Of course, we all know that consuming alcohol is not a “healthy habit”, and with the holiday season here, a large number of the population will be increasing their alcoholic consumption in the next few weeks. Alcohol in moderation is safe, but consuming it in large quantities can hinder your fitness goals. Alcohol is considered an “empty calorie”. This means that it contains 7 calories per gram, while providing you with no important nutrients to help increase muscle mass or improve overall health. Excessive alcohol consumption can also hinder gains in muscle mass because it:
- Reduces blood flow to the muscles causing weakness and possible deterioration
- Reduces testosterone in your blood and converts it to estrogen, causing fluid retention and storing of fat
The after effects of a heavy night of drinking can hinder your fitness goals and increase dehydration, thus the effects linger from the night before. It also affects your sleep. Though it may seem like after a few drinks, you “sleep like a baby”, it interferes with sleep patterns, increases fatigue, and adds physical stress to the body. Alcohol also decreases the amount of digestive enzymes released by the pancreas, therefore hindering the breakdown of nutrients, and long term drinking damages the lining of the stomach and intestines thus impairing the absorption of those nutrients into the bloodstream. AND if that isn’t enough, besides the extra and empty calories from the alcohol itself, many people under the influence tend to eat a lot more than if they were not drinking. Moderate alcohol consumption is the key, which is considered 1 drink per day for women and no more than 2 drinks per day for men. This even has shown some positive effects including reducing stress and increased HDL cholesterol levels. Bottom line, enjoy your holiday season with family and friends and drink moderately. Here are a few common drinks with average caloric content, calories add up fast!
12 oz Beer = 150 calories
5 oz Pinot Noir = 120 calories
5 oz Chardonnay = 105 calories
1.5 oz Vodka = 97 calories
16 oz Frozen Margarita = 300 calories
Estelle L. Benoit, RD, LDN
Source: acefitness.org