3 Reasons Why Alcohol Consumption is a Red Flag for Fitness

Alcohol consumption has a harmful effect on individual fitness and muscle growth. It is a red flag in the way of fitness.

Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Fitness: 

Before dwelling deep into the effects of alcohol consumption on fitness, lets first understand the term ‘fitness’. Fitness can be explicated to be a state of individual wellbeing, where one can carry out daily life activities with little or no effort. The definition of fitness may vary individually.

 People belonging to varying fields of life would define fitness subjectively. Sportsmen would associate fitness with his performance while an ordinary salesman will associate it with his ability to perform daily activities, efficiently. There are many red flags associated with the consumption of alcohol, lets discuss them one by one.

Alcohol Sucks out the Water from Our Body:

Alcohol is a diuretic, and it increases the excretion of urine from the body. Massive disposal of urine from the body could ultimately lead to dehydration. Drinking too much alcohol can dehydrate the body immensely, and a dehydrated body cannot perform daily activities effectively.

If a person cannot carry out day-to-day activities effectively then he is said to be unfit. Immense alcohol consumption has always been a red flag, but few of us are aware of the havoc it can cause physiologically.

Other than that, a low level of water in the body can also affect muscle growth. The growth of muscle depends immensely on protein synthesis and water is an integral component required for protein synthesis. Hence, alcohol consumption could reduce levels of water in the body and in turn could lead to decreased muscle growth.

Alcohol Escalates Levels of Cholesterol:

Alcohol affects the concentration of two types of cholesterols in the blood. One being LDL (low-density lipid) and other being triglycerides. The normal concentration of LDL should be less than 100mg/dL and that of triglyceride should be less than 150mg/dL in the blood. However, alcohol consumption increases the levels of LDL and triglycerides in the blood. 

Alcohol increases the concentration of LDL and triglycerides in the blood because the liver is responsible for processing alcohol, and it also plays a critical role in the synthesis and breakdown of cholesterol. Hence, after the consumption of alcohol, the liver gets occupied with the breakdown of alcohol and could not carry other functions effectively, leading to increased levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Increased levels of cholesterol in the blood could lead to cardiovascular diseases, which in turn could impair individual fitness and muscle mass. 

Alcohol Takes Glucose Level to Rock Bottom:

The liver is a hub for various metabolic activities. It carries several metabolic activities simultaneously but the consumption of alcohol affects the normal physiological function of the liver. Alcohol cannot easily be digested by our body so the poor guy-liver, works really hard keeping aside its main responsibilities to break down the alcohol.

However, this nice guy act has a toll on the normal metabolism of the body. Glucose is also made in the liver and the over functioning of the liver for the breakdown of alcohol kind of leads to lower levels of glucose in the body. Low levels of glucose in the body in turn result in less energy to carry out daily activities. 

Hence, it would be safe to say that the consumption of alcohol does affect fitness immensely. Moreover, the working of the muscle depends greatly on the levels of energy available. Decreased working and performance of muscle could in turn lead to decreased muscle mass and growth.

Alcohol Increases Heart Rate:

Most alarmingly, the risk for irregular heart rhythms may be raised by drinking alcohol. This is indeed a threat which dramatically increases up to two days after heavy alcohol consumption during exercise. "How much you need to drink to be at risk depends on the individual, but if you are an irregular drinker, the risk increases," Professor Whyte says. That's because the operation itself also lifts the heart rate and you place more burden on the liver with a lot of alcohol in your system. Other long-term effects of alcohol, such as heart disease, cancer, and liver disease, could totally prevent you from engaging in exercise and sports.

Alcohol consumption does have negative effects on fitness but ‘moderate’ amount of alcohol can sometimes be quite beneficial. Hence, the quantity of consumption is a key factor in determining its respective effect on bodily functions. However, greater consumption could certainly damage individual health and could hinder the process of muscle growth substantially. Alcohol also disrupts the normal sleep cycle decreasing the secretion of growth hormone in the body, in turn hindering the process of growth. Alcohol consumption has a more detrimental effect on sports personalities because their career revolves around their performance. So considering all the damage that alcohol consumption might cause, it will be not incorrect if a fitness-oriented person or a fitness freak turns down his or her alcohol intake.