Alcohol, we know her, she comes around at parties and weddings, and can be a tricky thing to navigate when you’ve got health goals.
POP QUIZ:
What’s Google’s highest searched question regarding alcohol and fitness?
“Do I have to give it up to reach my goals?”
The answer is: No, you don’t have to give it up!
But let’s educate ourselves about it.
Let’s boil down alcohol: What it is and its effects
Did you know alcohol is technically a fourth macronutrient?
A refresher:
Protein and Carbs are 4 calories per gram
Fat is 9 calories per gram
Alcohol is 7 calories per gram
The type of alcohol that we drink is ethanol. To make it, you use a process called fermentation. Grains (used for beer and spirits) or fruits (for wine and ciders) are combined with yeast or bacteria and react with the sugars in these foods. Voila! You have ethanol and carbon dioxide.
The effects of alcohol depend on blood alcohol concentration, or BAC. BAC is determined by how quickly alcohol is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted.
Factors that Influence BAC:
- Rate of drinking
- Food in the stomach
- Type of alcoholic beverage
- Genetics / differences in alcohol-metabolizing enzymes
- Alcohol elimination rate - which varies widely person-to-person due to factors such as chronic alcohol consumption, diet, age, smoking, and even time of day!
How Alcohol Goes Through the Body From START to FINISH
Step 1: Alcohol is swallowed and is absorbed in the blood/veins through the stomach (~20%) and the small intestine (~80%).
Step 2: Then it takes a trip to the liver, where enzymes get to work and it’s metabolized.
Remember: BAC changes by how quickly alcohol is metabolized during these first steps.
Step 3: Breaking down alcohol from a toxic substance to water and carbon dioxide is 90% the liver’s job. The rest is excreted through the lungs (that’s how breathalyzers work), the kidneys (via pee), and sweat.
Fun Fact:
The liver can only break down a certain amount of alcohol per hour, which for an average person is around one standard drink.
How Alcohol Can Affect your Progress:
- Alcohol increases your consumption of what we call “empty calories” which provide no nutritional benefit.
- Alcohol alters nutrient breakdown, absorption, transportation, storage, and excretion.
- Can contribute to nutrient deficiencies and/or trouble fully using nutrients (like the production of Vitamin D).
- Can affect hydration status and digestion.
- Alters estrogen production.
- Increases stomach acid.
- Messes with sleep quality and quantity.
- Hangovers...need I say more?
All of the above, plus some; impacts training output, muscle growth, fat loss, recovery, nutrition status and therefore affects body composition, biofeedback, and so on.
Does ONE drink mean destruction for your fitness goals?
Of course not. It is totally possible to have SOME alcohol and still see results.
What’s the universal rule in weight management?
Everything in moderation.
LVLTN Coaches look at our clients’ alcohol consumption because it can be the culprit in creating a plateau. Our job together is to find a balance.
We come up with solutions like how to navigate social events, how to respond to peer pressure, come up with lower-calorie versions of your favorite beverages, and more.
Need support and guidance to FINALLY achieve your health and fitness goals? Our team of experts can help! Learn more about our online health coaching by clicking here!
Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6527027/
https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/alcoholic-drinks-and-units/what-is-alcohol-ingredients-chemicals-and-manufacture
http://repository.sustech.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/12564/Research.pdf?sequence=3
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3306013/
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