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Most of us are familiar with the term macronutrients in reference to carbohydrates, fats, and protein. However, what you may not realize, is that alcohol too, is a macronutrient. When it comes to “tracking alcohol" in your daily macros, we need to first consider the caloric content of each macronutrient.
Carbs: 4 calories per gram
Protein: 4 calories per gram
Fats: 9 calories per gram
Alcohol: 7 calories per gram
Since we don't allot “alcohol macros", (as opposed to carbs, fats, and proteins), we typically recommend that you track your alcoholic drink as either a carb, fat, or a combination of the two. Note: We don't typically want to “borrow” our protein macros, especially due to the effect that alcohol has on muscle mass and protein synthesis.
Because carbs are typically our “highest” macronutrient, many people choose to “borrow” their carb macros for alcohol seeing as there is a bit more “wiggle room”. However, this is completely up to personal preference. If you have a lot of fats left over for the day, then feel free to track your alcohol as a fat source. If you have a lot of carbs left over for the day, feel free to track it as a carb source. Or, you can track your alcohol as a little of each (a combo of carbs and fats). The important part here, is that you are holding yourself accountable, while also living your life.
THE MACRO MATH
To track alcohol as a carb source, you would divide the total calories in the alcoholic drink by 4. This will give you the grams of carbs you will track per drink.
Below are samples of tracking different alcohol as carbs:
Let’s say Blue Moon is 171 calories:
171/4 = 43 carbs
A 5oz glass of red wine is 125 calories:
125/4 = 31 carbs
A 1oz shot of Jack Daniels is 65 calories:
65/4 = 16 carbs
To track alcohol as a fat source, you would divide the total calories in the alcoholic drink by 9. This will give you the grams of fat you will track per drink.
Below are samples of tracking different alcohol as fats:
Let’s say Blue Moon is 171 calories:
171/9 = 19 fats
A 5oz glass of red wine is 125 calories:
125/9 = 14 fats
A 1oz shot of Jack Daniels is 65 calories:
65/9 = 7 fats
Note: Beware of calories from your chasers and mixers! Just like we say to stick to 0 calorie drinks during a regular day, stick with 0 calorie chasers and mixers for your alcoholic drinks when possible.
For example, if you want a Jack & Coke, order a Jack & Diet Coke to save the calories from the Coke. Want a mixed drink? Mix your vodka with seltzer water, flat water, crystal light, or diet pop.
BUT, SHOULD I DRINK?
While we know alcohol isn't the healthiest, we never recommend pure restriction of anything here at Level TEN. If you’re going to drink occasionally, be sure track it. Choose lower calorie options like vodka and tequila with lower calorie mixers like diet juice or soda.
However, the more important question here is “can I drink and still train optimally?”. If you’re letting your drinking (whether it fits into your macros or not) affect your training, performance, recovery, and overall health, then you probably should pass on the adult beverages or at least reduce its frequency.
Macros aside, alcohol:
Suppresses fat burning
Decreases glycogen resynthesis
Toxic to brain and liver
Increases myostatin (an inhibitor of muscle growth)
Raises estrogen in women
Can decrease testosterone when consumed after cardio
Reduces protein synthesis
Decreases recovery from training
Depletes vitamin stores in the body
Suppresses thyroid function
Lowers human growth hormone
Let's look at an example of how alcohol consumption can affect muscle protein synthesis and why this is relevant.
In the study below, 8 physically active young adult males completed a variety of exercises; from weightlifting, to endurance cycling, to interval training. Each subject was given alcohol on three separate occasions (each separated by a 2 week rest period).
First Period: Subjects were given 25g of protein pre and post workout.
Second Period: Subjects were given the same amount of protein as well as alcohol post workout.
Third Period: Subjects were given the equivalent grams of carbohydrates as well as alcohol post workout.
“Using muscle biopsies and blood draws to gather data, the researchers found that alcohol significantly reduced protein synthesis by 24% and 37% in the alcohol-protein and alcohol-carbohydrate treatments respectively, compared to the protein treatment. (See above graph. "Rest" is the rate of synthesis with no exercise or nutrition treatment whatsoever.) Scientists have previously speculated that alcohol inhibits post-workout protein synthesis, but the current study is the first to gauge the reduction in humans.”
"Alcohol ingestion suppresses the anabolic response in skeletal muscle and may therefore impair recovery and adaptation to training and/or subsequent performance," the authors said of the results.
In the long term, "the athlete who binge drinks after training is likely to benefit less from strength training-induced muscle growth," lead researcher John Hawley added.
NOT TO MENTION…
"Alcohol consumption generates oxidative stress and inflammation and the potential to disrupt endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis," they wrote. The endoplasmic reticulum is an organelle that folds proteins and ships them around the cell. Not something we want to mess with!
Source: Parr EB, Camera DM, Areta JL, Burke LM, Phillips SM, et al. (2014) Alcohol Ingestion Impairs Maximal Post-Exercise Rates of Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis following a Single Bout of Concurrent Training. PLoS ONE 9(2): e88384. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088384
*NOTE: these studies were done with “binge” drinking levels of alcohol, so if you’re drinking moderately you may not see as much of an effect on your “gains”.
Interested in learning more tracking hacks, and other ways to optimize your overall health? Learn more about our online health coaching by clicking here!
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