Josh Bowen: Alcohol — Your Results Limiting Factor?

I have learned a valuable lesson this weekend, one that should not come as much of a surprise; I need to take better care of myself. The past two Saturdays I have gone to my chiropractor, Dr. Tim http://www.infinitemindbody.com/  for a bum left shoulder. My shoulder has been giving me issues for a few months and while I know what to do, its sometimes easier to hear someone else tell you. Dr. Tim is a wealth of knowledge and I always have great takeaways any time we talk. So he helps me with my shoulder and asks me about what else I have going on. I tell him I have had some digestive issues lately and he asks about my beef intake. If you know me, you know I eat a lot of beef. Nevertheless, we get on the topic of blood types (A,B,AB,O) and eating specific to those blood types. So me being inquisitive, I read up on it and see I should not be eating very much beef at all, that my blood type doesn’t process it very well and can cause digestion issues.

So a light bulb goes off in my head…our foods are causing us digestion issues and not allowing us to be the best version of us. This is helpful for me but could also be helpful for my clients. While I am not proficient at this concept yet, I wanted to bring an older article back to light that is a big concern for me and trying to get people to drop the body fat that they want. It is alcohol. And here is how it could be killing your results!

Given it is March Madness, many of you will be celebrating the Unbeatables (aka University of Kentucky) with a few adult beverages. Many of these activities will involve wine, beer, bourbon (if in Kentucky) or other alcoholic beverages. This leads me to a common question I get from clients, “can I drink alcohol and still get results?”

As with most questions I receive, there is no yes or no answer, it simply just depends. It depends on how much and how much of what you are drinking.

I am a firm believer in moderation and balance. I believe you can achieve your fitness goals and still have a drink or two, here and there. So for argument sake lets define moderation; no more than one alcoholic drink for women and no more than two for men, per day. An alcoholic drink is defined as 4 oz. of an “adult” beverage.

So JB what are the drawbacks to drinking alcohol as it relates to my workout?

Glad you asked, here are 5 side effects to drinking alcohol and working out:

Dehydration
Muscles are composed of 75% water.Inadequate water intake zaps the muscles of strength. When alcohol is in the system the kidneys must filter large amounts of water to flush the alcohol out of your system, causing dehydration. Too combat this, after drinking alcohol drink 32 oz. of water. This should help with the dehydration and lessen your hangover.

Fat Storage
Although alcohol is a carbohydrate, it does not convert to glucose like most carbohydrates but becomes a fatty acid and is more likely to be stored as fat. If you exercise and drink alcohol, it causes your fat metabolism to be put “on hold.” The caloric content of alcohol adds up to seven calories per gram. A 12-oz. beer, on average, contains around 146 calories, 13 g. of carbohydrate and a few vitamins and minerals. A shot of gin has around 110 calories.

Vitamin Depletion
Alcohol depletes vitamins A, B, C, calcium, zinc and phosphorus.This nutrients are vital in the retention and increase of your muscle. To combat this depletion, if you are going to drink take a multi-vitamin prior too. This will help decrease the depletion because you are taking in excess nutrients.

Lowered Testosterone
Alcohol increases estrogen in men, thus lowering the free testosterone in the body. Testosterone helps build muscle tissue.

Beer Belly
This could go with fat storage but a common characteristic of a man or woman that drinks too much beer is the beer belly. Because alcohol is a toxin, the liver must filter it out of the body. If taken in excess over the course of years the liver will secret a fluid that will build up in the abdominal wall. Causing the dreaded beer belly.

2 “Healthier” Options

There are better options to drink than others. Again, these options are lower in calories but anything in excess, regardless of caloric value, will derail your progress in body transformation.

Wine
Is the most friendly of all alcoholic beverages, averaging just 20 calories per ounce for most wines. Check below!

“Hard” Liquor
Not exactly sure why it would be called hard but these are more caloric intensive than wine but not as bad as liquors, mixed drinks or some beers. Refrain from adding sodas to the mix or the calories will go up.

A life with synergy requires balance and drinking alcohol has its benefits but also its drawbacks. Anything in moderation will be fine, the probably lies in excess and will lead to lower muscle tissue, increased bodyfat and lower quality of life. You should also check out these links for “drinking for your blood type” it is great information.

Beer http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/depictor5.pl?470

Wine http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/depictor5.pl?454