How Alcohol Is Killing Your Gains 💀

How The Sauce Effects Your Gains

Last week we touched on the basics of macro nutrients and where alcohol fits in. Today, we're taking a sober look at alcohol and its effects on the mind and body. We'll be exploring how it can hamper your progress in the gym, disrupt your sleep, and cause that dreaded hangover. You’re busy, and I’m tired, so let’s dive right into it.

Alcohol vs. Gains: A Losing Battle

Alcohol might be a social lubricant, but when it comes to your fitness goals, it's more like sand in the gears. Let's delve into how:

1. Protein Synthesis Disruption: Protein synthesis is the process by which the body uses dietary protein to repair and build new muscle fibers. Alcohol inhibits this process. Some studies have shown that alcohol consumption can decrease muscle protein synthesis by over 37% when consuming alcohol after exercise, thereby slowing down recovery and muscle growth. Even after receiving optimal refuel of protein intake it still decreased protein synthesis by well over 20%.

2. Spikes Cortisol: When you consume alcohol, it triggers an increase in cortisol, a hormone that, when elevated for prolonged periods, can lead to the breakdown of muscle tissue. Have too much cortisol - and you’re gonna have a bad time mkay.

3. Hormonal Havoc: Alcohol can disrupt hormonal balance, which is key for muscle development and recovery. Specifically, it can lower testosterone levels, a critical hormone for muscle growth, and increase cortisol, a hormone that breaks down muscle tissue.

4. Dehydration and Nutrient Absorption: Alcohol acts as a diuretic, leading to dehydration. Dehydration can cause muscle cramps and disrupt the balance of electrolytes, which are vital for muscle contraction. Moreover, alcohol can impair the absorption of essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals, which play crucial roles in muscle function and recovery.

5. Demonstrably Messes Up Your Sleep: Despite people saying “a drink will help put me out” it’s actually horrible for your sleep hygiene.

How Alcohol Steals Your Sleep and Muscle Maintenance

While alcohol might help you nod off, it has a profoundly negative effect on sleep quality and, by extension, muscle maintenance and growth. Here's the science behind it:

• Disrupted Sleep Cycle: Ever wonder why you can sleep for 9 hours and still feel like shit? Alcohol might help you fall asleep, but it disrupts the sleep cycle, reducing the amount of REM sleep. REM sleep is when most of the body's natural recovery and repair processes take place, including muscle growth and repair. So, while you might be knocked out, your body isn't getting the rest it needs.

• Growth Hormone Suppression: Growth hormone, essential for muscle repair and recovery, is primarily secreted during deep sleep. Alcohol can decrease the secretion of this hormone by as much as 70%, according to a study in the Alcohol Health & Research World.

• Worsened Sleep Disorders: Alcohol can exacerbate sleep conditions like sleep apnea and insomnia, which further reduces sleep quality and recovery time.

Science of Hangovers Explained: Acetaldehyde

Got a splitting headache after a night out? Feel like you've been hit by a truck? Welcome to the world of hangovers, courtesy of acetaldehyde and dehydration. Let's break it down.

Acetaldehyde: What is It?

Acetaldehyde is a highly reactive compound found in the environment, the food we eat, and the air we breathe. It's also produced in our bodies during the metabolism of alcohol. This colorless liquid (yes, it's a liquid in its pure form!) has a fruity smell and is the closest sibling to ethanol (alcohol), with just one less carbon atom.

Acetaldehyde: How Does it Get Inside You?

While alcohol consumption is the most prevalent way acetaldehyde gets in your body, it’s not the only way. Certain foods and drinks contain it (although not in significant quantities), tobacco smoke, and airborne exposure (released by plants, combustion engines and other industrial processes).

Acetaldehyde: The Effects

Despite its simple structure, acetaldehyde can have complex effects on the body:

• Cancer, Liver Disease, Pancreatitis: Not chill.

• Toxic and Carcinogenic Effects: Acetaldehyde is toxic and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Long-term exposure can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer, particularly in the upper digestive tract.

• Impact on the Liver: Acetaldehyde can cause liver damage, leading to conditions like fatty liver disease and cirrhosis, especially in heavy drinkers.

• Effects on the Digestive System: Acetaldehyde can cause inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to symptoms like nausea and heartburn.

• Contribution to Hangovers: As we discussed earlier, acetaldehyde buildup during alcohol metabolism is one of the primary contributors to hangover symptoms.

• Flush Skin aka “Asian glow”: Acetaldehyde can cause skin flushing, a common symptom in individuals with alcohol flush reaction. Before you try and cancel us, Asian glow is a thing - look it up.

Acetaldehyde: The Hangover Culprit & It’s Remedies

Acetaldehyde is a toxic compound formed when your body metabolizes alcohol. Here's the step-by-step breakdown:

1. You drink alcohol.

2. An enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in your liver converts the alcohol (ethanol) into acetaldehyde.

3. Acetaldehyde is then further metabolized by another enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), into acetic acid, which is relatively harmless.

The problem arises when the production of acetaldehyde outpaces its breakdown, leading to a build-up of this toxic compound in your body. This can result in unpleasant symptoms like nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, sweating, and skin flushing - a.k.a., the fear, the watch… The dreaded hangover.

Natural Remedies and Supplements: Your Hangover Heroes

While coffee a Gatorade and some Advil certainly do go a long way to mitigate some symptoms of a hangover (tired, headache, dehydration), there’s a lot more that goes into feeling like a bag of dicks. Thanks to our friend acetaldehyde, this can of worms is a little more complicated.

Fear not, there are ways to combat the effects of acetaldehyde. Let's explore some natural remedies and supplements:

Taurine: This amino acid is often used in energy drinks and has been shown to protect the liver against alcohol-induced damage. Some studies suggest that taurine can enhance the activity of ALDH, helping your body clear acetaldehyde more efficiently.

Glutathione and N-acetylcysteine (NAC): Glutathione, a powerful antioxidant produced in the body, plays a critical role in neutralizing acetaldehyde. NAC, a precursor to glutathione, can help increase your body's glutathione levels, aiding in acetaldehyde detoxification.

Quercetin: This plant flavonoid may help boost ALDH activity, thus accelerating the breakdown of acetaldehyde.

L-Theanine: Found in green tea, L-theanine is believed to help increase glutathione levels, aiding in the detoxification of acetaldehyde.

Probiotics: Despite them being about as appealing as your bedmate from the night before, probiotic foods like yogurt help to restore your gut biome and rid you of the gut rot. You can also get probiotic drinks in some areas as well!

Back in the day, the Romans used to eat sheep lungs and owl eggs as a supposed cure for a hangover. And as time has gone on we’ve seen our fair share of snake oil salesmen in the world of hangover cures. While some certainly do help, their claims are often overstated, reasonably unfounded or just out right lies. But in todays society where there is a demand, there is innovation. Enter - ZBiotics…

ZBiotics: The Hangover Hack?

I randomly came across this company a number of years ago and their whole product pitch is simple. They invented a remedy that can go head 2 head with acetaldehyde in your body.

What is it called and how exactly does it work? ZBiotics is a genetically engineered probiotic designed to break down acetaldehyde. It contains a strain of bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, modified to express the enzyme ALDH.

The idea is that consuming ZBiotics before drinking can help your body metabolize acetaldehyde more efficiently, since your liver can only handle so much at a time, thus reducing hangover symptoms. Now, there sure are a lot of supposed hangover remedies but never before have I seen science and testimonials that indicate that the product might actually be all it’s cracked up to be. While we haven’t tried it for ourselves (yet), who wouldn’t pay $9 to avoid a nasty hangover.

While we want you to be aware of the effect alcohol has on your gym progress, overall health and mental cognition, most of y’all are going to have a couple cheeky pints no matter what. As you should.

But at a minimum, we want you to know what exactly you’re getting yourself into. Alcohol does seriously dummy your progression in the gym, regardless of whatever supplement you think is going to save you. But what is life without a vice anyways? Maybe next time mix in a water, go to be a little earlier and if your feeling like making an impulse internet purchase, test out some supplements - it might be the difference between a splitting headache and having a marginally productive day.