The Truth About Alcohol & fat !

[BackInTheSaddle]

Lots of good advice in this thread. I've given up alcohol completely-- there is honestly nothing positive it provides. All talk about the antioxidant benefits are highly overstated BS-- you can get the same benefit from resveratrol cap. During a really rough time in my life, I drank regularly- wine and beer for a few months- and I never felt worse in my life. Lost my appetite and ate less, gained fat, had awful insomnia, constant heartburn, and a ton of other problems. I finally decided, that's it- I don't need another single drink of anything. It's like doing a cardio workout, then smoking a pack. I felt better almost instantly, slept better, heartburn got better-- everything. Now, I figure why even have one drink-- I remember the problems it caused, so why not just grab a coffee or water instead. When it comes to a clean diet, I think eliminating alcohol is the single best choice you can make.

 

[BackInTheSaddle]

Here is my write up from sub zero. Some of our members added some more Info that was omitted....


Alcohol…Why not? Hmmm…You may have a lot to learn if you ask that question and think that this decision will not have a negative impact on your training and development…….

Ok so for those of you that know me also know that I’m not that shy of the odd mug of rum. Take a look at my handle and you’ll know it was bred into me. Couple this with my dad’s Irish side and my liver never had a shot from day 1.

But in all seriousness though, I do see on the boards quite often threads started regarding questions like - “Is it ok for me to consume alcohol while on cycle?” or “How much alcohol is it safe for me to consume?” or even “Will a night or two out a week really affect my training that much?”

Over the years I have seen a lot of anecdotal evidence or broscience posted up in response to such questions. I have not however ever seen anyone try to make an explanation of why it its bad, meaning there has been really no explanation of what’s really going on here past just scratching the surface or speaking to the obvious.

So taking that into consideration let’s first look at what we all know and then try to have a look at it a little deeper. I will make the confession now that I am not a health professional, nor any am I remotely close to being qualified as any type of expert on this subject for that matter. You’ll be able to tell by my writing…lol. I do, for the record, make a kickass Caesar though….Anyways.

So there’s my declaration take it or leave it…and by all means please challenge it and/or add to it…After all that is why we are all here.

1. Alcohol is high in cals. None of which are quality cals. 7 cals/gram, so it doesn’t take too long for those babies to start adding up. Especially if you like strawberry daquiri’s like red rocket does. Cough cough…ghey! Seriously though have you ever thought about the amount of cals you consumed in a night of heavy drinking? Its scary! For arguments sake lets say 1g=1ml. How many mls did you consume? How much mix?

2. Alcohol suppresses inhibitions and as such many times leads to poor decisions being made. This not only includes that “last call girl” you just woke up beside but also leads to a trip to the late night drive through. Boom an additional two large could be racked up there without too much trouble. P.S – the coyote arm that you may have developed in the morning as a result of taking home that “last call girl” may also account for unwanted cals – but at least it should be a high protein meal…lol

3. Alcohol interferes with normal hormonal responses and can cause increased secretion of insulin….Which in turn can lead to low blood sugar ….We all know what happens then…and we all know what we do when that crash comes. Bad news on both accords.

4. Alcohol dehydrates us terribly. Need I say more?

5. A bad hangover usually leads to a day on the couch watching movies, eating more comfort food and probably a long snooze. Not great for the waistline, not great for pushing through plateaus. Not to mention a really bad one can make us feel like shit for days and keep us out of the gym entirely or simply cause us to go through the motions and not to push oursleves.

6. Alcohol is toxic to our body. We all know this too well from our first experience with the tequila bottle we stole out of our dad’s liquor cabinet back when we were kids. How toxic? I would suppose that most don’t really know. Well, ethanol is only moderately so, but consider this - take away just one methyl group (one carbon atom and 3 hydrogens) and that ethanol we all know and love becomes methanol and that is extremely toxic to humans.

Now this may not mean much really to most of us. I mean we’ve made an entirely different compound by removing the methyl group so the above point is moot really. However, consider that the boiling points of these two compounds are only 2 degrees apart and we definitely want the people at Bacardi’s paying attention when they are separating one from the other. Doesn’t make you feel too warm and fuzzy towards you backwoods moonshiner now does it? And you guys thought ugl’s were dangerous! Lets all hope Dan Cote doesn’t moonlight…LOL!

Maybe more importantly we should consider the detoxification process our body goes through when trying to metabolize alcohol. This process leaves toxins in its wake as by-products. I won’t go into specifics but those who want to know more should research alcohol dehydrogenase and its potential to leave behind toxic forms of vitamin A.

7. Liver stress and decreased liver function. Ok maybe we should focus our attention more on direct effects but technically decreased liver function can affect how we metabolize what we are putting into our bodies as fuel and possibly mess with glycogen regulation and nutrient uptake so I see this as a more direct effect in this case.

8. Alcohol can be considered an anti nutrient because of the way it inhibits the normal metabolism of nutrients and our main energy substrates (macros). Couple this with the fact that alcohol is an irritant to our GI tract and its use can lead to the malabsorption of those nutrients. Add in the fact that increases urinary excretion of calcium and magnesium. Not good news especially since many of us are deficient in at least one of these already either because we don’t consume enough, or we consume too much of one. These compete for absorption in the same portion of the gut and over consuming one may lead to pooling of another….But that’s a discussion for another day. Wait though we’re not done here quite yet. Regular alcohol consumption increases Mg excretion in our sweat and lowers ability of magnesium resorption. Blah, blah, blah – the take away here is that alcohol consumption fucks with your ability to use the nutrients you need for proper function.

9. Alcohol negatively impacts thermoregulation in the body. We are particularly affected in cold environments. However see above as to what happens when we are hot. This leads to additional stress on our body and systems. Regardless, in this case things are not functioning optimally and that is not a good thing.

10. Alcohol impairs the repair process of injured tissues and there is evidence that suggests that alcohol may also impair muscle glycogen storage. Not good for taking things to new levels or needing a little extra when digging deep.

11. Long term health effects should be noted. But are beyond the scope really of what this was to be about. Most are familiar with the obvious ones so we don’t have to go into any detail. However, aside from those obvious concerns we all have heard about, one may wish to note that regular alcohol consumption may lead to cancer of the mouth, throat or esophogus and possibly other forms of cancer as well. Not to mention that as AAS users, we may be at more risk than the general public in regards to liver issues because of the use of some of the tools we decide to use. So saying that lets dive into other significant concerns. Chronic alcohol abuse may also weaken the heart, alter the brain and CNS. Alcohol also can increase blood lipids (triglycerides mostly) and even pancreatitis. The latter most can have major negative impacts on blood glucose control and the digestive process.


So in closing I’m not preaching, nor even trying to tell you what to do. I still drink a little from time to time and even have the odd semi-bender (old man style though these days). But I just wanted to show you guys that alcohol is doing more to you that you might think and has a measurable negative impact on your training, and thus your goals. Is this an acceptable risk? As with everything in my opinion….Only you can decide for yourselves.

fantastic and very informative advice!

 

[Tuffoldman]

Not sure if it was mentioned but once the alcohol passed their the liver your body will use this for energy use rather than using any stored body fat or calories taken in while these is still some in your system. If you drink and then eat anytime while your body is still processing the alcohol 73% of the calories from the food you eat will be stored as bodyfat. Add a this to a slower RMR you are talking lots of wasted time in the gym just trying top ward off the extra fat that is not needed.

I don't drink at all, haven't in almost 15 year. I used to weigh 300lbs I was a fat as slob and drink like a fish, drunk almost every night. I stopped drinking and the weight fell off. Yes I did start exercising but not for a long time after I had serious weight loss just from the non-drinking... I stopped drinking to save my marriage and I ended up with a 8% ripped body and never happier

 

[NutNut]

Not sure if it was mentioned but once the alcohol passed their the liver your body will use this for energy use rather than using any stored body fat or calories taken in while these is still some in your system. If you drink and then eat anytime while your body is still processing the alcohol 73% of the calories from the food you eat will be stored as bodyfat. Add a this to a slower RMR you are talking lots of wasted time in the gym just trying top ward off the extra fat that is not needed.

I don't drink at all, haven't in almost 15 year. I used to weigh 300lbs I was a fat as slob and drink like a fish, drunk almost every night. I stopped drinking and the weight fell off. Yes I did start exercising but not for a long time after I had serious weight loss just from the non-drinking... I stopped drinking to save my marriage and I ended up with a 8% ripped body and never happier

Where the heck did you get that 73% figure? 1st off your body never uses only 1 substrate for energy, 2nd yes ethanol is oxidized more readily than fat and reduces lipid oxidization though has not nearly the same impact on carbs or protein oxidization over a 24 hour timeframe as per Suter PM, Schutz Y, Jéquier E. The effect of ethanol on fat storage in healthy subjects. N Engl J Med 1992;326:983–7. The true problem is that people don't moderate their energy intake accounting for that of the increased alcohol consumption (about 85% of ethanol intake becomes available as energy). The idea that somehow magically 73% of food will be stored as lipids due to alcohol consumption is crazy talk. Obviously the amount of alcohol, amount of food, type of food, activity level and metabolic rate of the person in question will all impact fat storage and any storage won't just be a % of food intake beyond alcohol consumed.

 

[PillarofBalance]

Where the heck did you get that 73% figure? 1st off your body never uses only 1 substrate for energy, 2nd yes ethanol is oxidized more readily than fat and reduces lipid oxidization though has not nearly the same impact on carbs or protein oxidization over a 24 hour timeframe as per Suter PM, Schutz Y, Jéquier E. The effect of ethanol on fat storage in healthy subjects. N Engl J Med 1992;326:983–7. The true problem is that people don't moderate their energy intake accounting for that of the increased alcohol consumption (about 85% of ethanol intake becomes available as energy). The idea that somehow magically 73% of food will be stored as lipids due to alcohol consumption is crazy talk. Obviously the amount of alcohol, amount of food, type of food, activity level and metabolic rate of the person in question will all impact fat storage and any storage won't just be a % of food intake beyond alcohol consumed.

So like in many cases you can almost eat whatever you want but you have to account for it. So in this case, If you have the beer, lay off the fries, but eat the steak. Is that what you're saying?

 

[NutNut]

So like in many cases you can almost eat whatever you want but you have to account for it. So in this case, If you have the beer, lay off the fries, but eat the steak. Is that what you're saying?

In a case by case basis yes. This isn't to say eat whatever you want every day as obviously you need a healthy balance of fats, micronutrients, fiber etc and want to avoid processed crap from a health standpoint. BUT if you are going to consume alcohol you need to account for it when managing your other food intake. Carbs and protein are still readily used for energy in the presence of alcohol but lipid oxidization drops significantly. When it comes to weight loss vs weight gain it's a calories in vs calories used game, when it comes to gains or losses composition wise that's where the details come in.

 

[Tuffoldman]

Where the heck did you get that 73% figure? 1st off your body never uses only 1 substrate for energy, 2nd yes ethanol is oxidized more readily than fat and reduces lipid oxidization though has not nearly the same impact on carbs or protein oxidization over a 24 hour timeframe as per Suter PM, Schutz Y, Jéquier E. The effect of ethanol on fat storage in healthy subjects. N Engl J Med 1992;326:983–7. The true problem is that people don't moderate their energy intake accounting for that of the increased alcohol consumption (about 85% of ethanol intake becomes available as energy). The idea that somehow magically 73% of food will be stored as lipids due to alcohol consumption is crazy talk. Obviously the amount of alcohol, amount of food, type of food, activity level and metabolic rate of the person in question will all impact fat storage and any storage won't just be a % of food intake beyond alcohol consumed.

I guess I just made it up... oh wait.. It's published in the "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" but what the fuck do they know??

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, a Harvard educated doctor currently working at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, the acetate from alcohol metabolism is the first fuel to burn for energy. During this time, the body will burn very little of any other form of energy such as the fatty acids stored up in adipose tissue, postponing the act of weight loss. A study published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that the metabolism of alcohol decreased whole body lipid oxidation by 73 percent


Maybe I worded it wrong but THAT is where I got that magic #.

Alcohol is evil to any serious healthy person that cares what they put in thier body.

 

[NutNut]

What that says and what you said are 2 totally different things so what they know and what you said are not the same thing.....I've already explained this. For future reference though cite your sources, your source was livestrong, their source was De novo lipogenesis, lipid kinetics, and whole-body lipid balances in humans after acute alcohol consumption.

Because of sex differences in ethanol metabolism (33), all subjects recruited (n = 8) were men. All subjects were moderate consumers of ethanol (<120 g/wk)

After an evening meal providing 40% of total daily energy requirements (55% as carbohydrate, 30% as fat, and 15% as protein)

Just a couple variables, now:

Whole-body carbohydrate oxidation did not change significantly after ethanol consumption (before: 8.00 ± 0.67 µmol• kg-1•min-1; after: 7.89 ± 0.44 µmol•kg-1•min-1), but whole-body lipid oxidation fell substantially (Figure 5). The baseline value was 4.08 ± 0.32 µmol•kg-1•min-1 and dropped to 1.09 ± 0.18 µmol•kg-1•min-1 after ethanol consumption, representing a decrease of 73%. The nonethanol NPRQ was 0.78 ± 0.01 after ethanol consumption. Total energy expenditure was 7778 ± 289 kJ/d (1859 ± 69 kcal/d) before and 8134 ± 356 kJ/d (1944 ± 85 kcal/d) after ethanol consumption. The decrease in whole-body fat oxidation nearly balanced, but was slightly less than the calculated ethanol oxidation rate.

As per my post clearly showing little change in carb/protein oxidization therefore invalidating said statement, if you had of said the study showed a 73% drop in lipid oxidization we would have agreed.

 

[Fish77]

So stay away from fatty foods while drinking and all is good. Got it.

 

[ritch]

this has to be one of the better threads I've ever read on the topic, I may have a drink or 2 in the year, not that I'm so innocent the rest of the time with other "scooby snacks" snarf, snarf...

 

[Tuffoldman]

What that says and what you said are 2 totally different things so what they know and what you said are not the same thing.....I've already explained this. For future reference though cite your sources, your source was livestrong, their source was De novo lipogenesis, lipid kinetics, and whole-body lipid balances in humans after acute alcohol consumption.

Because of sex differences in ethanol metabolism (33), all subjects recruited (n = 8) were men. All subjects were moderate consumers of ethanol (<120 g/wk)

After an evening meal providing 40% of total daily energy requirements (55% as carbohydrate, 30% as fat, and 15% as protein)

Just a couple variables, now:

Whole-body carbohydrate oxidation did not change significantly after ethanol consumption (before: 8.00 ± 0.67 µmol• kg-1•min-1; after: 7.89 ± 0.44 µmol•kg-1•min-1), but whole-body lipid oxidation fell substantially (Figure 5). The baseline value was 4.08 ± 0.32 µmol•kg-1•min-1 and dropped to 1.09 ± 0.18 µmol•kg-1•min-1 after ethanol consumption, representing a decrease of 73%. The nonethanol NPRQ was 0.78 ± 0.01 after ethanol consumption. Total energy expenditure was 7778 ± 289 kJ/d (1859 ± 69 kcal/d) before and 8134 ± 356 kJ/d (1944 ± 85 kcal/d) after ethanol consumption. The decrease in whole-body fat oxidation nearly balanced, but was slightly less than the calculated ethanol oxidation rate.

As per my post clearly showing little change in carb/protein oxidization therefore invalidating said statement, if you had of said the study showed a 73% drop in lipid oxidization we would have agreed.

I did misword you are correct (I stated that) ... I actually did note where I got the info but not sure why it did not show up.. weird!!!

I have been training for 10+ years and what the OP said I hear almost every day... I have clients that work their ass off and never look lean as they can. I tell them to stop drinking and OMG they think I asked them to kill their mother.

anyway alcohol and healthy living don't mix IMO.

 

[Pearl]

Didyaknow? Read that sumo wrestlers average 6 pints of beer to wash down their bedtime meal...hmmm.