Boozing away your fitness goals

If you are someone who works out but imbibes habitually or now and then, keep reading. 

Alocohol is a carbohydrate, but doesn’t convert to glucose like most carbs do. It is converted into a fatty acid and is consequently more likely to store as fat. So, if you drink alcohol and exercise, it puts fat metabolism on hold. 

The caloric content of alcohol is seven calories per gramme. A shot of gin contains around 110 calories, while an average 12 oz beer contains 146 calories, 13 grammes of carbs, and some vitamins and minerals.

The effects of alcohol: 

●             Alcohol is the most abused substance in the Americas, and it affects many people’s lives. It is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant and it has the lowest effective dose: lethal dose ratio. The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord and along with the peripheral nervous system comprise a primary division of controls that command all physical activities of a human. Neurons of the central nervous system affect consciousness and mental activity while spinal extensions of central nervous system neuron pathways affect skeletal muscles and organs in the body.

                • This means that there is very little difference in the amount of alcohol that will get you drunk and the amount that will kill you. The reason more people don’t die from alcohol poisoning, is because the stomach begins to reject it by vomiting.

                • Acute alcohol intoxication can result in tremors, anxiety and irritability, nausea, decreased mental function, and vertigo (all of which make you so attractive to the opposite sex). Chronic alcohol use leads to internal destruction of the liver, heart, brain, muscle and cancer in any or all of them. 

                • When it comes to your workouts or athletic competition, alcohol impairs balance and coordination since it affects that central nervous system. Strength and power are also affected since it dehydrates the body, making muscle and other tissue unable to work optimally. 

To conclude, if you’re spending your hard-earned money and time working out to get the physique that you desire, you may be wasting it all away by too much elbow bending. 

Tip of the day:

Research has shown that small amounts of alcohol may benefit the body. This means 12 oz of beer or a small glass of wine. However, to get the most out of the drink, going with a darker, less processed product is best. Darker beers and wines offer more nutrients.