Booze and its effect on OL.

[Dave Sheehan]

So I know the obvious answer to my question is that alcohol is not good to consume and large quantities and it gives your a body a swift kick...in a bad way.

My question though is whether your doing OL, PL, or just basic strength training in the gym, and you go out that night and drink, how much does that nullify that days workout?

I see it a lot here at college, guys lift, and are out partying that night...from a caloric in/out viewpoint, the workout is nullified, but what about in terms of body development? I'm assuming it's simply slowed.

Thx

[Patrick Donnelly]

That depends on if it's Guiness or not...

[Steven Low]

No, it nullifies physiological gains too.

Depressing metabolism = less healing. Liver has to detox instead of being available to help repair growth. Alcohol blunts GH release and other anabolic hormones -- quite important b/c largest GH spike comes soon after falling asleep when you're pretty much probably the most drunk. etc.

Obviously, you can still grow and get stronger, but it WILL be blunted. If you're looking to compete, I would avoid drinking heavily completely. Here and there sure go for it, but I wouldn't go anything beyond buzzed.

[Troy Archie]

I've had some great strength sessions hung-over. I also think there's major social-theraputic value of going out for the night and letting loose with a group of friends.

[Mike ODonnell]

I think moderation is important....don't expect to drink beer all the time and have the body and strength of Zeus. That being said....I like a beer with friends....I don't plan on making any Olympic teams....I happy with that.

[Garrett Smith]

Better to work out the day after drinking than not, I'd say.

One of the best things my father found for a hangover was a really good game of racquetball, where he could smell the alcohol (metabolites, of course) coming out in his sweat. There's only a certain level of hangover that this works for, of couse.

Interaction between alcohol and exercise: physiological and haematological implications.

Effect of chronic ethanol ingestion and exercise training on skeletal muscle in rat.

The aim of this study was to investigate the interactive effects of exercise training and chronic ethanol consumption on metabolism, capillarity, and myofibrillar composition in rat limb muscles. Male Wistar rats were treated in separate groups as follows: non exercised-control; ethanol (15%) in animals' drinking water for 12 weeks; exercise training in treadmill and ethanol administration plus exercise for 12 weeks. Ethanol administration decreased capillarity and increased piruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities in white gastrocnemius; in plantaris muscle, ethanol increased citrate synthase activity and decreased cross-sectional area of type I, IIa, and IIb fibres. Exercise increased capillarity in all four limb muscles and decreased type I fibre area in plantaris. The decreased capillarity effect induced by ethanol in some muscles, was ameliorated when alcohol was combined with exercise. While alcoholic myopathy affects predominantly type IIb fibres, ethanol administration and aerobic exercise in some cases can affect type I and type IIa fibre areas. The exercise can decrease some harmful effects produced by ethanol in the muscle, including the decrease in the fibre area and capillary density.

Looks like it is better for chronic alcohol consumers to have an exercise habit as well...