It’s Friday night and it’s time to find something to do. If you are like me, a mid twenties man (or women, not like me) most of the time there is only one option. We all filter down to the bar in some flash cloths trying to impress the opposite sex. I would say that 99.9% of the time this includes some if not copious amounts of alcohol. Generally this night is followed by a terrible night’s sleep, and a almost unbearable head ache the next day, yes you are hung over, but also you may have ruined your previous day’s workout.
So what is it that alcohol does to you that makes you feel so shitty the next day, and how does it do it. Ethyl alcohol which is what the alcohol we drink is, is a very small molecule. It devolves in water and is digested by the liver where an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase breaks the alcohol down into acetaldehyde, which is further broken down into acetate. Acetate is metabolized into carbon dioxide and water, which is excreted. Alcohol is absorbed rapidly from the small intestine (80%) and stomach (20%), before any other.
Once the alcohol has been digested it cross what is known as the blood-brain barrier through the blood stream. Believe it or not alcohol is not good on the brain. The first place it goes in the brain is the cerebral cortex, which is what is responsible for rational though. It then works it’s way to the limbic system, which is the most primitive part of the brain, however alcohol has no effect on this part of the brain, so now it becomes your center for rational though. So those girls you normally wouldn’t hit on (either side of the scale hot or not) you all of the sudden do not care.
This is problematic because the limbic system is entirely emotional, and one then begins to think with their emotions rather than the rational area of their brain (the cerebral cortex). A surprisingly small amount of alcohol will have an instant effect on ones ability to control their emotions, and their judgment as a result. A comparatively large amount of alcohol and one might become violent or completely out of control in other respects.
But wait there’s more, alcohol is a depressant. Your brain has something called a GABA system. While it sounds like somewhere Luke Skywalker would have went, it is actually a neurotransmitter for restricting or depressing the excitability of our brain. The depressant comes from an increased transmission of the Gaba System. Glutamate is the neurotransmitter that has the opposite effect as it is responsible for brain excitability and can be increased through the intake of stimulants.
Over time if a sufficient amount of alcohol is consumed, the GABA receptors become accustomed to amounts of alcohol, at which point more is required to achieve the state of being drunk. Still think that tolerance is a good thing? When the increase of alcohol the GABA receptor cells to function improperly increases. This could result in hyper excitability, which causes those anxiety, tremors, disorientation, and hallucinations when aren’t drinking.
So now you are scared, I am a bit. So we will stop drinking stop any more brain damage. You may be to late. You could be the victim of neural tissue death when you stop consuming alcohol. GABA binds to GABA-A receptor following alcohol intake. When this happens a chloride channel is opened and extracellular chloride moves into a intracellular compartment. The neuron is hyperpolarized as a result and excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) cannot occur. With greater use of alcohol the neuron may become dependent on alcohol for its GABA function.
As I started to write this article I was going to focus on the main effects of alcohol for athletes, but when I started learning about the effects on the brain and how one can become dependent, I though there are many people out there that could use a rude awaking from reading that part alone. So for athletes why is it bad, our bodies are for superior to that of the average person right? When you drink you may notice that your focus, energy, recovery, performance is effected for at least one day if not more. While alcohol is absorbed quickly, it metabolizes very slowly. Alcohol can hinder performance up to 48 hours after your last drink.
Consuming as little as 2-3 drinks can directly affect your strength, decrease your reaction time, impair your general and fine motor skills. Ever notice you are tired for a day or so after drinking, this is because your liver is still trying to get that shit out of your system and not metabolizing the carbs (glycogen) you need for energy. Everything listed above is a direct effect of your body not getting enough glycogen.
It also messes with your kidneys, which causes your electrolyte and fluids in your body to jump out of whack. These fluids are used for cellular was removal and nutrient supply. Kidneys also filter most of the water for the brain and other parts of the body to try to break down the alcohol. Guess what you are now dehydrated.
We all go to the gym to rip the shit out of our muscles and allow protein to rebuild them bigger and stronger before. Did you go to the gym and do a shit load of bicep curls to get yourself all pumped to show off for the ladies, if so congrats you just wasted your time. Alcohol directly effects protein synthesis so your muscles will have to wait a day to get the other poisons out of your body.
Alcohol consumption raises blood pressure and this can result in the heart having work harder to pump blood through the body (8). An abnormally fast heart beat (tachycardia) can also result from alcohol consumption. Further, alcohol increases the synthesis of cholesterol and this can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
I don’t know about you, but I feel so tired the day after a I tie a good one on. This is because your quality of sleep isn’t as good.
Have you ever been told to take a good multi vitamin before you go drinking, I know I have. This is because the vitamins and minerals our body needs to survive while the body is metabolizing the alcohol. Vitamin B is important for metabolic functions are burned through quickly trying to digest the alcohol; vitamin A is depleted, so you are more susceptible to diseases. Also your calcium is excreted at twice your normal rate which impacts bone growth, and if you happen to be cut, forget about that wound healing why you drink.
Are you trying to lose weight, and drink beer? Good luck, while most people think that beer causes exception fat gains, only about 5% of the carbs in alcohol is turned into fat. The fact is that alcohol causes the body to not burn fat as it needs to for up to 48 hours after, thus the beer gut.
Let’s not forget the most important factor, money. Drinking a lot at a bar can get expensive, the average beer is $4.50, a shot $5 bucks. It is easy to blow through $50 a night at the bar(trust me most nights are $70 – $100) But the most expensive comes with pretty blue and red lights. DWI’s are a good way to ruin you night, your checking account, lose your license, and possibly your job.
If you are trying to be a serious competitive athlete, the best thing you can do is steer clear of booze all together. If you feel the need to drink, it is better the drink just one “standard” drink a night. ( One standard drink is 13.6 g or 17.2 ml of ethanol. This works out to about 12 oz (341 ml) of 5% beer). No you cannot save up these drinks all for one night, this is not a points system. This article is not meant to drive people away from the bar, but as stated before if you can a serious competitive athlete, think twice before drinking that next beer.
Good luck, happy training, and sober days
Brandon Braner
ironbarfitness.com
**this article in no way is meant to discourage or persuade alcohol use. Alcohol use is at the sole discretion of the reader. **
Loading ...