One thing that people fail to realize is that drinking alcohol has a very active role to play with regard to muscle growth. Alcohol affects how the muscles around the body grow and respond. It is a toxin that will affect the cell membrane, influencing the growth of muscles around the body. The muscles need the input of nerve cells, which are greatly affected by the toxins found in the alcohol. It also affects the process of fat-burning in the body, making a person fatter than they would ordinarily have been without consuming alcohol.

Dehydration

Alcohol has the ability to cause a lot of dehydration, which has a negative effect on the body. If you are not taking in enough quantities of water, you will suffer from dehydration. The lack of adequate amounts of water in the body eventually has a negative bearing on the growth and ability of muscles to function as desired. The production of ATP is slowed down through heavy consumption of alcohol and this can negate any gains a person might have made in muscle growth. The low presence of water affects the amount of oxygen that gets transported into the muscles.

Lack of Energy

Muscle growth is affected when there isn’t a sufficient source of energy. As the body works extra hard to break down the alcohol, it ends up disrupting the synthesis of glycogen. Instead of being broken down and used accordingly by the body, glycogen is converted into fats and this affects muscle growth. The end result of this is that you feel less energetic during and after any exercise or workout session. Testosterone and human growth hormone, the two hormones the body requires to boost muscle growth, are interrupted through heavy consumption of alcohol as well.

Protein Synthesis is Thrown Off Track

Protein synthesis gets messed up when an individual consumes alcohol in larger amounts. It is a well known fact that muscles are mostly made up of proteins. You will find it very difficult for muscle growth if protein synthesis is being negatively affected. Alcohol has the capacity to slow down protein synthesis by up to 20%, and this is a very substantial amount that can affect the ability of muscles to grow, or even function appropriately. Moreover, alcohol has been blamed for its capacity to increase the levels of estrogen, which can also interfere with muscle growth.

Improper Use of Body’s Vitamins and Minerals

The body requires a large amount of both vitamins and other minerals in order for muscles to grow accordingly. If these are absent, it becomes very hard for any meaningful muscle growth to be noted. Alcohol affects the amount of vitamins and minerals the body can use. Vitamin A, B and C are vitamins specifically affected by alcohol consumption. Others include phosphorus, zinc and calcium. The rate at which the muscles are drained from the body through consumption of alcohol is quite rapid.

Empty Calories

Alcohol is classified as a macronutrient, and is in the same group with fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Alcohol provides what is essentially referred to as empty calories. What this means is that the body’s ability to derive energy from the consumption of alcohol is basically very low. The percentage of energy derived from consuming alcohol is too low for any meaningful benefit to be noticed. As you continue to consume alcohol with the passing of time, it reaches a point where you gain more weight and eventually become fat.

Osteoporosis and Weakening of Bones

It has been stated that alcohol consumption has the tendency of causing osteoporosis. It may also lead to frequent fractures occurring in the body. Consequently, it interferes with the process that is responsible for muscle growth. It is a known fact that muscles get attached to bones and if a person has contracted or is affected by osteoporosis, muscles won’t have something to attach themselves. Alcohol is not good for the bones, and in effect, the muscles as well. Regardless of the location of the muscles, they will never respond or grow accordingly if you consume too much alcohol.

Limit Your Alcohol!

Finally, if you wish to see positive muscle growth in your body, you have to limit the amount of alcohol that you consume. If you want to develop strong muscles and bones, you must limit how much alcohol you consume on any given day. If you are interested in heavy training to build your muscles, alcohol is one of the products you must keep far away from your body.