
Answer:
What’s the deal with drinking? I love to party and drink on the weekends, but I still want desperately to gain more weight. Can I drink beer and still gain muscle?
The key here is moderation. Moderate consumption of alcohol has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but excessive alcohol intake can damage your liver, heart and stop your body’s ability repair and build muscle tissue. You should limit your intake of alcohol to no more than a couple of drinks, 1-2 times per week. The problem happens when you go overboard. Getting “wasted” will decrease your body’s recovery capability; cause a reduction in protein synthesis and reduce your strength.
Many people complain that these limitations and restrictions are interfering with their fun, but my response to this is; if you have a goal, you must focus on what you must do (and not do) each day to reach it. This means avoiding anything that will delay or hinder your progress. It’s about sacrifice, but you must decide what is important. Who said “Part of getting what you want is knowing what you have to give up to get it?” Mr. Bill Phillips of Body for Life and Eating for Life, I believe. Never a more true statement!
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