How Your Post-Workout Beer Affects Muscle Growth

Even the most dedicated athletes need to unwind after a hard workout, but some research shows that alcohol can impact your rate of muscle protein synthesis—the process by which muscles grow and repair.

But does a post-workout drink (or two) really undo the effects of your workouts? Or does it take more to truly set you back?

Nutrition researcher Kamal Patel breaks down the effect alcohol actually has on muscles:

It depends on how much you drink.
Though no studies have been done specifically investigating the impact of having a single beer post-workout, evidence suggests that drinking two beers won’t undo your hard work at the gym. However, drinking five or more beers in one sitting will impair workout recovery and muscle growth.

Two studies compared liver protein synthesis rates—the detoxifying enzymes produced by the liver—among people consuming various quantities of alcohol. Scientists also found that protein synthesis was suppressed by 24 percent after people consumed 71 grams of pure alcohol, or approximately five beers. However, it was not suppressed after people consumed 28 grams of alcohol, the amount found in about two standard beers.

Another study found that for a 150-pound person, consuming the equivalent of about seven beers resulted in suppressed muscle protein synthesis. This occurred even if the alcohol was consumed after 25 grams of protein.

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It affects testosterone levels.
Testosterone is also important when it comes to building muscle—the more you naturally have, the easier it is to see gains. Studies show that low doses of alcohol (about two beers for a 150-pound person) have been shown to actually increase circulating testosterone by about 17 percent in both young men and premenopausal women. However, it’s important to note that this boost in testosterone is probably not enough to noticeably increase muscle growth.

On the other hand, heavier drinking (think: seven beers for a 150-pound individual) has been found to suppress testosterone. Furthermore, even moderate amounts of booze (about three to four beers) have been shown to mildly suppress testosterone when ingested daily for at least three weeks.

So in conclusion, if you enjoy having a cold one (or two) after a hard workout, there doesn’t seem to be evidence that it will negatively affect your testosterone levels or protein synthesis rates. But make sure your one-or-two-beer reward doesn’t turn into a five-or-more-beer habit.

Curated Article from DailyBurn